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Advanced Research Techniques for Cetacean Conservation
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Advanced Research Techniques for Cetacean Conservation

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 July 2023) | Viewed by 24618

Image courtesy of Jessica Alessi - Me.Ri.S.: images 1 and 4. Davide Pedrotti - CERT UniPD: images 2. Mauro G. Taiuti - DiFi UniGE

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jessica Alessi

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
MeRiS—Mediterraneo Ricerca e Sviluppo APS, 92026 Favara, Italy
Interests: marine ecology; zoology; marine biology; cetacean; conservation biology; marine environment management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Alberta Mandich

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Interuniversity Consortium of Structural and Systems Biology (INBB), 00136 Rome, Italy
2. MeRiS—Mediterraneo Ricerca e Sviluppo APS, 92026 Favara, Italy
Interests: environmental endocrinology; environmental pollution; endocrine disruption in marine species; fish physiology and reproduction; marine aquaculture; marine mammals; anthropogenic threats to wild cetacean welfare
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The protection of cetaceans has attracted increasing attention since their important ecological role was understood and environmental policies focused on finding solutions to protect the sea and counteract climate change.

Cetaceans are ecosystem engineers able to modify habitats increasing species richness and marine productivity. They are sentinels of the marine environment and crucial organisms which maintain the healthiness of the environment in which they are living. Furthermore, whales are able to contrast climate changes by increasing ocean productivity and accumulating carbon in their bodies. Cetacean populations are exposed worldwide to numerous contemporary anthropic threats, including by-catch, ship strikes, habitat degradation, changing environments under climate change effects, and acoustic and chemical pollution.

The purpose of the invited Special Issue is to publish the most recent research focused on the application of innovative approaches for the conservation of cetaceans.

High-quality papers describing novel approaches, methodologies, and technologies for cetacean conservation and effective management are encouraged for publication.

Dr. Jessica Alessi
Dr. Alberta Mandich
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. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 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
  • Conservation
  • Monitoring
  • Management
  • Anthropic impact
  • Marine mammals
  • Techniques

Published Papers (7 papers)

