The Blue Planet Prize to NOAA administrator

"As an ecologist, I have dedicated my career to understanding the impacts of global changes on nature and people, and to finding solutions. As a public servant, I work to implement solutions, raise awareness and provide people with information to make informed decisions – all grounded in science. As a mother, and a grandmother, I passionately want to leave a healthy blue planet for future generations." This is from the statement of Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, NOAA Administrator and winner of the international environmental award, the 2011 Blue Planet Prize. M.J.
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picture by NOAA

Il senso elettrico dei delfini

A South American dolphin, the Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) may be able to sense prey by their electric fields, the same way as sharks and rays do. According to scientist, this is the first known case of a mammal showing this ability. Echolocation doesn't work at very close range, so this is where electrolocation would come in, especially in the muddy waters where this species lives. M.J. (picture by http://www.atbc2008.org/)
Read the article

ITA Un delfino del Sudamerica, la Sotalia guianensis sarebbe, secondo i ricercatori, il primo mamifero in cui è stata documenta la capacità di percepire deboli campi elettrici - come negli squali e nelle razze.
Leggi l'articolo (in inglese)

CSR_10 (July, 18th - 24th)

When CSR 10 started the weather forecast for the week seemed it was not going to give us many opportunities to go in search for animals, but finally participants could enjoy two long sightings of sperm whales and many encounters with sea life. Even the hours spent in the harbour didn’t affect the mood of people onboard, who could learn more about cetaceans through lectures and a visit to the oceanographic museum of Monaco, and also take part in the data analysis doing the matching and the editing of the pictures of sperm whale and Risso’s dolphins. The great food prepared by Sabina, the director of the project who re-invented herself as cook for the week, gave also a great contribution. Participants of CSR 10 will take home some striped dolphins sightings, an encounter with a turtle, a Mediterranean manta ray jump, two well known Sperm whales, Matt and Albert, and the emotion of swimming in the deep blue.

Morgana, Monica, Sabina and Martina

This link is for participants of this week's expedition, showing the ship's route, pictures of some of the sightings and of some moments of the cruise which were memorable (or even not so...)

Ai partecipanti al turno è dedicato uno spazio con il percorso effettuato durante la settimana, le foto di alcuni avvistamenti e qualche immagine dei momenti da ricordare - importanti e non.

Ceto-citazione

"...le balene lo sanno, che non siamo tutti uguali e, sebbene abbondino le carogne, tra noi ci sono tanti ben disposti nei loro confronti".

Da: Pino Cacucci, "Le balene lo sanno" (UEF)

Si parla di Tethys, mar Ligure e "Pelagos"

Sul "Piccolo", il quotidiano di Trieste, un esauriente articolo dedicato alle attività di Tethys nel mar Ligure.
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Oceani "privatizzati" dalla Commissione Europea?

L'obiettivo di attuare una radicale riforma della pesca recuperando le risorse ittiche in quattro anni, presentato dalla Commissione europea, rischia di naufragare, secondo quanto denuncia in un comunicato stampa Ocean 2012. Infatti la proposta della Commissione, pubblicata il 13 luglio scorso a Bruxelles, impone agli Stati membri l’adozione di concessioni di pesca trasferibili: agli operatori verrebbe concessa la possibilità di scambiare sul mercato la loro quota di pesca, sistema che la Commissione promuove con l'intenzione di ridurre il numero dei pescherecci, ma senza distinzione fra chi pesca in maniera sostenibile e chi utilizza pratiche ed attrezzi devastanti per l’ambiente e le risorse. Questo meccanismo andrebbe a scapito della piccola pesca artigianale, senza fare alcuna differenza tra metodi di pesca sostenibili e insostenibili e senza risolvere il problema della pesca eccessiva.
Per ridurre davvero lo sforzo di pesca e adeguarlo alle risorse rimaste nei nostri mari – denunciano ancora le associazioni - è necessario un programma con misure e scadenze dettagliate, e non puntare tutto su una virtuale privatizzazione degli oceani .
Scarica il comunicato di Ocean 2012

ENG: "The European Commission’s proposal aiming at the recovery of European fish stocks falls short in the way it addresses overcapacity. Instead of mandating a capacity reduction, it aims to decrease the EU fishing fleet by what amounts to the quasi-privatisation of EU fish resources", says Uta Bellion, director of the Pew Environment Group’s European Marine Programme and coordinator of OCEAN2012.
Read the press release

CSR_09 (July, 11th - 17th)

The non collaborative weather did not stop us from having an ace time with the people of the 9th CSR cruise.
The rough sea seemed to make striped dolphins particularly lively and playful. We sighted several large groups that followed us for miles, bow-riding, performing aerial displays and surfing the waves.
On the other hand, the encounters with sperm whales gave us the chance of experiencing two of the most serious threats to cetaceans in the Med: collisions and noise pollution. The first whale had a massive scar resulting from the collision with a boat. It was an individual that we have met several times during this season as well as last season, and all the crew wondered how its swimming behaviour could be affected by the big bump on its head. Moreover, while we were recording the animal, a cargo ship crossed the area and allowed everyone to witness firsthand how these loud vessels can completely mask echolocation sounds thus interfering with the sperm whale’s ability to search for food.
During our time in the harbour, in-between lectures, delicious meals, games and just relaxing altogether, the people onboard opened interesting debates about many issues that affect our seas, making the week even more stimulating and enjoyable.

