Una mobula al traghetto

Spesso l'estate è tempo di incontri con animali marini sorprendenti, sarà perché oggi abbiamo maggior attenzione per il mare, sarà perché certi avvistamenti non possono che meravigliarci: è il caso della segnalazione pervenutaci da Matteo Cianetti, artigiano milanese appassionato di mare. Poche settimane fa, il 18 giugno, si è imbattuto, assieme ai suoi compagni di viaggio, nientemeno che in una manta di due metri e mezzo di "apertura alare". Una Mobula mobular, per la precisione, ovvero la specie tipica del Mediterraneo. La particolarità dell'incontro con l'animale - comunque relativamente raro - sta forse nel luogo: in pieno porto di Bastia, in Corsica, sotto il molo del traghetto per Savona. Quando un animale pelagico si trova in un posto inconsueto si pensa in genere che abbia perso l'orientamento o sia cattive condizioni (accade a volte anche con i cetacei), ma la manta, riferisce sempre Cianetti, sembrava in buona salute.
Foto di Cristiana Avalle

Blue whales threatened by collisions with ships in Sri Lanka. Balenottere azzurre minacciate dalle collisioni in Sri Lanka

Three years ago Sri Lanka ended a 25-year civil war that largely kept researchers away from these waters. Thus scientists realized only recently there is a large population of blue whales right off the coast. Unfortunately they appear threatened by harassment and especially by ship strikes: a few miles off the southern coast of Sri Lanka is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes - a problem Sri Lanka might have in common with the Mediterranean.
Read the article on the NY Times


ITA Solo pochi anni fa, alla fine di una lunga guerra civile, i ricercatori hanno scoperto la presenza di una popolazione di balenottere azzurre a poche miglia al largo della costa dello Sri Lanka. Si tratta di una specie altrove ormai molto rara e purtroppo è apparso subito chiaro che anche qui è gravemente minacciata. Sono soprattutto le collisioni con le imbarcazioni a mietere vittime tra i grossi cetacei, in una zona dal traffico marittimo molto intenso - un punto in comune con il Mediterraneo. 
Leggi l'articolo sul New York Times (in inglese)
picture by Mazdak Radjainia/NY Times

Megattera nel Santuario! A humpback whale in the Mediterranean

Un avvistamento decisamente inconsueto quello segnalato il 28 giugno, pochi giorni fa, a sud di Nizza da Oceancare: una megattera in pieno Mediterraneo. Si tratta di una specie per nulla consueta nei nostri mari; l'animale, probabilmente un giovane a giudicare dalla lunghezza stimata in 8-10 metri, sembrava curioso nei confronti dell'imbarcazione che, riferiscono i ricercatori, ha esaminato per un quarto d'ora. Un'altra megattera era stata avvistata in Adriatico, nel 2009; non si tratta però dello stesso individuo, come si è subito stabilito confrontando le foto; quello del Santuario Pelagos è infatti più piccolo ed ha dei vistosi segni sulla pelle .

Si tratta di un segno che qualcosa sta cambiando, oppure semplicemente di un fortunato incontro con un raro visitatore del Mediterraneo? Impossibile dirlo, per ora. M.J.
Leggi altro (in tedesco)

An extraordinary sighting has been reported a few days ago in the waters off the Côte d'Azur by OceanCare. South of Nice, i.e. in the Cetacean Sanctuary, researchers spotted a humpback whale, which is a quite uncommon species in the Mediterranean. 

In 2009 another humpback whale was sighted in the Mediterranean, (although not in the same area, but in the eastern part, the Adriatic Sea). Pictures have already been compared and showed the two individuals are not the same, the most recent one being smaller and showing some big scars around the fin.
Read more (in german)

Picture by Oceancare

CSR_6 (June 18th -24th) 2012

This week on Pelagos has been action packed! Thanks to the good weather and sea conditions we were able to go out and sight different cetacean species every day. 

On Tuesday we headed towards France surveying the slope area where we were lucky enough to have an encounter with a large group of striped dolphins. In this instance they were displaying feeding and hunting behaviour, in which the estimated 100 individuals worked together to herd the fish. This behaviour is known as porpoising, and those onboard were very pleased to witness this rare sight. The next three days were filled with sperm whales, for whom we were able to collect the important respiratory patterns as well as photo-id, photo-grammetry and acoustic data. 

