Bertarelli-Annual-Report-2023-R9-low (1) - Flipbook - Page 19
Projects
Marine Science 2022
Cetacean Refuges
Lead investigator: Dr. Clare Embling,
University of Plymouth
Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are
charismatic yet vulnerable marine animals that play
a vital ecological role in our ocean. Many whale
populations are still recovering from historic whaling
and cetaceans worldwide are threatened by fishery
bycatch, ship strikes and increasing noise pollution.
Cetaceans are highly mobile and tend to travel huge
distances. Their movements are often determined
by changing oceanography, the distribution and
concentration of their prey, and by the life cycle such as
seasonal breeding migrations. Successful management,
particularly in the face of impacts such as bycatch, is
dependent on a proper biological understanding.
The central Indian Ocean may be one of the last tropical
refuges where cetaceans remain protected from human
impacts, yet unfortunately we know very little of their
diversity, distribution, and abundance. This project is
surveying cetaceans in this poorly-studied region, with
a focus on the Chagos Archipelago, using sightings
and acoustic surveys and closely linked with regional
capacity building.
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