Pupping habitat use in the Mediterranean monk seal: A long-term study

The Mediterranean monk seal gives birth almost exclusively in coastal caves. Given its critical conservation status, the identification and protection of such sites is important for the survival of the species. From 1990 to 2004 we collected data on physical and environmental variables and monitored pupping events in thirty-four coastal caves in Greece. We modeled the probability of cave occupancy as a function of the properties of each cave. Model selection and model averaging enabled us to rank the variables that influenced use of potential pupping sites. Environmental variables related to cave seclusion, substrate, and degree of protection from wind and wave action were the most important among them. The relative importance and directions of these relationships confirm the long-standing assumption that Mediterranean monk seals require sheltered pupping sites, far from sources of human disturbance and thus are progressively limited to isolated parts of the country's coastline. We used cross-validation to examine the predictive ability of our analysis and quantified the sensitivity of our predictions to the degree of extrapolation. We conclude that, although more data are required, the model is capable of predicting occupancy for caves close to the middle of the environmental space examined in this study. © 2007 by the Society for Marine Mammalogy

Age estimation, growth and age-related mortality of mediterranean monk seals Monachus monachus

Mediterranean monk seals Monachus monachus are classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with <600 individuals split into 3 isolated sub-populations, the largest in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Canine teeth collected during the last 2 decades from 45 dead monk seals inhabiting Greek waters were processed for age estimation. Ages were best estimated by counting growth layer groups (GLGs) in the cementum adjacent to the root tip using unprocessed longitudinal or transverse sections (360 µm thickness) observed under polarized light. Decalcified and stained thin sections (8 to 23 µm) of both cementum and dentine were inferior to unprocessed sections. From analysing patterns of deposition in the cementum of known age-maturity class individuals, one GLG was found to be deposited annually in M. monachus. Ages ranged from 0.5 to 36 yr for females, 0.5 to 21 yr for males and 0.5 to 25.5 yr for individuals of unknown sex. The majority of seals (65%) were considered adults (≥4 yr), followed by juveniles (20%, <1 yr) and sub-adults (15%, 1−3.9 yr). Thirty percent of the aged sample had died from human-related causes, such as accidental entanglement in fishing gear and direct killings. A single-Gompertz growth curve was generated for both sexes using standard length data, resulting in asymptotic values of 212.3 cm for females and 221.8 cm for males. This study represents the first quantitative glimpse of sex-specific growth in monk seals and the age structure of dead individuals in this rare species’ core range

First report of uncinaria hamiltoni in orphan eastern mediterranean monk seal pups in greece and its clinical significance

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is classified by the IUCN as “endangered,” with a global population estimated to number fewer than 800 individuals. Our understanding of the biology and health status of the species is still limited, rendering every medical case a challenge for conservationists and veterinary clinicians. Although studying and managing disease in wild marine hosts is complex and challenging, studying and mitigating the effects of any disease to the Mediterranean monk seal is of utmost importance for conservation. The aim of this study was to document for the first time the presence of the hookworm Uncinaria hamiltoni in rehabilitated Mediterranean monk seal pups in Greece. A detailed examination protocol was followed for all pups that live-stranded over 30 years in 22 different locations, including physical, parasitological, and other examinations. Hookworms (adults and/or eggs) were detected in all the fecal samples, from all animals. Molecular identification using MtDNA (COI) and ribosomal DNA (D2/D3 28S and internal transcribed spacer [ITS] regions) identified the nematode species as Uncinaria hamiltoni. The clinical impacts and the benefits of anthelmintic treatment as a tool for the conservation management of the species are discussed. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Brown bear research in Europe: a review of the data collected and their value for conservation

Europe is a mosaic of landscapes shaped by human presence and activity, nevertheless it still harbors ~18 000 brown bears, clustered in 10 populations. Brown bear management and conservation in Europe is carried out by national/regional governmental agencies and through the involvement of universities and research institutions, NGOs, protected areas’ administrations, and hunting associations. Due to their cultural and charismatic value, brown bears have been largely studied under various aspects of their biology, ecology, and management and much of this knowledge has been gathered through the collaboration of these various agents. Nevertheless, the data collected have been only partially used for research and published in the peer-reviewed literature and, therefore, may not be fully available to the scientific community and conservation practitioners. In addition, data collection and research efforts are often fragmented at an administrative level, and can be sparse and scattered or even lacking in some parts of the species range due to limited funding. Here we summarize the ecological data collected for the 10 brown bear populations in Europe, focusing primarily on movement, genetic, demographic, and diet data. We report the type of data collected, the methods as well as the geographic and temporal coverage of the data collection, the overall sample sizes, if the data were obtained at the population or country/regional level, what the data have been used for, and if results have been published. We use this information first to reveal the substantial amount of valuable data collected for the brown bear throughout Europe. Second, we identify existing gaps in knowledge and data collection and prioritize future efforts needed as well as areas where research funding may be more urgent. Third, we highlight the potentials for integrating the overall knowledge so far collected for improving understanding of brown bear ecology in the human-dominated European landscape and implementing more effective management and conservation planning