On Friday the participants experienced first hand the difficulties and the thrills that the researchers face while tracking these animals. As soon as our dedicated software detected the echolocation clicks of four individuals, all hands were on deck to help in the spotting of the emersion points as well as taking down information about each of the animals. These individuals are believed to have been feeding in the underwater canyons which they frequent. 

Striped dolphins continued to be part of the week, playing in our bow waves and leaving everyone amazed at their aerial displays. On our last day at sea we chose not to deploy the hydrophone and to head out towards the pelagic waters in the eastern part of the study area. This turned out to be a good plan as just a few hours after entering the pelagic waters we spotted a fin whale. Although common, this species always provides an awe-inspiring sight. Once again the individual appeared to be feeding and so performed more regular long dives, leaving all onboard holding their breath and searching the surface for the next blow. After spending a few hours with the animal collecting scientific data we left it to enjoy its food and while navigating towards Sanremo feasted on our own delicious supper.

Elisa, Valerio, Jenny and Rebecca

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 un link con il percorso effettuato durante la settimana, le foto di alcuni avvistamenti e qualche immagine dei momenti da ricordare - importanti e non.

Ionian monk seal. Foca monaca nello Ionio

An extraordinary sighting occurred in June to the Tethys' team of the Ionian Dolphin Project (IDP): a lonely monk seal (Monachus monachus) in the Ionian Sea. 
This species, which was once common in the Mediterranean, is considered critically endangered by the IUCN. Greece is the nation which still contains the highest number of monk seals. 
Read the article by Joan Gonzalvo on the IDP's site, where also a video and pictures can be seen.


ITA I ricercatori del Progetto IDP (Ionian Dolphin Project) di Tethys hanno fatto, in giugno, un incontro  straordinario con una foca monaca (Monachus monachus), nello Ionio. Questa specie, un tempo comune nel Mediterraneo, è considerata in pericolo dall'IUCN. La Grecia è la nazione che vanta il maggior numero di esemplari.
Leggi l'articolo di Joan Gonzalvo sul sito di IDP, dove è visibile anche un video. M.J.

Dolphin and octopus: a weird coalition - Delfino e polpo, una strana coppia

A picture of a bottlenose dolphin with an octopus attached on his belly, right over the genital slit, was taken by Tethys' researcher Joan Gonzalvo in front of the island of Kalamos, in Greece's Ionian Sea: the quite unusual shot, and the story of the "naughty octopus", which unexpectedly came up during data collection within the Ionian Dolphin Project (IDP), have been published in different magazines all over the world. What does this weird coalition mean? Read more on the Ionian Dolphin Project's blog.
The story is also on:
New Scientist
Live science

Una foto di un tursiope con un polpo attaccato alla pancia, proprio sopra la fessura genitale, è l'inatteso risultato della raccolta dati nella Grecia ionica, vicino all'isola di Kalamos  Lo scatto è opera del responsabile del progetto di Tethys IDP (Ionian Dolphin Project), Joan Gonzalvo. In poco tempo la storia del "polpo dispettoso" ha fatto il giro di diverse riviste, tra cui il prestigioso New Scientist.
Ma qual è il significato della strana osservazione?
Leggi di più (in inglese) sul blog di IDP
oppure su Live science

CSR_4 (June, 4 -10th 2012) The pictures are on line! Ecco le foto!

Here is the link for participants of the first week's expedition, CSR_4, showing the ship's route, pictures of some of the sightings and of some nice moments of the cruise

See the pictures

CSR 5 (11-17/06/2012)

This past week a diverse group came aboard Pelagos to sight and study the cetaceans inhabiting the Sanctuary. Unfortunately, severe winds hit the Ligurian Sea for the first part of the week and although sad for us, it was very good news for the dozens of sailors that took part in the prestigious Giraglia regatta. However we did not let the weather get us down and instead took advantage of the few days in port by enjoying detailed lectures about the biology of the species and the research techniques. We were also lucky enough to have a day in Montecarlo, in which we visited the Oceanographic Museum. 

