Alnitak-Alnilam Cetaceans and sea turtles surveys off Southern Spain

Ana Cañadas

doi:10.15468/yhye4d

Alnitak-Alnilam Cetaceans and sea turtles surveys off Southern Spain

Citation

Cañadas, A. 2013. Alnitak-Alnilam Cetaceans and sea turtles surveys off Southern Spain. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/429) on yyyy-mm-dd. https://doi.org/10.15468/yhye4d accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-06-23.

Description

Original provider: Alnilam Dataset credits: Alnitak Alnilam Ana Cañadas Ricardo Sagarminaga General Directorate for the Conservation of Nature, the Spanish Ministry for the Environment LIFE-Nature programs, European Commission Earthwatch Institute ONR Abstract: This dataset, belonging as a whole to Alnitak, comprises the work carried out in the Alboran Sea and adjacent areas from 1990 to 2006, and it includes 3,712 sightings of cetaceans and 306 sightings of sea turtles, during more than 31,000 nmi (more than 57,000 km) on searching effort. Purpose: Alnitak is a non-governmental non-profit association, founded in 1990 with the main aim of developing studies in cooperation with universities, environmental organizations and other institutions to increase our knowledge on the marine and coastal environment and thereby contribute to biodiversity conservation strategies. Alnitak focuses most of its research efforts into providing baseline scientific data for the adoption of management measures that should make fisheries sustainability, economic development and biodiversity conservation compatible. For this reason, Alnitak and its researchers have participated in useful and important projects such as LIFE02NAT/E/8610, SCANS II, CODA and NECESSITY. The research team of Alnitak has wide experience in research fields such as: the bioacoustics applied to Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs) and Acoustic Harassement Devices (AHDs) and especially in the development of playback experiments and the cetaceans' reactions to them; the study of populations of sea turtles and in particular the monitoring of the bycatch in longline gear, data collection onboard fishing vessels, and experimental techniques on mitigation measures; and the study of cetacean populations, in particular their abundance and habitat preferences through spatial modelling, and their conservation problems. In this sense, Alnitak has been focusing during the last years in the development of Conservation Plans and the design of Marine Protected Areas, based on robust scientific data. In addition, there is a strong tradition of cooperation and synergy among the Alnitak team and the main European and other international entities with programs devoted to these issues (e.g., NOAA Fisheries, WIDECAST, SMRU, IWC, DIFRES, ACCOBAMS, EC, IEO Spain), the main stakeholders (e.g., the longline fishing fleet) and the competent authorities in Spain (Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Fisheries). Alnitak conducts research using the research vessel Toftevaag, which has been used to carry out the cetacean and sea turtle research for more than 15 years. Supplemental information: [2016-09-20] The coordinates of two records were corrected: Balaenoptera physalus, 2009-06-27 10:20:46 lat/long: (36.93, -5.775) => (35.93, -5.775) Tursiops truncatus, 2007-01-14 10:08:39 lat/long: (36.516830, 2.789667) => (36.516830, -2.789667) [2016-08-31] The 2007-2011 sightings were added. Time is in GMT. Several records do not have time recorded, which indicates the animal was seen far away and no contact was made.

Purpose

Alnitak is a non-governmental non-profit association, founded in 1990 with the main aim of developing studies in cooperation with universities, environmental organizations and other institutions to increase our knowledge on the marine and coastal environment and thereby contribute to biodiversity conservation strategies. Alnitak focuses most of its research efforts into providing baseline scientific data for the adoption of management measures that should make fisheries sustainability, economic development and biodiversity conservation compatible. For this reason, Alnitak and its researchers have participated in useful and important projects such as LIFE02NAT/E/8610, SCANS II, CODA and NECESSITY. The research team of Alnitak has wide experience in research fields such as: the bioacoustics applied to Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs) and Acoustic Harassement Devices (AHDs) and especially in the development of playback experiments and the cetaceans' reactions to them; the study of populations of sea turtles and in particular the monitoring of the bycatch in longline gear, data collection onboard fishing vessels, and experimental techniques on mitigation measures; and the study of cetacean populations, in particular their abundance and habitat preferences through spatial modelling, and their conservation problems. In this sense, Alnitak has been focusing during the last years in the development of Conservation Plans and the design of Marine Protected Areas, based on robust scientific data. In addition, there is a strong tradition of cooperation and synergy among the Alnitak team and the main European and other international entities with programs devoted to these issues (e.g., NOAA Fisheries, WIDECAST, SMRU, IWC, DIFRES, ACCOBAMS, EC, IEO Spain), the main stakeholders (e.g., the longline fishing fleet) and the competent authorities in Spain (Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Fisheries). Alnitak conducts research using the research vessel Toftevaag, which has been used to carry out the cetacean and sea turtle research for more than 15 years.

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
Caretta caretta
common name: Loggerhead Sea Turtle rank: species
Delphinus delphis
common name: Short-beaked Common Dolphin rank: species
Globicephala melas
common name: Long-finned Pilot Whale rank: species
Grampus griseus
common name: Risso's Dolphin rank: species
Hyperoodon ampullatus
common name: Northern bottlenose whale rank: species
Orcinus orca
common name: Killer Whale rank: species
Physeter macrocephalus
common name: Sperm Whale rank: species
Pseudorca crassidens
common name: False Killer Whale rank: species
Stenella coeruleoalba
common name: Striped Dolphin rank: species
Tursiops truncatus
common name: Common Bottlenose Dolphin rank: species
Hyperoodontidae
rank: family
Cetacea
common name: cetaceans rank: order
Ziphius
common name: goose-beaked whales rank: genus
Ziphius cavirostris
common name: Cuvier's Beaked Whale rank: species

Geographic Coverages

Alboran Sea,Mediterranean Sea,Spain

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Ana Cañadas
originator
position: Primary contact
Alnilam
email: anacanadas@alnilam.com.es

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

Ana Cañadas
owner
position: Primary contact
Alnilam
email: anacanadas@alnilam.com.es

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/

Ana Cañadas
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Alnilam
email: anacanadas@alnilam.com.es