Enrico, Monica, Marie and Sydni

Following link is for participants of this week's expedition, showing the ship's route, pictures of some of the sightings and of some moments of the cruise which were memorable (or even not so...)

Ai partecipanti al turno è dedicato uno spazio con il percorso effettuato durante la settimana, le foto di alcuni avvistamenti e qualche immagine dei momenti da ricordare - importanti e non

Lessons from the Pelagos Sanctuary

Whales and dolphins can serve as charismatic flagship species and as indicator species; that's why marine mammal protected areas are needed in the Mediterranean. At the moment there are three in Turkey, one in Italy - and the Pelagos Sanctuary lying mainly on the high seas, established by a treaty among France, Italy and Monaco.
What are the challenges faced by the Pelagos Sanctuary and what is the take-home lesson we got from it? Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, founder and president of the Tethys Research Institute, who has been active in proposing the creation of the Sanctuary, is now pushing for improvement of its management.
Read the article on MPA News

ITA Balene e delfini possono essere specie-simbolo per la causa della tutela dell'ecosistema, e indicatori ambientali: per questo le aree protette per i mammiferi marini sono importanti nel Mediterraneo. Attualmente ne esistono tre in Turchia, uno in Italia - e il Santuario Pelagos, che si trova per la maggior parte in alto mare, istituito con un accordo tra Italia, Francia e Monaco.
Quali sono le sfide che il Santuario deve affrontare e cosa ci ha insegnato? Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, presidente e fondatore di Tethys, che ha partecipato attivamente alla proposta della creazione del Santuario, 12 anni fa, e che sta spingendo perché si attui la relativa gestione, fa il punto della situazione.
Leggi l'articolo (in inglese) su MPA News.

Maddalena Jahoda

Less striped dolphins in the Pelagos Sanctuary?

A new article about Mediterranean striped dolphins'abundance, by former Tethys' collaborator Giancarlo Lauriano, coauthored by Tethys' researchers Giuseppe Notarbartolo and Simone Panigada.

Giancarlo Lauriano, Simone Panigada, Roberta Canneri, Marta Manca Zeichen and Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara
Abundance estimate of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) in the Pelagos Sanctuary (NW Mediterranean Sea) by means of line transect survey
J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 11(3): 279–283, 2010

To assess cetacean densities in the Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals a survey was carried out in the Ligurian-Provencal Basin (NW Mediterranean) in August 2008. An area of 58,000 km2 was surveyed in eight days with equally spaced zigzag transects, covering 1,255 km in favourable conditions. Fifty three sightings of four cetacean species were made: striped dolphins (n = 37), fin whales (n = 12), sperm whales (n = 3) and Cuvier’s beaked whales (n = 1). Estimates of abundance were obtained using Distance 5.0.
The estimated dolphin abundance was 13,232 (CV = 35.55; 95% CI = 6,640–26,368), with a density of 0.23 individuals/km (CV = 35.55; 95% CI = 0.11–0.45). No fin whale abundance estimate was possible due to the small sample size. The point estimate of the 2008 striped dolphin abundance estimate was almost half of that of a survey conducted in 1992 by Forcada and colleagues (1995) in the same area with comparable effort, platform and methodology (25,614; CV = 25.3; 95% CI = 15,377–42,658); nevertheless, the difference was not statistically significant. These results strongly support the need for further systematic monitoring in the Sanctuary and in the surrounding areas, in order to assess striped dolphin abundance, spatial and temporal trends.

ITA Un nuovo articolo è apparso su una rivista scientifica specializzata, con coautori tra gli altri Simone Panigada e Giuseppe Notarbartolo, di Tethys. Ne emerge una stima di abbondanza delle stenelle presenti nel Santuario Pelagos: nel 2008 il loro numero sembrerebbe pressoché dimezzato rispetto a un survey paragonabile compiuto nel 1992. Il condizionale è d'obbligo perché la differenza non risulta comunque statisticamente significativa e dovrà essere ulteriormente verificata. M.J.