The second part of the week was blessed by flat sea and sunshine. Our first sighting, which didn’t take long to occur, was of a travelling Fin whale who was quick to show us what it means to be one of the fastest whales in the ocean. We also had many encounters with striped dolphins which although common are always exciting due to their fun spirited approach to boats. We had a beautiful calm night at sea during which we were able to view the Milky Way and even a few shooting stars! However, the most powerful moment of the week was the following day, wherein we encountered a beautiful mother and calf Fin whale pair. As they were swimming slowly, we were able to stop the boat and observe them closely. This sighting alone would have been enough to keep us in awe, but then the mother chose to swim under our bow, allowing us to appreciate her full length and grace. After checking us out, she happily allowed her curious calf a closer look at us. We were all gob smacked and we are sure that everyone will remember those few precious moments for the rest of their lives. After taking the important information for photo identification and respiration rates, we left the pair alone to continue their slow journey. No sooner had we put our cameras away, another pair of Fin whales, this time bachelors, greeted us. Once again we were able to take precious data about both whales.

On our return journey to Sanremo we enjoyed more encounters with striped dolphins, who continuously played in our bow wave. It was the perfect ending to the week. 

Elisa, Valerio, Julia and Rebecca

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 un link con il percorso effettuato durante la settimana, le foto di alcuni avvistamenti e qualche immagine dei momenti da ricordare - importanti e non.

CSR_4 (June, 4th-10th)

This very week, people from all over the word came to join Tethys researchers to study the biodiversity of the Pelagos Sanctuary. Australia, Germany, Luxembourg, UK, and the USA were the nations present on board, and a cheerful attitude resonated among the participants and researchers alike. Particularly for a young Luxembourgian couple, such an attitude justified a returning research cruise.   Striped dolphins were the crew’s companions for several sightings, but the most exciting moment was the second sperm whale sighting of the season. One late evening, before spending the night in the bay of Ville Franche, the hydrophone detected some faint clicks, raising in everybody the thrill for a possible next day encounter. The expectation was not deluded when the morning after, clicks reappeared on the headphones and on the spectrogram. In front of Montecarlo, with 600m of water under the hull, the researchers acoustically tracked 3 animals. When they emerged one by one, they revealed themselves to be the usual sperm whale formation for our study area: a bachelor group, specifically a group of young and adult males that move and feed together. After five exciting hours, the team was able to collect photos well suited for the identification of the animals. Thanks to in depth analysis performed by the participants, a match from the photo-identification catalogue was found. It was discovered that one of the whales happened to have already been sighted in the first sperm whale encounter of the season in front of San Remo. This intellectual group of individuals displayed an intense enthusiasm and motivation that are hallmarks of Tethys eco-volunteers.   While the crew is sad see such a group of volunteers leave, they are confident that the lessons and morals imparted will persist in each individuals daily life at home.   Francesca, Valerio, Julia, and Chiara

Large marine protected areas do work for endangered Hector's dolphins - Le grandi aree marine protette funzionano per i delfini più rari del mondo

Do Marine Protected Areas (MPS) really work as a way of protecting threatened marine mammals?  In a research published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, based on over 20 years of monitoring of endangered Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori), scientist in New Zealand have shown for the first time that the large marine sanctuary off Christchurch has significantly improved survival of one of the rarest dolphins in the world.
Read more

Servono davvero le aree marine protette (MPS) per tutelare i mammiferi marini in pericolo? In una ricerca pubblicata su una prestigiosa rivista scientifica,  il Journal of Applied Ecology, un gruppo di ricercatori della Nuova Zelanda ha dimostrato per la prima volta, che il grande Santuario al largo di Christchurch ha contribuito significativamente alla sopravvivenza del cefalorinco di Hector (Cephalorhynchus hectori), uno dei cetacei più rari del mondo. La ricerca era basata su oltre venti anni di monitoraggio degli animali.
Maggiori informazioni (in inglese)

