Exploring flapper skates as a flagship species for marine conservation in Scotland
Flapper skates are among the largest skates in the world and a top predator in Scottish waters, but they’re now Critically Endangered.
Why flagship species matter
Flagship species are often the face of conservation campaigns – the lions, tigers or elephants that capture public imagination and inspire action. But it isn’t only terrestrial animals that can play this vital role. By helping people connect emotionally with marine wildlife, flagship species can raise awareness, boost support, and generate funds to protect vital habitats at sea too.
Scotland’s critically endangered giant
Flapper skates (Dipturus intermedius) are one of the largest skates in the world and a top predator in Scottish waters. Once widespread, numbers have plummeted, and the species is now listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. They’ve disappeared from much of their historical range and, despite Marine Protected Areas along Scotland’s west coast, further conservation action is urgently needed to safeguard this ecologically important species.
Research with a new perspective
Our PTES intern, Elizabeth Weldon, is working with Dr Charlotte Hopkins from the University of Hull to explore whether flapper skates could become a flagship species for marine conservation in Scotland. Her research combines public surveys with interviews with community stakeholders to understand awareness, attitudes, and emotional connections with the species.
Giving skates a face and a name
Elizabeth’s project is also trialling an innovative approach: using underwater footage to identify and name individual flapper skates. By creating unique profiles, she hopes to encourage people to form personal connections with these remarkable animals, just as they might with better-known species on land.
Shaping future marine conservation
Through this work, Elizabeth aims to uncover the cultural and social importance of flapper skates, and test whether they have the traits needed to become a true flagship species. The insights from her research could not only strengthen conservation efforts for flapper skates but also provide a model for raising awareness of other little-known marine species across the UK and beyond.
Header image credit Dr Charlotte Hopkins and Dr Neil Burns