Dog that hunts invasive sea creature named animal of the year

A working dog from the Scottish Highlands has been named animal of the year by a charity for hunting down an invasive marine creature called the carpet sea squirt.

Working at low tide with her owner, Dr Texa Sim, black labrador Sgiath has found hundreds of colonies of the sea squirt, which - if left uncontrolled - can smother and kill native species.

"Sgiath is incredibly clever. Her problem solving and her ability to take on new challenges and learn so quickly are just phenomenal, and it's so amazing to watch."

Sgiath has been trained to recognise the scent of the carpet sea squirt. And now, the six year old lab joins her owner on the beaches to sniff it out.

Carpet sea squirt, or sea vomit, has spread to several places around the UK

"When I first started this project, I genuinely didn't know whether it would work," said Dr Sim.

Dogs' scent detection skills are often used in conservation work on land, including tracking endangered species and helping investigate environmental crime. At low tide, Sgiath can, as Dr Sim puts it "dive down under the seaweed".

Marine experts believe that carpet sea squirt, formally named Didemnum vexillum, came from Japan. It arrived on the shores of the south of England and Wales in 2008.

It reproduces quickly during the warmer summer months and, with warming seas, there are fears it could spread further.

"These species also clog up aquaculture pens, marine infrastructure, and machinery such as boat propellors," he explained.

To get Sgiarth proficient in both mountain rescue and marine conservatuion has needed hard work and long hours from both dog and owner.

"It's a kind of a stillness, or a stare - a sit stare, or just a freeze stare."