Dolphins of Greece

A nice new video shows the work carried out by Tethys Research Institute on dolphin conservation in western Greece.
The team is working to identify the main threats that these amazing creatures are facing. With the help of Earthwatch volunteers researchers will be able to provide data to support conservation-oriented management actions.
Those interested in participating in this project are invited to check this link for dates and costs.
Watch the video

ITA un nuovo video mostra le attività di ricerca di Tethys nella Grecia occidentale, finalizzate a identificare le minacce a cui vanno incontro gli animali. Chi è interessato a partecipare al progetto, gestito da Earthwatch può trovare qui costi e date dei turni.
Vedi il video (con testo in inglese)

CSR_08 (July, 4th-10th)

Despite the tricky weather conditions, the crew of the 8th CSR cruise made some very interesting encounters with cetaceans and other marine life during the week onboard Pelagos. Several striped dolphins, turtles, shearwaters, tuna fish, a sun fish and a manta ray were sighted in the first days, but we did not have to wait long for the big guys to show up. While acoustically tracking a sperm whale, we spotted the blow of a fin whale feeding nearby. After collecting the relevant data, we went back to the odontocete, which was recognized as an old friend called Bios thanks to the matching with our catalogue. The day after, three more fin whales were sighted in the pelagic area, again showing a typical feeding behaviour. The wind was blowing strong on the way back to Sanremo and it prevented us from going out on the following day. Nevertheless we had the chance for an interesting trip to the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco. We were lucky to have onboard Margherita, telling us about the results of over 20 years of research on the Mediterranean fin whale.
A whale of a week, as usual.

Enrico, Marie, Barbara and Sydni

Following link is for participants of this week's expedition, showing the ship's route, pictures of some of the sightings and of some moments of the cruise which were memorable (or even not so...)

Ai partecipanti al turno è dedicato uno spazio con il percorso effettuato durante la settimana, le foto di alcuni avvistamenti e qualche immagine dei momenti da ricordare - importanti e non

Is dolphin meat good for sharks?

No, it isn't, according to parasitologists. Clistobothrium carcharodoni is a tiny little tapeworm which can be found in great white sharks. A scientists from Otago University showed that it's larvae are found in dolphin meat
(Randhawa, H. (2011) Insights using a molecular approach into the life cycle of a tapeworm infecting great white sharks. Journal of Parasitology 97: 275-280. )
Read more

ITA La carne di delfino non fa bene agli squali, perlomeno dal punto di vista della salute. Secondo un recente articolo scientifico, un piccolo verme parassita che infesta il grande squalo bianco ha come ospiti intermedi i delfini, il che significa che l'infezione si trasmette mangiandone la carne.
Leggi un breve articolo (in inglese)

Un "breach" per il mar Ligure

Sulla homepage di Breach compaiono, in un filmato, balenottere, capodogli, la barca di Tethys, i ricercatori. Infatti il noto brand, specializzato in abbigliamento outdoor, nel cui logo compare una coda di cetaceo, ha dedicato una parte della sua collezione al progetto Cetacean Sanctuary Research. Oltre al ruolo di fornitore tecnico, sostiene con un contributo le attività di studio e conservazione dei cetacei che l'Istituto Tethys svolge in Mar Ligure, all'interno del Santuario Pelagos. In questo modo, chi acquista un capo di questa collezione dà il suo aiuto alla tutela dei cetacei in Mediterraneo, sostenendo le attività dell'Istituto Tethys. lara@breach.it il contatto per conoscere i punti vendita.


A "BREACH" SUPPORTING THE LIGURIAN SEA

Breach is a brand specialised in outdoor clothing: on it's homepage you can see a video with fin whales, sperm whales, Tethys' boat and also the researchers: in fact Breach has dedicated part of its collection to the Cetacean Sanctuary Research Project. As well as a clothing supplier for field researches, Breach supports cetacean research and conservation activities carried out by Tethys in the waters of the Ligurian Sea and the Pelagos Sanctuary. Thus, by buying items of clothing from this collection you will contribute to the protection of Mediterranean cetaceans sustaining Tethys activities. For enquiry about retail sales points contact: lara@breach.it

"I could not resist coming back..." CSR-07 (June 27th - July 3rd)

When my three weeks aboard Pelagos finished two weeks ago, I thought that I would not be back until next summer. Well, I was wrong. I was still in the area and could not resist coming back to the boat. This completes my fourth week on board this summer, and my sixth week over the course of two summers. The atmosphere during this program is unlike any other I have encountered. Once on the boat you will meet genuinely kind volunteers and researchers from around the world who all join together by their passion for cetaceans, the environment, and life in general. The researchers are happy to share their vast knowledge about marine mammals with you, the participants are eager to exchange their culture, and seeing the cetaceans in their natural habitat is truly magical. Everyone on board becomes a family, and the relationships built in only a week last for years. Tethys has put together an unforgettable experience and offers this opportunity to anyone and everyone. I urge you to take advantage of this program, and I promise you will not regret doing so.

Sydni (Ohio, USA)

Following link is for participants of this week's expedition, showing the ship's route, pictures of some of the sightings and of some moments of the cruise which were memorable (or even not...)

Ai partecipanti al turno è dedicato uno spazio con il percorso effettuato durante la settimana, le foto di alcuni avvistamenti e qualche immagine dei momenti da ricordare - importanti e non.

La tragedia della "malapesca" italiana

L'agonia dei mari nel mondo, e la situazione ancor più esacerbata in Italia: sulla scia della puntata di Annozero, il commento di Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara.
Leggi l'articolo