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

Locating ship strike risk hotspots for fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) and sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) along main shipping lanes in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea

Abstract The Pelagos Sanctuary is the only pelagic marine protected area in the Mediterranean Sea, instituted for the conservation of cetaceans. Considering the number and size of commercial and touristic ports located along its coasts, this protected area is highly impacted by human activities, and especially marine traffic. Fin whales and sperm whales are regularly sighted in the Pelagos Sanctuary, and ship strikes with large vessels are one of the main threats affecting these two species. Mapping hotspots of distribution along main shipping lanes could be an effective conservation tool, as they directly allow locating high risk areas. In this work, we used data collected during summer from 2009 to 2019, along main marine traffic corridors in the central region of Pelagos Sanctuary. Ship strike hotspots have been identified, considering the persistence of distribution hotspots over the 11 years period. Hotspots occurrence has then been predicted over the entire Pelagos Sanctuary area applying Generalized Additive Models, allowing for ship strike risk assessment over the marine protected area. Our results highlighted the recurrence of important areas for both species along shipping lanes characterized by high vessel traffic, identifying regions where to address conservation measures

Fin Whale Presence and Distribution in the Pelagos Sanctuary: Temporal and Spatial Variability Along 2 Fixed-Line Transects Monitored in 2009-2013

Data collected during a 5-year monitoring program carried out midst summer along fixed-line transects in the northern Ligurian sea was used to inspect the variability in the presence and distribution of the Mediterranean fin whale in the Pelagos Sanctuary. The systematic and regular sampling design allowed direct yearly and monthly comparisons. The analysis was conducted at different spatial (regional, sub-regional and local) and temporal (yearly-monthly) scales. Species presence and distribution was then related to changes in ecosystem dynamics, namely the magnitude and spreading of the spring bloom, through near-surface chlorophyll a satellite-derived concentrations as a proxy for near-surface phytoplankton biomass. Results indicate strong inter-annual and intra-seasonal variability of species presence at both regional and sub-regional scales, providing new insights into the use of the area by the species. This variability evidences the role of the target species as effective ecosystem sentinels. The local analyses allow the identification of hotspots, some of which are persistent through time and should therefore, be taken into consideration when defining priority areas for conservation actions

Acoustic recordings of rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) offshore Eastern Sicily (Mediterranean Sea)

Author Posting. © Acoustical Society of America, 2019. This article is posted here by permission of Acoustical Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 146(3), (2019): EL286-EL292, doi:10.1121/1.5126118.ough-toothed dolphin's abundance and distribution is largely unknown worldwide and evaluation of its conservation status in the Mediterranean Sea is necessary. A rough-toothed dolphin was sighted offshore Eastern Sicily (Mediterranean Sea) in July 2017 and acoustic data were acquired in the same area of Watkins, Tyack, Moore, and Notarbartolo di Sciara [(1987). Mar. Mamm. Sci. 3, 78–82]. An automatic detection algorithm was developed to identify the echolocation clicks recorded within both datasets and a recurrent inter-click interval value was identified during the new encounter. Distinctive whistle classes were also identified with similar contour shapes within both datasets.The research has been partially funded by ONR Award (No. N00014-16-1-3017) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41422604 and 41306169). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. They wish to thank Professor Gianni Pavan for the software seapro. F.C. wants to thank the President's International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. F.C. and V.S. contributed equally to this work.2020-03-2

Biogeography in the deep : hierarchical population genomic structure of two beaked whale species

