“When I first started this project, I genuinely didn’t know whether it would work,” said Dr Sim.
“No one had really explored whether dogs could help tackle this problem in the marine environment. It began as a proof-of-concept project and has exceeded every expectation I had.”
“She just does a survey with her nose, essentially, she can pinpoint exactly where it is, so it’s much easier,” she said.
Unlike her mountain rescue work, where she barks to signal a find, Sgiath uses a “passive indication” when locating sea squirt.
Sharon Livermore, IFAW’s Director of Marine Conservation, said: “Every year, the Animal of the Year award celebrates animals doing extraordinary things, but Sgiath’s story is like nothing we’ve seen before.