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Diversity
Special Issues
Monitoring, Threat Assessment, and Conservation Actions of Cetaceans
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Monitoring, Threat Assessment, and Conservation Actions of Cetaceans

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2022) | Viewed by 12654

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Letizia Marsili

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, via P. A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
Interests: ecotoxicology; marine mammals; marine turtles; elasmobranches; sea birds; fishery interaction; organochlorine contamination; biomarkers; cell cultures; predictive theoretical statistical models
Dr. Enrica Franchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, via P. A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, Italy
Interests: sediments; chromosome aberrations; environment; estuaries; coastal research and management; coastal management; marine mammals; marine turtles; fishery interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We kindly invite you to contribute to the realization of a Special Issue on cetaceans. With the collaboration of many experts from various disciplines, working with an interdisciplinary approach, we aim to deepen the knowledge regarding this order of marine mammals as organically as possible.

We strongly believe that protection of biodiversity is an issue that cannot be studied as a sectoral problem, but it can only be faced by considering various studies and different approaches that can lead to the processing of successful management measures and conservation actions that can produce not only short-term effects, but also long-term benefits.

It is widely known that most cetaceans species in the world are at high risk of conservation due to anthropic activities (climate change, pollution, noise, habitat destruction, accidental captures in fishing gear, pray-depletion, collisions, whale hunting, diseases, etc.), and an upgrade of our knowledge in terms of population dynamics and condition both in hotspot areas (Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Mar of Cortez, etc.) and at a global level can help us to start moving in the right direction, implementing effective and sustainable conservation actions.

This Special Issue is an exciting opportunity to combine and synthesize recent studies on cetacean species. The Diversity team and we the Guest Editors kindly invite you to submit a manuscript focused on any of the above topics. We encourage authors to submit both specific case studies and multispecific studies, or synthesis works and reviews that can expand our knowledge of cetaceans’ ecology, their threats, and resulting conservation actions. If you are interested in this opportunity or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dr. Letizia Marsili
Dr. Enrica Franchi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cetaceans
  • ecology
  • monitoring
  • threats
  • pressures
  • conservation actions

