Plotting the Wild - The Spatial Blog

The show must go on! Plotting the Wild at ECS

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:24:51 GMT

Even while Tim was on a short recovery break after his accident, it was a real relief and a proud moment to know that Francesca Soster was presenting Plotting the Wild's early results on species distribution modelling for cetacean conservation in Malta at ECS2025.

It’s been a pleasure collaborating with Francesca and the rest of the team on this work.

And… exciting news — the paper has just been accepted for publication! Keep your eyes peeled for its release ��

A Message of Hope in Uncertain Times

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 14:47:15 GMT

"This should have been the worse few weeks of my life"

Life is full of uncertainty at the moment, with colleagues being made redundant, provocative decisions being made by politicians and a seemingly endless list of spiralling conflicts around the globe.

During this time, it is easy to become depressed at the state of the world and to allow yourself to develop a belief that the world is full of evil, manipulative people and that every person is isolated. I am often guilty of this myself, choosing to hide away and ignore the news, throwing myself into my work and hobbies, and focusing only on myself and those that are closest to me.

However, I would (uncharacteristically) like to share a little perspective from my recent personal life that has given me a slightly different view. It has not been an easy thing to write, but it is an important thing to share. I would urge you to make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, or even get a beer or a glass of wine and see how I have been forced to see things a little differently recently.

###

On the 26 ^th of April, I was playing rugby for Oban Lorne RFC, as I did most Saturdays, a game that I’ve played on and off since I was 7 or 8 years old. We were losing slightly but it was a competitive game and Oban were putting up a good fight. About 60 minutes into the game, everything changed and for a while time seemed to stand still.

I had the ball in my hands and when the pass wasn’t an option, I turned to take the ball into contact, just like any other day. This time though it just wasn’t my day, and as I turned my studs got caught in the ground which was uncharacteristically dry for the time of year, an opposition player tackled me and my leg couldn’t move, 110 kilograms was hitting 110 kilograms and something had to give. Unfortunately, in this case, the things to give were my right leg which broke and my ankle which dislocated quite severely, damaging the ligaments extensively. A split second later, I was hit by a second player from the other side, and being stuck in place, this time my left knee dislocated, and my patella tendon fully ruptured.

I knew that I was in pain but only realised how bad it was when an opposition player tried to stop the game and used his own body to shield me to prevent any further damage. In a strange set of events, the majority of the players carried on the game not realising that anything was wrong, whilst others stopped to bring on the coaches and the physios (from both teams) and to fetch equipment to splint my legs.

It's funny how life stops in that moment, and all of the concerns you had before no longer seem so important, getting my PhD would wait, other work could wait, and finances and the future would sort themselves out eventually, only focusing on the immediate next step.

The next few days were a blur of adrenaline, pain, drugs and lack of sleep.

I remember concerned faces of family and friends looking down on the stretcher, being rushed to hospital in the bed of a virtual stranger’s pickup truck because no ambulance was available, the tail down to fit the stretcher in, only being held from sliding onto the road by my paramedic brother and his wife…

A sea of medical staff, each commenting on how serious the problems would have been on one leg, let alone both. I remember being told that the injuries were too serious for Oban Hospital and the following windy two-hour drive to Paisley Hospital lying strapped to another stretcher, where I could be seen by specialists and waiting in half-consciousness for 7 hours in A and E to be admitted to a ward, my brother beside me the entire time…

The news that I would be immobile for many months and would have to teach my legs how to walk again…

Countless x-rays and scans, waiting for surgery, only for it to be cancelled again, my parents arriving, faces trying not to show me how concerned they were. A stream of painkillers, and injections to avoid DVT…

Finally, the surgery. Waking up in a room full of groggy people, not knowing if it had gone well, a new set of casts…

Four days of medical alarms, avoiding food because I didn’t want to defecate in a bed pan, the sad sound of confused dementia patients, shouting out in the night not knowing why they were in hospital, before a midnight ambulance transfer back to Oban Hospital where I stayed for another few weeks.

###

This should have been the worse few weeks of my life, a pit of misery and hopelessness. I should have been furious at the world and at fate, this was the end of playing a game that I loved, something I was never all too good at but that I enjoyed and that was a core piece of who I am. I was missing an important work conference and subsequent holiday in the Azores. I should have been questioning “why me?”, after all this was the worst set of injuries I’d ever seen in the 20 years of playing.

