Encouraging local vets to become involved in research on stranded cetaceans is just one of a number of projects currently being pursued by staff and volunteers from the Silver Dolphin Centre at Porthleven.

The marine conservation and dive centre, based at the port's old lifeboat house, plays a leading role in documenting the grim toll of dolphin and porpoise carcasses washed up on Cornish beaches.

With more than 50 dead cetaceans already found stranded in the region since the New Year, the centre has been busy working with other conservation organisations in a bid to stop the carnage.

Now local vets, who already assist the centre in the event of live strandings, are being invited to help take samples from the dead dolphins in order to further research into the fatalities. The Natural History Museum in London is involved in helping get the project off the ground.

Silver Dolphin owner David Ball said the centre was also keen to expand a successful dolphin tagging programme introduced last year.

He said: "We now want to take this further as many of the dolphins are on inaccessible beaches, or even floating at sea. We are producing a coded tag so the dolphins can be tracked and important information on movement around the coast and rate of decomposition can be recorded."

The centre, which welcomes photographic evidence of dead cetaceans, is also seeking to establish a video diary and would be keen to hear from anyone with any relevant footage.

Marine survey work carried out by the centre includes the recording and monitoring of eel grass and maerl beds around the Cornish coast.

A new survey prompted by a dramatic decline in the numbers of skates and rays around the British coastline in recent years is due to be launched at the end of March. Local numbers of live rays and their egg cases will be recorded, as well as those of cat sharks and their egg cases.

Other work carried out by the centre includes promoting the Marine Conservation Society's "adopt a beach" project and liaising with local councils on projects involving Cornish schoolchildren.

The centre can be contacted on 01326 572002, or e-mail conservation@silverdolphin.freeserve.co.uk.