Tethys Research Institute shipboard survey cetacean sightings 1986-2012

Caterina Lanfredi; Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara

doi:10.15468/j4vfkj

Tethys Research Institute shipboard survey cetacean sightings 1986-2012

Citation

Lanfredi, C. and G. Notarbartolo di Sciara. 2014. Tethys Research Institute shipboard survey cetacean sightings 1986-2012. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/774) on yyyy-mm-dd. https://doi.org/10.15468/j4vfkj accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-06-16.

Description

Original provider: Tethys Research Institute Dataset credits: Tethys Research Institute Abstract: This dataset, belonging as a whole to Tethys Research Institute, comprises the work carried out between 1986 and 2012 mainly in the Mediterranean Sea and in particular in the Corso-Ligurian-Provencal basin, in the Ionian Sea and in the Adriatic Sea. Research has also been carried out investigating cetaceans in Atlantic Ocean (Canary Islands, Morocco coasts) and in the Caribbean Sea. The dataset generated includes more than 8.400 sightings of cetaceans collected in 25 years of research activity. Purpose: Founded in 1986, the Tethys Research Institute is a private non-profit organization specializing in cetacean research. Tethys has generated one of the largest datasets on Mediterranean cetaceans and contributed over 300 scientific publications. Tethys aims to protect the Mediterranean biodiversity by promoting the adoption of a precautionary approach for the management of natural resources. The work carried out by Tethys strives to prevent the decline of marine species and to encourage sustainable use of the marine environment. Tethys first conceived and proposed the creation a Marine Reserve in the Corso-Ligurian Basin, the “Pelagos Sanctuary.” Several internationally renowned institutions have emphasized the importance of the Sanctuary, including the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Bonn Convention on migratory species, and the newly-born Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Areas (ACCOBAMS). The Sanctuary has also been added to the list of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI), created at the Barcelona Convention in 1999. This makes the Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary the first and only high seas protected area in the world. Moreover, based primarily on data collected by the Tethys Research Institute, a Dolphin Reserve was formally established in Losinj, Croatia in 2006. Research methods utilized by Tethys include the use of remote sensing and telemetry data, the combined use of laser range-finding binoculars and GPS to record the movements of whales, population studies based on distance sampling and photographic capture-recapture, bioacoustics research, behavioral sampling, remote collection of biopsy samples for genetic and toxicological analyses, and historical studies. The Institute holds vast photographic archives of cetacean images that have enabled the identification of over 1,500 individuals of eight Mediterranean species. Tethys Research Institute has involved in its expeditions thousands of people from all over the world, and has developed a remarkable cetacean research and conservation network. Tethys has been conducting its research and conservation activities thanks to support received from national and international organizations. Tethys is partner to the UNEP's Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS). The Italian Ministry of the Environment funded various cetacean research and conservation activities carried out by the Institute. The UNEP's Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC-SPA), the Earthwatch Institute, OceanCare and The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society WDCS have been providing support to specific projects conducted by Tethys in the context of a long-term collaboration. Supplemental information: [2015-03-24] A few records had a wrong animal count of zero. The value is replaced with a blank representing species presence only. [2014-03-05] 2011-2012 data were added. Effort data are only available for a subset of surveys. For records with time and observed count not available, the corresponding columns were empty.