It wasn’t the worst few weeks of my life; I wasn’t angry at the world. It gave me a chance to stop, to step back a little bit and to watch what was going on around me. I won’t pretend that there weren’t times where I was scared, where the pain seemed unbearable, times where I wanted to just be home in my own bed but on the whole, it was bearable and I even enjoyed small chunks of it. The reason being entirely down to one thing and one thing only.

People. The endless good nature of people.

I’m forever grateful for my fiancée, my family and my closest friends, who stepped up as I had never needed before but as I had always hoped they would. I couldn’t have asked for a better family or more loyal friends for whom I’m eternally grateful. I’m also grateful to my colleagues and supervisors who I won’t embarrass here, but who have repeatedly gone above and beyond.

What really blew me away is the kindness of complete strangers and I am giving a short list of what I remember 10 weeks on, but it is not even a fraction of the amazing generosity that I have been shown (if you don’t have much time, read the one’s in bold):

· It was an opposition player that shielded my body from further injury

· The opposition physio helped splint my leg

· The unknown player or coach that held my hand while they did it, not being embarrassed to do so at all, just knowing that I needed it in that moment while they manipulated my broken ankle.

· A player from the women’s team that I don’t know all that well gave her keys to another stranger to drive me to hospital

· The incredibly important consultant who made me a cup of tea and chatted to me about the upcoming Rugby Premiership Final that we both had tickets to, doing me the kindness of not letting me know quite yet that I would be in no state to travel then.

· The paramedics who made me as comfortable as possible and chatted to me for the full two-hour journey, waiting with me in the A and E queue, never grumbling despite knowing their shift would finish 3 or 4 hours late

· The obviously exhausted head nurse (not sure of the correct terminology) who cheerfully admitted me on to her ward despite coming towards the end of a tiring night shift, making me feel welcome and as comfortable as I could be.

· Every member of medical staff at Paisley Hospital who took their time to explain things to put my mind at ease at every stage.

· The comforting smiles and chats with the other patients and the people that came to visit them, having no connection to me yet trying to improve my day.

· The delicate driving skills of the huge hospital porters, doing everything they could to make my journey from the ward to scans/x-rays/operations as comfortable as possible.

· The rush of the entire ward staff to get me ready to leave for Oban when a bed came free at 10pm, and the kindness of the ambulance crew who took me in.

· Yet another exhausted nurse working the night shift who admitted me to Oban at 2am, offering me to go down to the hospital kitchen to see if there was anything she could find.

· A bit of a grim one, but the number of amazing staff who wiped my arse, changed my pants, washed my naked body and swapped my urine bottles without hesitation, joking about the situation as they did it to make me feel less self-conscious and less aware of the loss of basic human function.

· The visitors of other patients who offered to get me coffees and other thing from town, refusing any payment.

· My new neighbours who I had only spoken to twice who came to visit me in hospital and gave me their number so they could help Laura.

· The nightshift nurse who knew I was woken by my pain at 5am each morning and so would bring me a cup of tea at this point to distract me.

· The nurse who (gently) slapped me over the back of the head like a second mother when I told the doctor that my pain wasn’t too bad because she knew that my rugby background programmed me not to show weakness and proceeded to chase the doctor down the corridor and drag him back in to re-discuss my pain medication.

· Colleagues who I’d only ever had a passing hello with, who contacted me with genuine offers of help,

· The ambulance crew who stayed on a return trip to Paisley Hospital, knowing every minute later was a minute later that they’d finish their shift, so that I could get back to Oban and not have to spend more time in a second hospital.

· The players from my team who visited me in hospital, those who went into my house to measure up for my new adaptive equipment.

· The constant streams of messages, cards, visits and presents of people that I never expected to see.

· The nurse who showed me a ‘secret’ corridor that I could take my wheelchair up and down when I was going stir-crazy.

· Everybody who rushed about the hospital and further afield to make sure I could go home to my own house.

· The round of applause down the corridor, complete with hugs and handshakes as I was finally wheeled out of the hospital, two hours later.

· The two ambulance crew, who had finished late earlier in the week in Paisley, who finished late again to get me home and carried my 110kg frame in a wheelchair down my steep steps to home and the beginning of the next chapter of recovery.

