Topics and Techniques
Cetacean Sanctuary Research
Topics and Techniques
Cetacean Sanctuary Research
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
