Observations and radio tagging of Balaenoptera edeni near Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela

The 23 October to 13 November 1979 Venezuelan radio tagging and tracking experiments on whales (Balaenoptera edeni, Fig. 1) provided essential field tests of the new modifications to the WHOI radio whale tag (see list of tag reports), and the chance to try it on a new species. We found that we could approach and tag these whales from a slow (4 to 6 kt) vessel. Good radio tracking with automatic direction finding equipment was possible within 12 to 20 km, with longer ranges probable. In addition, the radio tags provided new information about the behavior of these whales.Prepared for the Office of Naval Research under Contract N00014-79-C-OO71; NR 083-004

Kitovi i dupini u Jadranskom moru: sadašnje spoznaje, prijetnje i očuvanje

The Adriatic Sea is one of the Mediterranean areas most exposed to cumulative human stressors. This semienclosed and largely shallow basin has been subjected to intensive exploitation and destructive fishing practices for decades, resulting in biodiversity decline and poor ecosystem health. Diversity of cetaceans is lower than in other parts of the Mediterranean, and the extant dolphins and whales have been facing threats that include the combined effects of habitat loss and degradation, prey depletion, incidental mortality and injury caused by fisheries, anthropogenic noise, chemical contamination and climate change. Here, we report information for the nine cetacean species known to occur in the basin (classified as either regular, visitor or vagrant), plus three species characterized by a single record. For these species, we review evidence from field research and other studies – with a bias towards the common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (by far the most intensively-studied cetacean in this area). We also describe and characterize the main threats to cetaceans in the Adriatic, relying on recent literature as well as historical information that helps frame the present status of cetaceans in the context of past human impacts (particularly the extensive killing campaigns conducted until the 1960s). Finally, we provide management recommendations to inform and guide the action that must be taken in compliance with extant legislation, marine conservation directives and international commitments to protect marine biodiversity.Jadransko more je jedno od područja Sredozemnog mora koja su najizloženija kumulativnim ljudskim utjecajima. Ovaj poluzatvoreni i uglavnom plitki bazen je proteklih desetljeća bio izložen intenzivnom iskorištavanju i štetnim ribolovnim praksama, što je dovelo do smanjenja biološke raznolikosti i lošeg stanja ekosustava. Raznolikost kitova i dupina (Cetacea) ovdje je manja nego u drugim područjima Sredozemnog mora i postojeće vrste koje nastanjuju Jadransko more suočavaju se s prijetnjama koje uključuju kombinirane učinke gubitka i degradacije staništa, nedostatka plijena, slučajne smrtnosti i ozljeda uzrokovanih ribolovom, buke izazvane ljudskim aktivnostima, kemijskog zagađenja i klimatskih promjena. U ovom radu navodimo podatke o devet vrsta kitova i dupina za koje je poznato da se pojavljuju u Jadranu (klasificirani su kao redoviti, posjetioci ili skitnice) te tri vrste koje su zabilježene na ovom području samo jednom. Za ove vrste pregledali smo podatke iz terenskih istraživanja i drugih studija, među kojima ih je najviše za dobrog dupina Tursiops truncatus (koji je najintenzivnije proučavana vrsta u ovom području). U radu također opisujemo i navodimo značajke glavnih prijetnji kitovima i dupinima u Jadranskom moru, temeljem recentne literature kao i povijesnih podataka koji pomažu prikazu sadašnjeg stanja tih životinja u kontekstu prošlih ljudskih utjecaja (posebice opsežnih kampanja ubijanja provedenih do 1960-ih). Konačno, donosimo preporuke za upravljanje kako bi omogućili prijenos informacija i usmjeravanje aktivnosti koje se moraju poduzeti u skladu s postojećim zakonodavstvom, direktivama o očuvanju mora i međunarodnim obvezama u pogledu zaštite morske biološke raznolikosti

Cetaceans of Venezuela: Their distribution and conservation status.