This is just an extract of things from the three weeks that I was actually in hospital. It is certainly only a fraction of the generosity I was shown, and it does not to mention the kindness that followed and is still ongoing from medical staff, work colleagues, friends, families and neighbours.

Not being able to move, with painkillers that stop you from reading, gives you a lot of time to think… when you’re not hallucinating. This picture that I was seeing every day didn’t match up with my slowly warping, negatively spiralling view of the world. The people I was observing ever day shouldn’t have been helping me in the way they were: surely, they should be doing the minimum they could get away with for the pay, and what was the motive of people who weren’t even being paid. Reputation? A feeling of superiority? None of it made sense.

And slowly it dawned on me that what we’re seeing on the news, the hatred we see on social media, is not representative of people in the world. It may be representative of some people but, as a scientist, actually this could only be a small scientifically non-significant percentage of people, given the thousands of people I had observed over the last few weeks.

Since then, I’ve taken more time to stop (something I struggle with even more now that I’m constantly trying to recover and get back up to speed with life and work). Every time I’ve stopped, I’ve noticed the small things,

…smiles between strangers…

…people holding doors open…

…drivers waiting for pedestrians to cross the road in the rain…

This just can’t be the case if people are inherently evil, logically it makes no sense. What I’m trying to say in a very long-winded way is that for the first time in a while, I’m genuinely hopeful for humanity and if you take the time to stop and watch people, then I believe you, too, can regain that hope.

Thanks for reading.

Do dolphins have accents? New publication from DMAD!

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 11:30:55 GMT

Ever wondered if dolphins have accents? Well so did we!

Understanding animal behaviour can be key when it comes to trying to conserve animals. If we can understand the context in which an animal is producing a vocalisation then we can better understand if they are feeding, socialising and even if they might be stressed by the presence of humans.

Despite our rapid advances in being able to record the vocalisations of underwater animals, studies are generally confined to particular areas and prior to DMAD setting up Montenegro Dolphin Research there had been no published acoustic data on bottlenose dolphins at all. In recent years, DMAD have been focusing particularly on Boka Kotorska bay in the north of the country where dolphins are regularly sighted. We wanted to publish the information that we collected but also compare it to other data and so we partnered up with an organisation collecting data in Italy.

We looked at the whistle characteristics of bottlenose dolphin whistles in Montenegro for the first time and compared them to these Italian recordings to assess differences. We found similar characteristics for 6 different whistle types between Boka Kotorska, Montenegro and Taranto Bay, Italy despite them being separated by the Adriatic Sea. Due to the small sample size we need far more data before we can draw any meaningful scientific conclusions, however this work represents an important start, particularly for Montenegro where this is the first peer-reviewed acoustic information published.

You can read the full open-access article here:

https://frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1099576/full…

DMAD are really grateful to everyone involved in this incredibly fruitful international collaboration!

ACCOBAMS Highly Qualified MMO/PAM and JNCC Course

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 10:22:16 GMT

Come and Join our Course! Email us for your application form.

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The 2021 IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON Metrology for the Sea

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 06:29:57 GMT

The 2021 IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON Metrology for the Sea will take place for the second time on October 4-6 in Reggio Calabria, Italy.

Our Founder and Science Coordinator Dr. Aylin Akkaya and her colleagues Giulia Cipriano (Department of Biology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy), Rosalia Maglietta (Institute of Intelligent Industrial Systems and Technologies for Advanced Manufacturing, Italy) and Marta Azzolin (Life Science and System Biology Department of the University Turin/ Gaia Research Institute Onlus) at the conference are going to give a special session, under the heading "Current challenges and new technological approaches Applied to marine mammals and sea turtles conservation".

In this special session, they will present “in an era of unprecedented global changes, to keep the marine ecosystems healthy is essential for the well-being of planet Earth. The monitoring of sentinel species such as marine mammals and sea turtles represents the cornerstone to evaluate human activities’ impacts on marine ecosystems functioning. This special session aims to collect contributions related to the application of new technologies, computer science and statistical strategies to the integration of biological and environmental data, aimed to increase knowledge on the bio-ecology of marine mammals and marine turtles, essential for the implementation of conservation measures, according to the ecosystem-based management approach.”

Metro Sea website: here

DMAD at ACCOBAMS' 5th Conference

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 19:26:15 GMT

ACCOBAMS' 5th Conference on Cetacean Conservation for South Mediterranean Countries

We joined an online conference by the ACCOBAMS 5th Conference on the Conservation of Marine Mammals for Southern Mediterranean Countries yesterday.