Purpose

Founded in 1986, the Tethys Research Institute is a private non-profit organization specializing in cetacean research. Tethys has generated one of the largest datasets on Mediterranean cetaceans and contributed over 300 scientific publications. Tethys aims to protect the Mediterranean biodiversity by promoting the adoption of a precautionary approach for the management of natural resources. The work carried out by Tethys strives to prevent the decline of marine species and to encourage sustainable use of the marine environment. Tethys first conceived and proposed the creation a Marine Reserve in the Corso-Ligurian Basin, the “Pelagos Sanctuary.” Several internationally renowned institutions have emphasized the importance of the Sanctuary, including the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Bonn Convention on migratory species, and the newly-born Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Areas (ACCOBAMS). The Sanctuary has also been added to the list of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI), created at the Barcelona Convention in 1999. This makes the Ligurian Sea Cetacean Sanctuary the first and only high seas protected area in the world. Moreover, based primarily on data collected by the Tethys Research Institute, a Dolphin Reserve was formally established in Losinj, Croatia in 2006. Research methods utilized by Tethys include the use of remote sensing and telemetry data, the combined use of laser range-finding binoculars and GPS to record the movements of whales, population studies based on distance sampling and photographic capture-recapture, bioacoustics research, behavioral sampling, remote collection of biopsy samples for genetic and toxicological analyses, and historical studies. The Institute holds vast photographic archives of cetacean images that have enabled the identification of over 1,500 individuals of eight Mediterranean species. Tethys Research Institute has involved in its expeditions thousands of people from all over the world, and has developed a remarkable cetacean research and conservation network. Tethys has been conducting its research and conservation activities thanks to support received from national and international organizations. Tethys is partner to the UNEP's Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS). The Italian Ministry of the Environment funded various cetacean research and conservation activities carried out by the Institute. The UNEP's Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (RAC-SPA), the Earthwatch Institute, OceanCare and The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society WDCS have been providing support to specific projects conducted by Tethys in the context of a long-term collaboration.

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 borealis
common name: Sei Whale rank: species
Balaenoptera edeni
common name: Eden's whale rank: species
Balaenoptera physalus
common name: Fin Whale rank: species
Balaenoptera
common name: baleen whales rank: genus
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Delphinus delphis
common name: Short-beaked Common Dolphin rank: species
Globicephala macrorhynchus
common name: Short-finned Pilot Whale rank: species
Globicephala melas
common name: Long-finned Pilot Whale rank: species
Grampus griseus
common name: Risso's Dolphin rank: species
Kogia breviceps
common name: Pygmy Sperm Whale rank: species
Megaptera novaeangliae
common name: Humpback Whale rank: species
Mesoplodon bidens
common name: Sowerby's Beaked Whale rank: species
Mesoplodon densirostris
common name: Blainville's Beaked Whale rank: species
Mesoplodon europaeus
common name: Gervais' Beaked Whale rank: species
Mesoplodon
common name: beaked whales rank: genus
Peponocephala electra
common name: Melon-headed Whale rank: species
Physeter macrocephalus
common name: Sperm Whale rank: species
Pseudorca crassidens
common name: False Killer Whale rank: species
Sousa teuszii
common name: Atlantic Humpback Dolphin rank: species
Stenella attenuata
common name: Pantropical Spotted Dolphin rank: species
Stenella clymene
common name: Clymene Dolphin rank: species
Stenella coeruleoalba
common name: Striped Dolphin rank: species
Stenella frontalis
common name: Atlantic Spotted Dolphin rank: species
Stenella longirostris
common name: Spinner Dolphin rank: species
Stenella
common name: spinner dolphins rank: genus
Tursiops truncatus
common name: Common Bottlenose Dolphin rank: species
Cetacea
common name: cetaceans rank: order
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Hyperoodontidae
rank: family
Ziphius cavirostris
common name: Cuvier's Beaked Whale rank: species

Geographic Coverages

Mediterranean,Italy,cetacean distribution

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Caterina Lanfredi
originator
position: Primary contact
Tethys Research Institute
email: caterina.lanfredi@polimi.it

Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara
originator
position: Primary contact
Tethys Research Institute
email: tethys@tethys.org
homepage: http://www.tethys.org

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

Caterina Lanfredi
owner
position: Primary contact
Tethys Research Institute
email: caterina.lanfredi@polimi.it

Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara
owner
position: Primary contact
Tethys Research Institute
email: tethys@tethys.org
homepage: http://www.tethys.org

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/

Caterina Lanfredi
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Tethys Research Institute
email: caterina.lanfredi@polimi.it

Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Tethys Research Institute
email: tethys@tethys.org
homepage: http://www.tethys.org