Sighting, stranding, and capture records of whales and dolphins for Venezuela were assembled and analyzed to document the Venezuelan cetacean fauna and its distribution in the eastern Caribbean. An attempt was made to confirm species identification for each of the records, yielding 443 that encompass 21 species of cetaceans now confirmed to occur in Venezuelan marine, estuarine, and freshwater habitats. For each species, we report its global and local distribution, conservation status and threats, and the common names used, along with our proposal for a Spanish common name. Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) is the most commonly reported mysticete. The long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis) is the most frequent of the odontocetes in marine waters. The boto or tonina (Inia geoffrensis) was found to be ubiquitous in the Orinoco watershed. The distribution of marine records is consistent with the pattern of productivity of Venezuelan marine waters, i.e., a concentration at 63°07′W through 65°26′W with records declining to the east and to the west. An examination of the records for all cetaceans in the Caribbean leads us to conclude that seven additional species may be present in Venezuelan waters. (PDF file contains 61 pages.

Description of the vessel traffic within the north Pelagos Sanctuary: Inputs for Marine Spatial Planning and management implications within an existing international Marine Protected Area

International shipping, although considered a safe and environment-friendly form of transportation, has many direct and indirect impacts on cetaceans in many ways, particularly in the Mediterranean Sea, one of the world's busiest waterways. An AIS receiver located at 44.30 °N and 8.45 °E, operating between 3 May 2013 and 31 October 2014, provided a detailed description of the distribution, number, type and operation of vessels within the Pelagos Sanctuary, an international protected area dedicated to the conservation of marine mammals. A total of 3,757,587 km of vessel traffic was recorded from 82,831 transits by 4205 distinct vessels. The spatial and temporal distribution of traffic was not uniform and dependent on vessel type (0.0

Developing Important Marine Mammal Area Criteria: Learning From Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas and Key Biodiversity Areas

1. This paper explores how criteria to identify important marine mammal areas (IMMAs) could be developed, and nested in existing global criteria. This process would consider 134 species of marine mammals. 2. Particular attention is given to two suites of global criteria to identify areas important for the persistence of marine biodiversity: Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) developed through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in revision through the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are seen as mutually complementary in the development of IMMAs. 3. The specificities necessary for identifying important areas at scales below the global level may vary according to the region, the biophysical requirements of distinct populations, and available data. Refining and testing the applicability of these global criteria on marine mammals at both regional and national scales will be necessary. 4. Combining area-based measures with non-spatial management actions will likely be the optimal approach for ensuring marine mammal persistence given their highly migratory nature and widespread life-history stages. 5. Capacity to enact IMMAs is strengthened by the existence of professional marine mammal associations and networks, and the recently formed IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (MMPATF). The MMPATF is planning further development of IMMA criteria through joint work with the International Committee on Marine Mammal Protected Areas (ICMMPA)

The Important Marine Mammal Area network : a tool for systematic spatial planning in response to the marine mammal habitat conservation crisis

Major support to the IMMA process was provided by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag, through the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI). Funding was also provided by the MAVA Foundation and by the French Biodiversity Agency (OFB) in cooperation with IUCN’s Global Marine and Polar Program. The support from the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, OceanCare, NRDC, the Animal Welfare Institute, and the Pacific Life Foundation is also gratefully acknowledged.The Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) initiative was launched by the Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 2016, as a response to a conservation crisis in the protection of marine mammals and wider global ocean biodiversity. IMMAs identify discrete portions of habitat that are important for one or more marine mammal species, and that have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation. They are identified by scientific experts during regional workshops, on the basis of satisfying one or more of eight criteria that capture critical aspects of marine mammal biology, ecology and population structure. Candidate IMMAs undergo independent scientific review prior to being accepted, and then are publicly available via a searchable and downloadable database and a dedicated online e-Atlas. Between 2016 and 2021, eight expert workshops - engaging more than 300 experts - have resulted in the identification of 173 IMMAs located in 90 countries or territories, across a third of the globe. IMMAs identified to date provide important habitats for 58 of the 131 recognized marine mammal species. Around two-thirds of all IMMAs (65%) were identified on the basis of important habitat for a marine mammal species that is threatened on the IUCN Red List. Approximately 61% of IMMA surface areas occur within Exclusive Economic Zone waters, while 39% fall within areas beyond national jurisdiction. The Task Force undertook implementation planning exercises for IMMAs in Palau (Micronesia), the Andaman Islands (India) and the Bazaruto Archipelago and Inhambane Bay (Mozambique), engaging with a range of stakeholders including government and management bodies. IMMAs are increasingly being utilized in environmental impact assessments, marine planning exercises and in international, national and supra-regional conservation, policy and management initiatives, including the Convention on Migratory Species and Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as the design and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the extension of MPA networks. The Task Force is working toward completing a global network of IMMAs that will contribute the scientific information needed to fulfill the current collective goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Red-list status and extinction risk of the world’s whales, dolphins and porpoises