Funding for this research was provided by the Office of Naval Research, Award numbers N000141613017 and N000142112712. ABO was supported by a partial studentship from the University of St Andrews, School of Biology; OEG by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland (Scottish Funding Council grant HR09011); ELC by a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship from the Royal Society of New Zealand Te Aparangi; NAS by a Ramon y Cajal Fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Innovation; MLM by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant 801199); CR by the Marine Institute (Cetaceans on the Frontier) and the Irish Research Council; and MTO by the Hartmann Foundation.The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on Earth, yet little is known about the processes driving patterns of genetic diversity in its inhabitants. Here, we investigated the macro- and microevolutionary processes shaping genomic population structure and diversity in two poorly understood, globally distributed, deep-sea predators: Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) and Blainville’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris). We used double-digest restriction associated DNA (ddRAD) and whole mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequencing to characterise genetic patterns using phylogenetic trees, cluster analysis, isolation-by-distance, genetic diversity and differentiation statistics. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; Blainville’s n = 43 samples, SNPs=13988; Cuvier’s n = 123, SNPs= 30479) and mitogenomes (Blainville’s n = 27; Cuvier’s n = 35) revealed substantial hierarchical structure at a global scale. Both species display significant genetic structure between the Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and in Cuvier’s, the Mediterranean Sea. Within major ocean basins, clear differentiation is found between genetic clusters on the east and west sides of the North Atlantic, and some distinct patterns of structure in the Indo-Pacific and Southern Hemisphere. We infer that macroevolutionary processes shaping patterns of genetic diversity include biogeographical barriers, highlighting the importance of such barriers even to highly mobile, deep-diving taxa. The barriers likely differ between the species due to their thermal tolerances and evolutionary histories. On a microevolutionary scale, it seems likely that the balance between resident populations displaying site fidelity, and transient individuals facilitating gene flow, shapes patterns of connectivity and genetic drift in beaked whales. Based on these results, we propose management units to facilitate improved conservation measures for these elusive species.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Biogeography in the deep: hierarchical population genomic structure of two beaked whale species

The deep sea is the largest ecosystem on Earth, yet little is known about the processes driving patterns of genetic diversity in its inhabitants. Here, we investigated the macro- and microevolutionary processes shaping genomic population structure and diversity in two poorly understood, globally distributed, deep-sea predators: Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris) and Blainville’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris). We used double-digest restriction associated DNA (ddRAD) and whole mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) sequencing to characterise genetic patterns using phylogenetic trees, cluster analysis, isolation-by-distance, genetic diversity and differentiation statistics. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; Blainville’s n=43 samples, SNPs=13988; Cuvier’s n=123, SNPs= 30479) and mitogenomes (Blainville’s n=27; Cuvier’s n=35) revealed substantial hierarchical structure at a global scale. Both species display significant genetic structure between the Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and in Cuvier’s, the Mediterranean Sea. Within major ocean basins, clear differentiation is found between genetic clusters on the east and west sides of the North Atlantic, and some distinct patterns of structure in the Indo-Pacific and Southern Hemisphere. We infer that macroevolutionary processes shaping patterns of genetic diversity include biogeographical barriers, highlighting the importance of such barriers even to highly mobile, deep-diving taxa. The barriers likely differ between the species due to their thermal tolerances and evolutionary histories. On a microevolutionary scale, it seems likely that the balance between resident populations displaying site fidelity, and transient individuals facilitating gene flow, shapes patterns of connectivity and genetic drift. Based on these results, we propose management units to facilitate improved conservation measures for these elusive species

Fin whale seasonal trends in the Pelagos Sanctuary, Mediterranean Sea

Since 2009, a cetacean presence and distribution long-term monitoring study has been ongoing in the Pelagos Sanctuary, a pelagic marine protected area located in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. One of the objectives of this study is to assess trends in cetacean presence and distribution to achieve good environmental status (GES) of pelagic marine waters. We assessed the density variability of the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) in the Pelagos Sanctuary. We used data collected during summer months (Jun–Sep) from 2009 to 2013, along 2 fixed transects crossing the Pelagos Sanctuary, using ferries as platforms of opportunity. We compared 2 un-corrected indexes: the linear encounter rate and density index, computed applying distance sampling methodology to select the most precise method. We also evaluated the effect of environmental covariates (e.g., platform height, Beaufort sea state, wind speed and direction, cloud cover and rain, longitude, latitude) on abundance and density estimation. Finally, we defined an unbiased index and used it to analyze the temporal and spatial variability of fin whale density in the Pelagos Sanctuary. Fin whale density along the 2 transects varied on a yearly basis, with a peak in 2012 and 2013. Variability also occurred on a monthly basis, with a peak during the first half of the season. A longitudinal and a depth gradient were also evident, confirming differences in species displacement in the area. These results are consistent with previous studies, and update current knowledge of species presence in the area. The protocol tested in this work can be easily applied to the other cetacean species inhabiting the Pelagos Sanctuary providing a novel and cost-effective method to assess long-term trends in cetacean distribution and detect incipient changes in species density. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Wildlife Management published by The Wildlife Society

