The knowledge on dolphins and whales, their habitat suitability and conservation status in the Mediterranean Sea is still rather heterogeneous and defective although these aspects represent fundamental currency for evaluating the anthropogenic impacts on the ecosystem functioning. Concerning the Ionian Sea (Central-eastern Mediterranean Sea), starting from 2009 an intense research activity was carried out by the Jonian Dolphin Conservation (JDC) and the Department of Biology University of Bari (UNIBA Local Research Unit CoNISMa), reducing the shortcomings in the basic scienti c information in the Gulf of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea). Sightings data were collected during standardized vessel-based surveys con rming the presence of 8 di erent species of cetaceans (Dimatteo et al., 2011; Fanizza et al., 2014; Carlucci et al., 2015 and 2016). Finally, an intense education activity was carried out from 2009 by JDC as a structured project of Citizen Science involving school-children, students as well tourists on whale and dolphin watching boarding on 3 di erent vessels equipped for scienti c surveys and monitoring programs.
Monitoring System and Research Studies on cetaceans in the Gulf of Taranto (NORTHERN IONIAN SEA, CENTRAL-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA)
R MAGLIETTA;V RENO;
2017
Abstract
The knowledge on dolphins and whales, their habitat suitability and conservation status in the Mediterranean Sea is still rather heterogeneous and defective although these aspects represent fundamental currency for evaluating the anthropogenic impacts on the ecosystem functioning. Concerning the Ionian Sea (Central-eastern Mediterranean Sea), starting from 2009 an intense research activity was carried out by the Jonian Dolphin Conservation (JDC) and the Department of Biology University of Bari (UNIBA Local Research Unit CoNISMa), reducing the shortcomings in the basic scienti c information in the Gulf of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea). Sightings data were collected during standardized vessel-based surveys con rming the presence of 8 di erent species of cetaceans (Dimatteo et al., 2011; Fanizza et al., 2014; Carlucci et al., 2015 and 2016). Finally, an intense education activity was carried out from 2009 by JDC as a structured project of Citizen Science involving school-children, students as well tourists on whale and dolphin watching boarding on 3 di erent vessels equipped for scienti c surveys and monitoring programs.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
