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Story summary
- Marine biologist Claire Stainfield uses drone footage and artificial intelligence to assess seal numbers at Newburgh beach, Aberdeenshire.
- The research seeks to understand the impact of tourism on seals.
- The Ythan Estuary was designated a seal haul-out site in 2017, and numbers grew from 10–20 to over 3,000.
- Stainfield's findings show minimal disturbance when tourists stay on the south side of the beach, and AI reduces data processing time.
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