Cetacean in the Pelagos Sanctuary: Need for a multi-scale management approach

We use 5-years summer data (2009-2013 late May-end of September) systematically collected along fixed transects crossing the Pelagos Sanctuary (PS-Northwestern Mediterranean). We examine species habitat preferences at different spatial/temporal scales. Broader patterns are investigated separately in the western and eastern region of PS. To allow direct comparison, yearly/monthly indexes of species presence are computed as a proportion of the encounter rate of the species in a region and the overall ER for the species in the PS (indexregion_sp_y/m=ERregion_sp_y/m/ERPS_sp where ER=n sightings/hours on effort). Habitat variability is examined using maps of the phytoplankton bloom, obtained by 1-km maps of sea surface chlorophyll distribution. At a finer scale, a 5km grid is used to map yearly/monthly species aggregation areas within each region.Strong-interannual variability is shown, with the alternation of \u2018rich\u2019 (eg.2010-2012-2013) and \u2018poor\u2019 years (eg.2009-2011). Striped dolphin (sc) and fin whales (bp) in the eastern region well reflect this pattern, while they show stability and constant increase, respectively, in the western region. Monthly indexes show no pattern for sc while reflect migratory movements from/into PS of fin whales. Cuvier\u2019s beaked whale (zc) peaks of presence coincide with lowest presence of sperm whales (pc), both yearly and monthly, evidencing spatial and temporal habitat partitioning among the two species. Risso\u2019s dolphin show strong fluctuations in the eastern region and is more rare in the western, while pilot whales are almost stable in both regions over the years, showing strong monthly preferences. Bottlenose dolphins alternate rich to poor years in both regions, with a preference for the eastern region and early summer months. Aggregation hot-spots are species specific. Bp and pc hotspots vary both yearly both monthly, while zc hotspots are consistent among years. Based on these results we propose a multi-scale approach for themanagement of thePelagos Sanctuar

Unusual presence of fin whales in coastal waters of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea during 2007

This work reports the unusual distribution of fin whales and its correlated high mortality along the coast of northwestern Mediterranean, in particular in the Pelagos sanctuary in 2007. Of the 20 sightings occurred along the shore, 6 were juveniles unpaired with their mothers and 4 of them died. First, we detaile dtheir unusual behaviour. All individuals were static, undernourished and covered with a high quantity of parasites (Penella sp.). Most of them entered ports: for instance from 20th to 30th May 2007 we monitored a juvenile fin whale, less than 10m-long, which remained in shallow waters in front of Ligurian coast and entered repeatedly the port of Genova-Voltri, or the whale named \u201cDesir\ue9e\u201d that stayed on the French Riviera, from 14th to 24th July 2007. we include videos showing th 10m-long juvenile rustling in Posidonia beds, a behaviour never described yet. The second part of this work deals with general distribution of fin whales in 2007. We estimate the encounter rate of fin whale sightings according to the distance from the coast comparing data from 2004 to 2007, using 121 scientific and 565 whale-watching one-day surveys. Results indicate a significant decline of abundance throughout all 2007. Encounter rate decreases from 1.50 sightings/50 MN in May 2005 to 0.25 sightings/50 MN in May 2007. The last part of this work provides some indications about possible reasons concerning this unusual coastal distribution. We correlate 2007 species distribution with oceanographic parameters such as surface temperature and concentration of chlorophyll, known to be predictive of fin whale distribution. Anomalies of these parameters are mapped showing SST values higher than usual since February (seasonal average = +1\ub0C to +6\ub0C) and an unusual concentration of phytoplankton occuring earlier than previous years. This study may point out some direct global warming impacts influencing top-predator distribution