In the online presentation, the details of our work, which has been going on since 2018, were shared. Our Founder and Scientific Director, Dr Aylin Akkaya shared, obtained datas about our research in the Eastern Mediterranean and the anthropogenic effects on marine mammals in her presentation.

Fishing practices affect the behavioural budget of bottlenose dolphins

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:16:41 GMT

Fishing practices affect the behavioural budget of bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Montenegro, South Adriatic Sea

The European Cetacean Society held it's first virtual conference and DMAD were there presenting our work on how fishing practices appear to be affecting the behavioural budget of bottlenose dolphins. You can read the abstract here or if you have any questions you can email laurarudd@dmad.org.tr or info@dmad.org.tr

DMAD at the European Cetacean Society

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 07:10:32 GMT

Today, DMAD will be presenting the final session of the European Cetacean Society, "Fishing practices affect the behavioural budget of bottlenose dolphins off the coast of Montenegro, South Adriatic Sea". The presentation gives some of the results from Laura Rudd et al.'s work on the differencesin behaviour exhibited by dolphins when in the presence of artisanal and industrial fisheries. Unfortunately Laura has recently undergone major surgery so Molly Crowe, one of DMAD's interns from our new and highly successful remote internship who helped with the analysis will be presenting on her behalf. Make sure to catch the talk at 16:20 - 16:50 (Central European Time). That's 15:20 UK time or 18:20 Turkish times. DMAD wishes Laura a speedy recovery.

This week DMAD staff and interns have been attending the European Cetacean Society Webinar which has been presented quite frankly by some of the legends of the marine mammal world

Wow, what a week! Usually the ECS is a meeting which brings together experts from all over the world to share knowledge and new discoveries, promote international collaboration and generally act as a reminder as to why the marine mammal community works so hard to try and achieve what they can with limited resources. Unfortunately, this could not happen this year because of the current global pandemic and so instead, refusing to be beaten by the current situation, the ECS organised an online webinar of presentations. The event has been incredibly well organised and allowed a much larger array of attendees to learn and contribute from the event. Talks have come in many forms ranging from an inspiring talk from Dr. Greg Donovan about the future of marine mammal conservation and our combined responsibilities as scientists to talks all about whale poo and the effects of whales as ocean engineers by Dr. Heidi Pearson.

Smiles on stormy seas

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 08:06:31 GMT

DMAD researchers keep spirits high despite rough seas and even a bit of snow

You see so many pictures on social media of researchers in swimwear with big smiles and bright blue skies in the background. You rarely see the other side of surveys on social media, partly because there are less surveys in the winter but partly because of the pressure of showing the 'perfect life'. Our team in the Levantine Sea of Turkey have been through rain and rough waters for the last few days with even a bit of snow near Adana! But they've still managed to keep smiling as they collect important information to fill data gaps in one of the most data deficient areas of the Mediterranean.

If you want to learn more about a research in the Levantine, you can read more here:

http://www.dmad.org.tr/giant-guardians-of-the-deep-seas-ii

SOMFI2020

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 21:11:25 GMT

Presentation of the State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2020

DMAD staff were today in attendance of a virtual presentation on the 'State of Mediterranean and Black Sea Fisheries 2020'. The presentation was presented by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean. The presentation covered an overview of a document with the same name that provides decision makers, scientists and other stakeholder with a comprehensive overview of regional and subregional trends in fisheries. It is a key tool in understanding the trends in fisheries to help decision making and and monitoring of impacts.

The GFCM were quick to say that there was a long way to go with incredible to face in the future but used the event to a celebrate that despite 75% of Mediterranean and Black Seas fish stocks still being overexploited this number had actually decreased by more than 10% since 2014. Similar results were found for exploitation ratio with the number of stocks with relatively high biomass doubling since the last report.

You can read the full document and a summary of important results here or you can watch a video of the results below.

Global Meetings from the Comfort of our Desks

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Sat, 12 Dec 2020 12:17:36 GMT

You mainly see photos on social media from research groups of marine mammals and researchers collecting data in the sun with tranquil seas in the background but an awful lot goes on in the background to make sure that this data isn't just collected for photo opportunities and actually goes on to be meaningful. One of these background tasks is knowledge sharing and collaboration between different international parties. One of the very few benefits of COVID-19 is that it has forced everything online, allowing access to meetings/workshops for a great deal more scientists who either wouldn't be able to afford flights or wouldn't be able to justify the carbon footprint of attending these meetings in person.

