IMMRAC marine mammal sightings from the Mediterranean's Levantine Basin

Dani Kerem

doi:10.15468/jxj2u3

IMMRAC marine mammal sightings from the Mediterranean's Levantine Basin

Citation

Kerem, D. 2014. IMMRAC marine mammal sightings from the Mediterranean's Levantine Basin. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/819) on yyyy-mm-dd. https://doi.org/10.15468/jxj2u3 accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-05-19.

Description

Original provider: Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center (IMMRAC) Dataset credits: Nir Hadar, Oz Goffman, Aviad Scheinin and Dani Kerem, Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center (IMMRAC) Abstract: IMMRAC is a purely voluntary registered nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of cetacean populations in the Eastern Mediterranean and in the noethern Red Sea, through scientific research and public education. IMMRAC is a partner of ACCOBAMS. Research activities are under the academic auspices of the Institute for Maritime Studies, School of Marine Sciences in the University of Haifa. Open Sea research activity along the 190 km-long Israeli Mediterranean coast is conducted throughout the year, weather permitting. It focuses on the socio-ecology of the resident bottlenose dolphin population through half-day surveys from inflatable boats and private yachts. Due to logistic reasons, open sea research in the Red Sea is opportunistic and sporadic. Purpose: IMMRAC collates shore-based and boat-based cetacean sightings, the latter from dedicated surveys as well as from platforms of opportunity, made by its own staff or reported to it by other parties. The latter are mostly backed by photographs/videos or else, are indisputably accredited through careful interrogation by IMMRAC experts in real time and/or soon after the sighting, aided by a pictorial guide. Supplemental information: [2014-03-27] Sightings in 2012-2014 were appended. The activity column was added in this period whereas the seastate and comments columns were not provided. Some records had estimates, minimums, or ranges for group sizes - these were converted to numbers, minimum + 1, or the median number (rounded down), respectively, for the number of animals observed.

Purpose

IMMRAC collates shore-based and boat-based cetacean sightings, the latter from dedicated surveys as well as from platforms of opportunity, made by its own staff or reported to it by other parties. The latter are mostly backed by photographs/videos or else, are indisputably accredited through careful interrogation by IMMRAC experts in real time and/or soon after the sighting, aided by a pictorial guide.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

NA

Sampling

NA

Method steps

NA

Additional info

marine, harvested by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Scientific names are based on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Balaenoptera acutorostrata
common name: Minke Whale rank: species
Balaenoptera physalus
common name: Fin Whale rank: species
Delphinus delphis
common name: Short-beaked Common Dolphin rank: species
Grampus griseus
common name: Risso's Dolphin rank: species
Pseudorca crassidens
common name: False Killer Whale rank: species
Physeter macrocephalus
common name: Sperm Whale rank: species
Steno bredanensis
common name: Rough-toothed Dolphin rank: species
Stenella coeruleoalba
common name: Striped Dolphin rank: species

Geographic Coverages

Levantine Basin,Northern Red Sea

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Dani Kerem
originator
position: Primary contact
IMMRAC (Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center)
email: dankerem@research.haifa.ac.il
homepage: http://maritime2.haifa.ac.il

OBIS-SEAMAP
metadata author
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu

OBIS-SEAMAP
distributor
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu

Dani Kerem
owner
position: Primary contact
IMMRAC (Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center)
email: dankerem@research.haifa.ac.il
homepage: http://maritime2.haifa.ac.il

ACCOBAMS and WDCS
originator
The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS) and Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS)
homepage: http://www.accobams.org/

Dani Kerem
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
IMMRAC (Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center)
email: dankerem@research.haifa.ac.il
homepage: http://maritime2.haifa.ac.il