Topics and Techniques

Cetacean Sanctuary Research

Topics and Techniques

Cetacean Sanctuary Research

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The project is dedicated to the research and monitoring of the full range of
ecological aspects of cetacean species within the study area, including:

  • Abundance
  • Movements
  • Spatial and temporal variability
  • Population dynamics
  • Critical habitats
  • Foraging/ critical habitats
  • Individual identification and life history
  • Bioacoustics
  • Behavior
  • Health status
  • Genetics
  • Response to human activities
  • Evaluation of long-term environmental changes
  • Monitoring of anthropogenic pressures

Over the decades of activity, the Cetacean Sanctuary Research project team has developed a wide range of skills, including:

  • Visual and acoustic surveys of cetaceans
  • Monitoring of other large marine vertebrates (Devil ray, sea turtles, pelagic fishes, seabirds)
  • Photo-identification
  • Collection of acoustic data from cetaceans by towed array
  • Acoustic tracking of odontocetes (especially sperm whales)
  • Collection of biological samples such as feces for analysis (e.g., study of diet or infectious diseases)
  • Skin swabbing for genetic analyses
  • Collection of in situ environmental parameters by means of CTD probes
  • Data collection for environmental DNA (eDNA) studies
  • Photogrammetry
  • Passive tracking
  • Study of surface behavior
  • Study of diving behavior by means of TDR tags
  • Remote biopsy sampling for genetic and toxicological analyses
  • Monitoring of human presence at sea
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