Balene avvistate... mezze salvate: il sistema REPCET anti-collisone

Ogni estate il problema delle collisioni dei grossi cetacei con le navi super-veloci ridiventa di grande attualità - come testimoniato anche di recente proprio dai ricercatori Tethys a bordo di "Pelagos" durante una delle prime crociere di quest'anno nel Santuario. Le soluzioni non sono facili da trovare; cionondimeno qualche cosa viene fatto: come abbiamo già raccontato, in Mediterraneo è in funzione il sistema REPCET, un progetto di cui Tethys è partner. Si tratta di uno strumento informatico destinato soprattutto al trasporto marittimo commerciale, che permette la condivisione in tempo reale delle posizioni delle balene che vengono avvistate sulle rotte, attraverso una comunicazione via satellite.
Per maggior informazioni:
video su REPCET
le pagine sulle collisioni del sito di Tethys

What is overfishing - Cos'è la pesca eccessiva

Overfishing is one of the worst threats to marine ecosystems, and one of the less known. A truly insightful animation about that has been recently released by Ocean 2012, Greenpeace, Birdlife international and Oceana. Tethys is one of the members giving support to this initiative.
Watch the video

La pesca eccessiva è una delle peggiori minacce agli ecosistemi marini, nonché una delle meno conosciute . Una bellissima, ed incisiva animazione è stata proposta recentemente da Ocean2012, Greenpeace, Birdlife international e Oceana. Tethys è tra i membri che sostengono questa iniziativa.
Guarda il video (in italiano)

Quante volte paghiamo il pesce che compriamo? How many times do we pay for the fish we buy?

Quando comprano il pesce, i cittadine della UE non lo pagano una volta sola, ma molte di più, grazie al perverso meccanismo dei sussidi alla pesca.Dal 2007 all'anno prossimo, i soli fondi comunitari hanno sovvenzionato l'industria della pesca per circa 4,3 miliardi di euro. Con che risultati?

Che ci perdono tutti quanti: i contribuenti, l'ambiente (che viene sistematicamente e forse irrimediabilmente sovrasfruttato) e - paradossalmente - anche i pescatori.

Il perché è spiegato molto chiaramente in questo opuscolo scaricabile di Ocean 2012.

EU citizens have to pay many times for the fish they buy. Between 2007 and 2013 EU funds alone will have subsidized the fishing industry by an estimated 4.3 billion.

The result is not helping anybody: not the citizens paying taxes, not the environment, which is heavily impacted by overfishing and -ironically - also not fishermen. The reason why is explained very clearly in a leaflet to be downloaded by Ocean 2012

Dolphin die-off in Peru: an update. Moria di delfini in Peru: un aggiornamento

The massive die-off of  dolphins and birds along the shores of Peru remains a mistery. The official information from the Government of Peru indicates no pathogen infection and no association with fisheries. Some scientist say the deaths could be caused by acoustic trauma. Others speculate there might be two or three factors, like stress or toxic contaminants, which make marine mammals more vulnerable to pathogens such as viruses, causing the worst largest dolphin die-off ever reported.

La gigantesca moria di delfini e uccelli marini che si sta verificando lungo le coste del Peru resta un mistero. Le informazioni ufficiali del governo peruviano escluderebbero sia la presenza di agenti patogeni, sia danni associati alle attività di pesca. Alcuni ricercatori sostengono che si tratti di trauma da onde acustiche, mentre altri sono dell'avviso che si potrebbe trattare di una concomitanza di fattori diversi come lo stress o una contaminazione tossica, che possono rendere i mammiferi marini più vulnerabili alle infezioni. Si tratta della più massiccia moria di delfini di cui si abbia notizia.

CSR_2 Shark tales

In the middle of a striped dolphin sighting, a strange movement on the sea surface captured our attention. A large brownish object surrounded by moving fins…. Wondering what it could be, we decided to get closer to take a better look. What a surprise, when we realised that a floating tree trunk was the desired target of a shark. The animal was rubbing and rolling its body on the tree trunk’s smooth surface. We remained astonished, trying to understand the purpose of such behaviour. Could it be an exploratory attempt to determine the possible edibility of the carcass-like item? Or a self skin grooming?

The precious consults of Giuseppe Notarbartolo, Tethys President, helped us to identify the 1.5 m long shark as a probable blue shark (Prionace glauca).

Encounters with sharks are quite uncommon around these area, and everybody was thrilled by the lucky event.                            Francesca Zardin