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28 pages, 7752 KiB  
Article
The Seabed Makes the Dolphins: Physiographic Features Shape the Size and Structure of the Bottlenose Dolphin Geographical Units
by Guido Gnone, Michela Bellingeri, Yvan Molinari, Frank Dhermain, Hélène Labach, Bruno Díaz López, Léa David, Nathalie Di Meglio, Georges Azzinari, Caroline Azzinari, Sabina Airoldi, Caterina Lanfredi, Joan Gonzalvo, Valentina De Santis, Silvio Nuti, Carla Álvarez Chicote, Manel Gazo, Alberta Mandich, Jessica Alessi, Arianna Azzellino, Nicolas Tomasi, Marie-Catherine Santoni, Cecilia Mancusi, Marta Falabrino and Ana Maria Cañadasadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(8), 1036; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10081036 - 28 Jul 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3468
Abstract
The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a cosmopolitan delphinid, regularly present in the Mediterranean Sea. According to previous studies, this dolphin tends to form resident geographical units scattered on the continental shelf. We investigated how the physiographic characteristics of the [...] Read more.
The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a cosmopolitan delphinid, regularly present in the Mediterranean Sea. According to previous studies, this dolphin tends to form resident geographical units scattered on the continental shelf. We investigated how the physiographic characteristics of the area of residence, with special reference to the size and shape of the continental shelf, affect the home range and the group size of the local units. We analysed and compared data collected between 2004–2016 by 15 research groups operating in different study areas of the Mediterranean Sea: the Alboran Sea, in the South-Western Mediterranean, the Gulf of Lion and the Pelagos Sanctuary for the marine mammals, in the North-Western Mediterranean, and the Gulf of Ambracia, in the North-Central Mediterranean Sea. We have found that in areas characterised by a wide continental platform, dolphins have wider home ranges and aggregate into larger groups. In areas characterized by a narrow continental platform, dolphins show much smaller home ranges and aggregate into smaller groups. The results obtained from this collective research effort highlight the importance of data sharing to improve our scientific knowledge in the field of cetaceans and beyond. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research Techniques for Cetacean Conservation)
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10 pages, 5201 KiB  
Article
Vocal Behaviour of a Bottlenose Dolphin Pod during a Deadly Bycatch Event in the Gulf of Catania, Ionian Sea
by Francesca Terranova, Alessandra Raffa, Stefano Floridia, Clara Monaco and Livio Favaro
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(5), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10050616 - 30 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2673
Abstract
Cetacean bycatch is increasing worldwide and poses a threat to the conservation of several delphinids. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is frequently involved in bycatch incidents, due to its coastal distribution and opportunistic behaviour. The acoustic behaviour of cetaceans during death-related [...] Read more.
Cetacean bycatch is increasing worldwide and poses a threat to the conservation of several delphinids. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is frequently involved in bycatch incidents, due to its coastal distribution and opportunistic behaviour. The acoustic behaviour of cetaceans during death-related events is a largely unexplored topic. During an acoustic monitoring survey of the bottlenose dolphin population inhabiting the Gulf of Catania (Ionian Sea), we documented the entangling and subsequent death of a sub-adult male in a fishing net. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of the vocal behaviour of the pod of bottlenose dolphins during the event. We identified a total of 720 vocalisations in a timespan of 138 min, including 436 signature whistles, 51 non-signature whistles, and 233 burst pulses. We recorded high vocal activity, with a peak characterised by emission rates of 36 signature whistles per minute and 70 burst pulses per minute. Although future studies are required, our results show massive vocal activity during net entangling, characterised by a significant emission of signature whistles and burst pulses, including bray series of gulps and squeaks. Therefore, we suggest that developing tools for automatically detecting the peaks of these sound types could be helpful in recognising bycatch events, in order to better quantify the impact of professional fishing on small cetaceans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research Techniques for Cetacean Conservation)
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10 pages, 897 KiB  
Article
Real-Time Continuous Acoustic Monitoring of Marine Mammals in the Mediterranean Sea
by Matteo Sanguineti, Carlo Guidi, Vladimir Kulikovskiy and Mauro Gino Taiuti
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(12), 1389; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9121389 - 06 Dec 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2683
Abstract
The passive acoustic monitoring of cetaceans is a research method that can provide unique information on the animal’s behaviour since the animals can be studied at great depths and at a long-range without interference. Nevertheless, the real-time data collection, transfer, and analysis using [...] Read more.
The passive acoustic monitoring of cetaceans is a research method that can provide unique information on the animal’s behaviour since the animals can be studied at great depths and at a long-range without interference. Nevertheless, the real-time data collection, transfer, and analysis using these techniques are difficult to implement and maintain. In this paper, a review of several experiments that have used this approach will be provided. The first class of detectors consists of hydrophone systems housed under buoys on the sea surface with wireless data transmission, while the second type comprises several acoustic detector networks integrated within submarine neutrino telescopes cabled to the shore. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research Techniques for Cetacean Conservation)
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22 pages, 8696 KiB  
Article
Bottlenose Dolphins and Seabirds Distribution Analysis for the Identification of a Marine Biodiversity Hotspot in Agrigento Waters
by Marco Ranù, Alessandra Vanacore, Alberta Mandich and Jessica Alessi
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(3), 345; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10030345 - 01 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2979
Abstract