It’s been a busy week for the DMAD team and a look into our 'new normal' with presentations to the French Embassy in Istanbul, workshops with the Mediterranean Protected Area Network and a meeting of the IUCN family to discuss Marine Key Biodiversity Areas. On Tuesday, Dr Aylin Akkaya, DMAD’s Founder and Scientific Director met with various other parties to discuss climate change and our project run under WWF-Turkey which collects important data on the cetaceans of the Istanbul Strait. Simultaneously, DMAD’s Montenegrop Operations Director, Tim Awbery, joined a group of more than 200 scientists to take part in an online discussion about Marine Key Biodiversity Areas with presentations from a wide range of different approaches. Of particular interest to Tim were the country level work that has been taking place in Mozambique and obviously the section that focused on marine mammals which was presented by Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara.

Fast-forward less than 24 hours and Aylin and Tim were back talking to a group of more than 100 scientists from across the Mediterranean. This time these scientists were from the Mediterranean Protected Area Network (MedPAN) of which DMAD is a partner organisation. The conference was with regards to marine turtles and DMAD took part to learn about how we could make sure that the turtles that were encountered on our marine mammal research expeditions were properly recorded increasing collaboration between teams and making sure that meager research budgets stretch a little bit further.

Next week sees the DMAD team talking to specialist acousticians from the UK and Ireland and engaging in a presentations from General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean - GFCM about the State of Fisheries in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

DMAD's Article on the Decline of Dolphins in Montenegro Published in ACCOBAMS' FINS Journal

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 12:57:44 GMT

DMAD have article published in ACCOBAMS' FINS article

The article by Tim Awbery and Aylin Akkaya focused on the 'Worrying Decline in the Presence of Bottlenose Dolphins in Montenegro and the Importance of Citizen Science During COVID-19' and was published by the The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS) in their annual FINS journal. The article can be downloaded here.

The article cited a notable decrease in the percentage of surveys where bottlenose dolphins were sighted (dropping from 43% in our first year studying in Montenegro to just 22% in the last year. It continued to state that due to the longevity of bottlenose dolphins, it is currently too early to draw trends in the population, but that DMAD implored Montenegrin decision makers to take precautionary measures to protect bottlenose dolphins, including the establishment of Montenegro’s first marine protected area.

It also discussed how COVID-19 has adversely affected DMAD, imposing restrictions that meant we were unable to survey from March to July. This left us with a considerable hole in our data, so we turned to locals for help. It was unfeasible for them to collect in-depth data, but we were able to obtain reliable coordinates with photographic evidence on more than 20 occasions including 17 in the Bay of Kotor (northern Montenegro) alone.

The article can be downloaded here .

DMAD Win Best Paper Presented by a Young Researcher at the IMEKO TC-19 International Workshop on Meterology for the Sea

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 10:41:35 GMT

DMAD Win Best Paper Presented by a Young Researcher at the IMEKO TC-19 International Workshop on Meteorology for the Sea

DMAD are delighted to announce that yesterday we were awarded, " Best Paper Presented by a Young Researcher" for our paper, "Comparisons of Acoustic Patterns of the Sperm Whale in the Ionian Sea (Central Mediterranean Sea) and the North-Western (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)" at the IMEKO TC-19 International Workshop on Meteorology for the Sea. The award which is given to researchers aged 35 or under was presented to DMAD Research Associate Tim Awbery on behalf of his coauthors from DMAD, Dr Aylin Akkaya and Patrick Lyne as well as coauthors from Italy, Giulia Cipriano (University of Bari), Rosalia Maglietta (National Research Council, Italy), Vito Reno (National Research Council, Italy), Carmello Fanizza (Jonian Dolphin Conservation) and Roberto Carlucci (University of Bari).

The MetroSea conference aims to gather people who work in developing instrumentation and measurement methods for the sea and attention is paid, but not limited to, new technology for sea environment monitoring, metrology-assisted production in sea industry, ship component measurement, sensors and associated signal conditioning for the sea, and calibration methods for electronic test and measurement for marine applications. This year's conference was hosted by the Università degli Studi di Napoli “Parthenope” as part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of its foundation.