To understand the scope and scale of the loss of biodiversity, tools are required that can be applied in a standardized manner to all species globally, spanning realms from land to the open ocean. We used data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List to provide a synthesis of the conservation status and extinction risk of cetaceans. One in 4 cetacean species (26% of 92 species) was threatened with extinction (i.e., critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable) and 11% were near threatened. Ten percent of cetacean species were data deficient, and we predicted that 2–3 of these species may also be threatened. The proportion of threatened cetaceans has increased: 15% in 1991, 19% in 2008, and 26% in 2021. The assessed conservation status of 20% of species has worsened from 2008 to 2021, and only 3 moved into categories of lesser threat. Cetacean species with small geographic ranges were more likely to be listed as threatened than those with large ranges, and those that occur in freshwater (100% of species) and coastal (60% of species) habitats were under the greatest threat. Analysis of odontocete species distributions revealed a global hotspot of threatened small cetaceans in Southeast Asia, in an area encompassing the Coral Triangle and extending through nearshore waters of the Bay of Bengal, northern Australia, and Papua New Guinea and into the coastal waters of China. Improved management of fisheries to limit overfishing and reduce bycatch is urgently needed to avoid extinctions or further declines, especially in coastal areas of Asia, Africa, and South America.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Putting sharks on the map: A global standard for improving shark area-based conservation

Area-based conservation is essential to safeguard declining biodiversity. Several approaches have been developed for identifying networks of globally important areas based on the delineation of sites or seascapes of importance for various elements of biodiversity (e.g., birds, marine mammals). Sharks, rays, and chimaeras are facing a biodiversity crisis with an estimated 37% of species threatened with extinction driven by overfishing. Yet spatial planning tools often fail to consider the habitat needs critical for their survival. The Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) approach is proposed as a response to the dire global status of sharks, rays, and chimaeras. A set of four globally standardized scientific criteria, with seven sub-criteria, was developed based on input collated during four shark, biodiversity, and policy expert workshops conducted in 2022. The ISRA Criteria provide a framework to identify discrete, three-dimensional portions of habitat important for one or more shark, ray, or chimaera species, that have the potential to be delineated and managed for conservation. The ISRA Criteria can be applied to all environments where sharks occur (marine, estuarine, and freshwater) and consider the diversity of species, their complex behaviors and ecology, and biological needs. The identification of ISRAs will guide the development, design, and application of area-based conservation initiatives for sharks, rays, and chimaeras, and contribute to their recovery

Summer distribution and abundance of the giant devil ray (<em>Mobula mobular</em>) in the Adriatic Sea: Baseline data for an iterative management framework

The giant devil ray (Mobula mobular) is a poorly understood protected endemic species of the eastern Atlantic-Mediterranean region. However, to date there are no range-wide management actions in place. This paper provides the first overview of the summer distribution and abundance of this species and other Myliobatiformes within the Adriatic Sea based on an aerial survey. Although the survey´s primary targets were cetaceans and sea turtles, the study showed that it was possible to use the survey to monitor other species. Abundance estimates are derived using conventional distance sampling analysis. Giant devil rays were observed mainly in the central-southern Adriatic (88% of total sightings). A total of 1595 giant devil rays were estimated in the central-southern Adriatic Sea [coefficient of variation(CV)=25%, uncorrected estimate for perception and availability bias]. When corrected for availability bias the number of specimens was estimated at 3255 (CV=56%). Population growth rate was estimated using life history traits and a sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the benefit of improving biological knowledge on this data-poor species. A power analysis showed that a long-term commitment to an aerial survey would be necessary to monitor population trends. Conservation implications and future work, including how the study could be used to conduct an ecological risk assessment are discussed