The aim of this study is to evaluate the presence of biodiversity hotspots in Agrigento waters (Mediterranean Sea) to define the conservation area for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and seabirds (Calonectris diomedea, Puffinus yelkouan, and Hydrobates pelagicus), [...] Read more.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the presence of biodiversity hotspots in Agrigento waters (Mediterranean Sea) to define the conservation area for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and seabirds (Calonectris diomedea, Puffinus yelkouan, and Hydrobates pelagicus), according to European directives. With this purpose, the maximum entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) was applied to the sighting points of the focal species. They co-occur in the study area and have been documented to forage behind trawlers. In this study, a fishing rate was designed and used as an explanatory variable of the species distribution, together with physiographic variables. Data were collected during 68 surveys in the waters off Agrigento province. MaxEnt models showed a strong predictive power, with distance from the coast being the greatest predicting variable, followed by slope, depth, and fishing rate. For all the species considered, the probability of presence increased as the fishing rate grew. Cartographic analysis revealed one area shared by the species, which occupies 529 km2, from the shoreline to 100 m depth. This study increases knowledge on the distribution and habitat preferences of the target species in the Sicilian waters. Evaluating the influence of fisheries is a promising method that needs further testing to apply effective management measures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research Techniques for Cetacean Conservation)
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20 pages, 11946 KiB  
Article
A Robust Method to Automatically Detect Fin Whale Acoustic Presence in Large and Diverse Passive Acoustic Datasets
by Elena Schall and Clea Parcerisas
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(12), 1831; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10121831 - 29 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1999
Abstract
The growing availability of long-term and large-scale passive acoustic recordings open the possibility of monitoring the vocal activity of elusive oceanic species, such as fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), in order to acquire knowledge on their distribution, behavior, population structure and abundance. [...] Read more.
The growing availability of long-term and large-scale passive acoustic recordings open the possibility of monitoring the vocal activity of elusive oceanic species, such as fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), in order to acquire knowledge on their distribution, behavior, population structure and abundance. Fin whales produce low-frequency and high-intensity pulses, both as single vocalizations and as song sequences (only males) which can be detected over large distances. Numerous distant fin whales producing these pulses generate a so-called chorus, by spectrally and temporally overlapping single vocalizations. Both fin whale pulses and fin whale chorus provide a distinct source of information on fin whales present at different distances to the recording location. The manual review of vast amounts of passive acoustic data for the presence of single vocalizations and chorus by human experts is, however, time-consuming, often suffers from low reproducibility and in its entirety, it is practically impossible. In this publication, we present and compare robust algorithms for the automatic detection of fin whale choruses and pulses which yield good performance results (i.e., false positive rates < 3% and true positive rates > 76%) when applied to real-world passive acoustic datasets characterized by vast amounts of data, with only a small proportion of the data containing the target sounds, and diverse soundscapes from the Southern Ocean. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research Techniques for Cetacean Conservation)
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30 pages, 9782 KiB  
Concept Paper
A Biologist’s Guide to the Galaxy: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Very High-Resolution Satellite Imagery to Monitor Marine Mammals from Space
by Christin B. Khan, Kimberly T. Goetz, Hannah C. Cubaynes, Caleb Robinson, Erin Murnane, Tyler Aldrich, Meredith Sackett, Penny J. Clarke, Michelle A. LaRue, Timothy White, Kathleen Leonard, Anthony Ortiz and Juan M. Lavista Ferres
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11(3), 595; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11030595 - 11 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6178
Abstract
Monitoring marine mammals is of broad interest to governments and individuals around the globe. Very high-resolution (VHR) satellites hold the promise of reaching remote and challenging locations to fill gaps in our knowledge of marine mammal distribution. The time has come to create [...] Read more.
Monitoring marine mammals is of broad interest to governments and individuals around the globe. Very high-resolution (VHR) satellites hold the promise of reaching remote and challenging locations to fill gaps in our knowledge of marine mammal distribution. The time has come to create an operational platform that leverages the increased resolution of satellite imagery, proof-of-concept research, advances in cloud computing, and machine learning to monitor the world’s oceans. The Geospatial Artificial Intelligence for Animals (GAIA) initiative was formed to address this challenge with collaborative innovation from government agencies, academia, and the private sector. In this paper, we share lessons learned, challenges faced, and our vision for how VHR satellite imagery can enhance our understanding of cetacean distribution in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research Techniques for Cetacean Conservation)
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21 pages, 2672 KiB  
Article
Social Structure and Temporal Distribution of Tursiops truncatus in the Gulf of Taranto (Central Mediterranean Sea)
by Giulia Cipriano, Francesca Cornelia Santacesaria, Carmelo Fanizza, Carla Cherubini, Roberto Crugliano, Rosalia Maglietta, Pasquale Ricci and Roberto Carlucci
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(12), 1942; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10121942 - 08 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2005
Abstract
This study aims to provide information on the site fidelity, residency patterns and the social structures of bottlenose dolphins occurring in the Gulf of Taranto in order to supply effective indications supporting the future management and conservation measures of the species. Out of [...] Read more.
This study aims to provide information on the site fidelity, residency patterns and the social structures of bottlenose dolphins occurring in the Gulf of Taranto in order to supply effective indications supporting the future management and conservation measures of the species. Out of 141 photo-identified individuals about 76% were re-sighted from 2 up to 31 times. The site fidelity analysis of photo-identified individuals highlighted the occurrence of 20 seasonal residents, 62 visitors and 59 transient individuals that were included in a local population in which emigration and reimmigration events occurred, as suggested by the residency-pattern analysis. The association pattern, performed using SOCPROG 2.9, highlighted a relatively low mean value of the overall half-weight association index (0.11 ± 0.04). However, the test for the null hypothesis of ‘random association’ was rejected and the temporal analysis made with SLAR suggested the presence of both extremely fluid and stable associations between individuals, describing a fission fusion social structure with a certain degree of social organization. Moreover, the cluster and social network analysis showed two geographically and socially segregated units. Thus, more investigations are needed and the development of a specific conservation plan for bottlenose dolphins in the whole area is required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research Techniques for Cetacean Conservation)
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