The abstract of the paper can be found below. Anyone that attended the conference will be able to access the pre-recording of the presentation until the 7th of November and the manuscript will be published in the proceedings in the near future for the rest of the world to read.

DMAD wants to thank all the people that have come together from around the world for making this research possible and thank the organisers of the conference firstly for the award and secondly for putting together such an excellent conference with such interesting presentations. We hope to see everyone at the conference next year under more favourable conditions.

Abstract

Sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus show a steady population decline, yet despite their threatened status, there remains a dearth of knowledge in the Mediterranean Sea. The current study reports the preliminary results of sperm whales’ acoustic patterns within the Gulf of Taranto and the Northwestern Levantine Sea. “Regular” clicks were recorded in both regions indicating the presence of foraging grounds. “Codas” were also present in the Northwestern Levantine. The presence of codas and social units emphasises the importance of the North-western Levantine as potential nursery grounds. Further, interclick intervals were slightly smaller for the Taranto Gulf while recordings from the North-western Levantine Sea showed similarities with the Mediterranean Sea. Lastly, sperm whales were larger in size in the Taranto Gulf compared to the Northwestern Levantine Sea. The current results depended on data collected on a single date, therefore further research must be implemented to understand the acoustic patterns of sperm whales.

From Small Cetaceans to the Great Whales of the East: Winter Expedition

Wed, 04 Mar 2020 15:31:34 GMT

10th - 15th January 2020

Introduction

DMAD with the support of the MAVA foundation has continued to conduct the only dedicated seasonal survey effort collecting data on cetaceans within the Levantine Sea. The project has been running since April 2018 with the goal of collecting long-missing data on the marine top predators of the Levantine. The collected data will form part of a defense mechanism against unregulated and uncontrolled human pressures.

The Levantine Sea is under pressure from unmitigated fishery practices, habitat destruction, marine traffic, marine debris and recently oil and gas explorations, each of which is adding to a collective pressure of threats on marine species. In order to protect what remains, our team travelled between Marmaris and Antalya Bay following pre-determined transects for five days in Janaury 2020. The main tasks involved monitoring acoustics twenty four hours a day and conducting visual surveys in search of cetaceans during daylight hours.

Five Days at Sea

Within the first twenty four hours, the team encountered a pair of Cuvier's Beaked whales, which are known as one of the most elusive cetacean species. The species of concern was recently upgraded to Vulnerable status by the IUCN Red List after being classified as “data deficient” for over 10 years. The presence of Cuvier’s beaked whales have previously been recorded by the DMAD team in the Antalya Bay since 2015. Yet, the decline in their sighting rates, coupled with an increase in stranding data) has raised concerns.

Therefore, the current sighting was a silver lining to the winter clouds that shrouded our survey and pushed us harder to carry out our dedicated survey efforts within the least scientifically explored region of the Mediterranean. We encountered over 20 groups of delphinids, including an offshore sighting of bottlenose dolphins, a species that is generally consdiered to be coastal in the Mediterranean Sea.

By looking at our data, it is clear to see that the Levantine Sea, which was once assumed to be 'the desert' of the Mediterranean Sea, holds key habitats for cetaceans not only in its coastal waters but also in its deeper blues. Further to this, the basin continues to be important for cetaceans even during the colder seasons.

Nevertheless, the same habitats are suffering from the ignorance of us, humans. We have encountered kilometre long rivers of waste, striped dolphins with one metre long parasites and last but not least, loud and impulsive noises throughout our study, days and night, leaving no room for silence for animals who depends on sound for their very survival!

Now, it is a known fact that anthropogenic noise does impact the marine ecosystem from bottom to top, from causing an increase in the mortality of zooplankton and fish larvae to the permanent hearing loss and mortality of marine megafauna. And in 2020, despite the known cause-result relationship, the noise pressure continues with no mitigation measures applied in the area (to the best of our knowledge).

We each must continue our individual efforts, from small to big, in order to protect the animals that depend on us and DMAD will certainly be doing so!

