A black Labrador named Sgiath has been named Animal of the Year by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) for detecting the invasive carpet sea squirt, nicknamed 'sea vomit,' along the Scottish coast. The award was presented in London on 15 October 2026 at IFAW's 26th annual Animal Action Awards ceremony.
Sgiath, a six-year-old black Labrador based in the Scottish Highlands near Glencoe, has been named Animal of the Year by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The award, presented at IFAW's 26th annual Animal Action Awards ceremony in London on 15 October 2026, recognises her work sniffing out an invasive marine organism known as the carpet sea squirt.
From mountain rescue to marine detective
Sgiath began her working life as a mountain rescue dog, trained through the Search and Rescue Dog Association Scotland. Her handler, Dr Texa Sim, a marine ecologist, later retrained her to search for the invasive sea squirt instead of missing hikers.
For mountain rescue work, Sgiath signals a find by barking. For marine detection, Dr Sim taught her a different cue called a 'passive indication': the dog goes still and stares at the spot where she picks up the target scent, rather than reacting actively on open coastline.
What the carpet sea squirt is and why it matters
The organism Sgiath is trained to find is Didemnum vexillum, a colonial sea squirt commonly nicknamed 'sea vomit' because of its slimy, mottled appearance. Colonies can be difficult to spot along the shoreline, according to reporting on the award.
The species originated in Japan and was first recorded in UK waters in the south of England and Wales in 2008, according to reporting on the award. It spreads via ship hulls, in ballast water and on aquaculture equipment, according to The Fish Site, an aquaculture industry publication, and can spread quickly once established, forming thick colonies, the same publication says.
Coverage of Sgiath's award said the sea squirt smothers and outcompetes native species and can clog aquaculture infrastructure.
Sgiath's two working roles
Detail
Mountain rescue role
Marine detection role
Target
Missing people
Carpet sea squirt (Didemnum vexillum)
Alert signal
Active barking
Passive indication (stillness, stare)
Trained by
Search and Rescue Dog Association Scotland
Dr Texa Sim, Conservation Detection Dogs Scotland
Work setting
Highland terrain
Scottish coastline at low tide
Sgiath is incredibly clever. Her problem solving and her ability to take on new challenges and learn so quickly are just phenomenal.
— Dr Texa Sim, marine ecologist and Sgiath's handler
An award from an international animal welfare group
IFAW named Sgiath Animal of the Year at its 26th annual Animal Action Awards ceremony in London on 15 October 2026, according to reporting on the event and IFAW's own description of the programme. The awards recognise animals and the people working with them for contributions to welfare, rescue or conservation.
Under the 2026 edition of the awards, nominations closed at 17:00 GMT on 11 May 2026, and at least six winners are each to receive a cash prize equivalent to £1,000 and a trip to London for the ceremony, according to IFAW's nomination page.
A wider role for conservation detection dogs
Sgiath works with Dr Sim's organisation, Conservation Detection Dogs Scotland, based in Fort William. Dr Sim is a LANTRA-qualified detection dog handler and sits on the board of the Ecology Detection Dog Working Group for the UK and Ireland, according to the organisation's website.
Reporting on the award described Sgiath as believed to be the UK's first dog trained specifically to detect the carpet sea squirt, and said she has located hundreds of colonies while working beaches at low tide with Dr Sim. The extent of similar detection-dog training for this species elsewhere, if any, is not addressed in the available reporting.
Questions
What is the carpet sea squirt that Sgiath detects?
It is Didemnum vexillum, an invasive colonial sea squirt originally from Japan, nicknamed 'sea vomit' for its slimy appearance. It spreads via ship hulls, ballast water and aquaculture equipment, and can smother native species, according to The Fish Site and reporting on Sgiath's award.
Who trained Sgiath and where does she work?
Dr Texa Sim, a marine ecologist who runs Conservation Detection Dogs Scotland from Fort William, retrained Sgiath — originally a mountain rescue dog — to search Scottish Highland beaches near Glencoe at low tide.
What award did Sgiath win and who presents it?
The International Fund for Animal Welfare named Sgiath Animal of the Year at its 26th annual Animal Action Awards ceremony in London on 15 October 2026.
How does Sgiath signal that she has found the sea squirt?
She gives what Dr Sim calls a 'passive indication' — going still and staring at the spot — instead of the active barking alert she uses in mountain rescue work.
Is Sgiath the only dog trained to find this species?
Reporting on the award describes her as believed to be the UK's first dog trained specifically to detect the carpet sea squirt, though the full extent of similar training efforts elsewhere is not documented in available reporting.
How the world is telling it
ArabicEgyptian outlet el-Balad covered the story as an international animal-welfare item, reproducing the same core details about Sgiath, the carpet sea squirt and the IFAW award without adding separate local context.
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