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

31 pages, 3380 KiB  
Article
Health Status of Stranded Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and Contamination by Immunotoxic Pollutants: A Threat to the Pelagos Sanctuary—Western Mediterranean Sea
by Carla Grattarola, Lorenzo Minoia, Federica Giorda, Guia Consales, Francesca Capanni, Ilaria Ceciarini, Enrica Franchi, Davide Ascheri, Fulvio Garibaldi, Alessandro Dondo, Maria Goria, Laura Serracca, Katia Varello, Loretta Masoero, Cristina Esmeralda Di Francesco, Cristina Casalone and Letizia Marsili
Diversity 2023, 15(4), 569; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040569 - 18 Apr 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2432
Abstract
Between 2019 and 2021, 21 bottlenose dolphins were found stranded dead along the Ligurian Pelagos Sanctuary coast (Italy). For 11 animals, out of a total of 14 recovered, the cause of death was classified as natural, anthropic, or not determined based on gross [...] Read more.
Between 2019 and 2021, 21 bottlenose dolphins were found stranded dead along the Ligurian Pelagos Sanctuary coast (Italy). For 11 animals, out of a total of 14 recovered, the cause of death was classified as natural, anthropic, or not determined based on gross and histological pathology and ancillary testing. Hexachlorobenzene (HCB), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were examined in their blubber, and results were discussed according to their toxicological properties. All specimens showed the following trend: PCBs > DDTs >> HCB, and the levels of cancerogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic organochlorine compounds (T-OCs) were >50% of total OCs. Immunosuppressant organochlorine compound (IS-OC) levels in 10 out of 11 animals were above 50% of the total OCs. PCB levels always exceeded the threshold of 17 mg/kg lipid weight for PCB-induced adverse health effects. The results suggest that bottlenose dolphins living in the Pelagos Sanctuary undergo a high level of exposure to pathogens and OCs, betraying the designation of the Cetacean Sanctuary and, consequently, of a region created for their conservation. Immune dysfunction and infectious disease susceptibility appear to be highly connected with high levels of OC xenobiotics. These data are useful to understand health and mortality trends in cetacean populations, as well as for developing policies for cetacean conservation and management in this important protected area of the Mediterranean. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring, Threat Assessment, and Conservation Actions of Cetaceans)
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15 pages, 4168 KiB  
Article
Fishers’ Perception on the Interaction between Dolphins and Fishing Activities in Italian and Croatian Waters
by Daniel Li Veli, Andrea Petetta, Giulio Barone, Ilaria Ceciarini, Enrica Franchi, Letizia Marsili, Guido Pietroluongo, Carlotta Mazzoldi, Draško Holcer, Stanislao D’Argenio, Sergio Guccione, Rosa Linda Testa, Monica Francesca Blasi, Maria Francesca Cinti, Salvatore Livreri Console, Ilaria Rinaudo and Alessandro Lucchetti
Diversity 2023, 15(2), 133; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020133 - 18 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2211
Abstract
Interactions between fishing and dolphins can be detrimental, since on one hand dolphins can be lethally entangled by nets and trawls, and on the other dolphins can predate fish caught by nets. For dolphins, this interaction can be dangerous as they can be [...] Read more.
Interactions between fishing and dolphins can be detrimental, since on one hand dolphins can be lethally entangled by nets and trawls, and on the other dolphins can predate fish caught by nets. For dolphins, this interaction can be dangerous as they can be wounded or accidentally killed; for fishers, the predation of their catch results in economic losses due to reduced quantity and/or quality of catches and damage to fishing gear. During July and November 2020, we surveyed the “dolphin–fisheries conflict” through compiling 209 fisher interviews from nine locations in Italy and Croatia. Fishers mentioned the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) as the species primarily interacting with fishing, with the major issue being catch damage by predation. The interaction probability varied among gears and seasons, with some fishing activities (e.g., passive nets) more affected than others (e.g., bottom trawls), especially in terms of economic loss (1000–10,000 €/year on average). More than 70% of the fishers claimed that dolphin populations have increased over the last 10 years, in different degrees and based on different areas. Dolphin bycatch rates are generally low; however, 34.6% of respondents reported having captured at least one dolphin during their career. The fishers’ attitude towards acoustic deterrents (“pingers”) as a mitigation measure revealed that few of them were aware of these devices or were using them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring, Threat Assessment, and Conservation Actions of Cetaceans)
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15 pages, 2125 KiB  
Article
Diet of Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821), in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea
by Alessandra Neri, Paolo Sartor, Alessandro Voliani, Cecilia Mancusi and Letizia Marsili
Diversity 2023, 15(1), 21; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010021 - 22 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2340
Abstract
Cetaceans can be considered good natural samplers of biodiversity due to the different hunting strategies they adopt. In this study, the stomach contents of 28 Tursiops truncatus (15 females and 13 males), stranded along Tuscany coasts, NW Mediterranean, between 2008 and 2021, were [...] Read more.
Cetaceans can be considered good natural samplers of biodiversity due to the different hunting strategies they adopt. In this study, the stomach contents of 28 Tursiops truncatus (15 females and 13 males), stranded along Tuscany coasts, NW Mediterranean, between 2008 and 2021, were analyzed. The prey items were identified at the lowest taxonomic level possible, and assessed in terms of abundance, weight, and frequency of occurrence. The index of relative importance (IRI) was also computed. Overall, 2201 bony fishes and 406 cephalopods were identified. The trophic spectrum resulted in high diversity (69 taxa) and the prey species, 53 fishes and 16 cephalopods, live at different levels of the water column. Predation was mainly based on European hake, Merluccius merluccius (%IRI 26.9), and conger eel, Conger conger (%IRI 25.1). The abundant presence of nocturnal species, such as Conger and Ophidion, indicates the nocturnal hunting activity of the bottlenose dolphin. Furthermore, evidence is presented of the dolphins’ ability to capture fish at night, taking advantage of the sound produced by these fish to locate them. Diet did not show any statistical differences among sexes, except that females preyed upon a significantly higher quantity of octopods than males. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring, Threat Assessment, and Conservation Actions of Cetaceans)
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12 pages, 2328 KiB  
Article
Small Vessel Impact on the Whistle Parameters of Two Ecotypes of Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) in La Paz Bay, Mexico
by Simone Antichi, Armando M. Jaramillo-Legorreta, Jorge Urbán R., Sergio Martínez-Aguilar and Lorena Viloria-Gómora
Diversity 2022, 14(9), 712; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090712 - 28 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2290
Abstract
Vessel traffic is one of the major sources of underwater anthropogenic noise. Dolphins can modify their vocal repertoire, especially whistles, in presence of vessels to facilitate their communication. Acoustic data were collected (sampling rate 96 kHz) in La Paz Bay, Gulf of California, [...] Read more.
Vessel traffic is one of the major sources of underwater anthropogenic noise. Dolphins can modify their vocal repertoire, especially whistles, in presence of vessels to facilitate their communication. Acoustic data were collected (sampling rate 96 kHz) in La Paz Bay, Gulf of California, Mexico. Whistle rate and parameters of the coastal and oceanic ecotypes of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) were measured in absence of vessels and in presence of moving small vessels (size 5–10 m). The peak noise difference was calculated between the two frequency bands dominated by the whistles (2000–20,000 Hz) and the small vessel (500–2000 Hz). In presence of vessels the oceanic ecotype decreased whistle frequencies while the coastal ecotype increased them. Both ecotypes raised whistle frequencies with the decreasing of the peak noise difference. The differences in habitat and group structure could have driven the two ecotypes to react in a different way to the vessel presence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring, Threat Assessment, and Conservation Actions of Cetaceans)
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12 pages, 2913 KiB  
Article
Impact of Vessel Transit on Vocalizations of the Taiwanese Humpback Dolphin
by Wei-Chun Hu, Shashidhar Siddagangaiah, Chi-Fang Chen and Nadia Pieretti
Diversity 2022, 14(6), 426; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14060426 - 26 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2394
Abstract
Recent offshore windfarm development has led to increased vessel traffic in the Eastern Taiwan Strait, which is part of the habitat of the critically endangered Taiwanese humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis taiwanensis). However, data on possible effects on the behavior of this [...] Read more.
Recent offshore windfarm development has led to increased vessel traffic in the Eastern Taiwan Strait, which is part of the habitat of the critically endangered Taiwanese humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis taiwanensis). However, data on possible effects on the behavior of this endemic subspecies are lacking to date. In this study, we observed Taiwanese humpback dolphins’ acoustic behavior associated with shipping noise and analyzed their whistles and clicks before, during, and after vessel transit. Before vessel transit, the median rate of dolphin whistles and clicks was 100 and 1550 counts per minute, which significantly reduced to less than 8 and 170 counts per minute during and after vessel transit. Dolphins produced significantly shorter whistles during (0.07 s) and after (0.15 s) vessel transit. The vocalizing behavior of the Taiwanese humpback dolphin may be affected by vessel transit, which, if sustained, could possibly influence the individual communication and feeding success of the population. Implementing measures such as re-routing of the vessel lanes and regulating the speed of the vessel traffic in the habitat are proposed to overcome the influence of vessel noise on Taiwanese humpback dolphins. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Monitoring, Threat Assessment, and Conservation Actions of Cetaceans)
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