If you would like to see what DMAD gets up to day-to-day and see photos from our surveys please follow us on Facebook and Instagram, @marinemammalsresearch . Or if you would like to join us on a future survey or donate to our cause, email us at info@dmad.org.tr

The Wildlife of the Istanbul Strait - Dolphins and Porpoises

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Tue, 28 Jan 2020 07:48:15 GMT

WWF Turkey and DMAD's important new project

Introduction

WWF-Turkey and DMAD conducted their first seasonal survey effort on the 4th of January 2020 in the Istanbul Strait after a break of almost 5 years. The survey also covered the neighbouring water of the Marmara and Black Seas in addition to the strait itself with the aim of further developing the photo-identification catalogue of bottlenose dolphins which will eventually reveale the movement and residency patterns as well as the population size of this 'At Risk' species.

The Istanbul Strait is known as a biological corridor both for top predators and their prey. Its sustainable management means the well-being of not only the strait itself but also the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Its vulnerable habitat is under heavy human pressure from marine traffic to pollution. Daily marine traffic in the Strait reaches up to 2500 vessels and the marine pollution leaves no clean zones for either marine animals or humans. The same habitat is also under a more recent threat of an ignorant project called “Channel Istanbul” which aims to create a man-made channel (effectively a second Istanbul Strait) which will have irreversible consequences for all local marine and terrestrial fauna and flora by draining the Black Sea, introducing invasive species and increasing pollution rates within the Aegean Sea. As a team of researchers, we have one and only one goal in mind; to protect our home and its inhabitants! For this purpose, our dedicated survey in the Istanbul Strait has been launched!

Survey Day

Within the first two hours of the survey, the team came across three different groups of bottlenose dolphins, including some juveniles. This was not an uncommon sighting for this area and the groups stayed near the boat for approximately 40 minutes in total. The team collected behavioural data and photos to update a photo identification catalogue that has been added to for 10 years. As we travelled north, we encountered another pod of bottlenose dolphins, as well as endangered harbour porpoise. As we returned South, we encountered another large pod of bottlenose dolphins. Therefore, in only 8 hours, we encountered over 8 groups of cetaceans with new-borns and juvenilles within the group, a hotspot which we are all - from the public to the authorities - duty bound to protect.

The Istanbul Strait also offers a perfect spot to observe, enjoy and support wildlife observations. Dolphin parks, on the other hand subject dolphins to a lifetime of misery. Just a few of the many misfortunes they encounter include:

Tanks too shallow for dolphins to properly dive in which means that they cannot avoid the midday sun and often get sunburn and blistering on their backs.
Tanks which are far too small can lead to depression and self-harming behaviours. Dolphins can swim up to a hundred kilometres in a day yet are normally kept in tanks which are only tens of metres wide. This can lead to behaviours rarely experienced in the wild such as deliberate beaching and gnawing on walls and gates. The repeated banging of the head against walls has been documented in orcas. Alongside this dolphins are subject to outbursts of aggression from tank mates who are frustrated.
Food deprivation . Dolphins are kept hungry in order to teach them to learn new unnatural behaviours or participate in ‘swim-with’ activities. Labelled by the industry as 'positive reinforcement' or 'operant conditioning', this practice is the only way to get dolphins to accustomed to human intreractions and to learn tricks for human enjoyment.
Unsuitable matching . Dolphins are regularly paired in groups with dolphins which were captured far away from one another leading them to not be able to communicate with one another and raising stress levels
Tanks with poor quality water . Some tanks have very poor water quality which are not treated properly due to litter thrown into the tanks by crowds and bacterial infections. This leads to visible sores and lesions on the dolphins. Some parks combat this by adding lots of chlorine to the tanks. At best this causes severe irritation to the eyes and at worst it can cause permanent sighting impairment.

So grabs some binoculars and make the most of the fantastic wildlife that can be seen in its natural environment and keep your eyes peeled for another article on the horror of dolphin parks.

To keep up-to-date with our research, surveys and much more follow us on facebook and instagram ! If you are interested in joining any of our surveys in the future we'd love to hear from you! Drop us an email us at: info@dmad.org.tr.

Conservation: From Observation to Action - Part 3: Planning, Where Research meets Action

Thu, 28 Nov 2019 10:41:54 GMT

In this series research assistant S. Capitain introduces the topic of wildlife conservation and outlines the steps neccessary for conservation efforts to move from observation to action. Read the first installments of the series here - The Basics of Conservation and Research .

With research providing suitable knowledge about the situation at hand, the planning process can take over the lead. As mentioned in our last article , first decisions already need to be made before the main research even begins in order to assure efficient demand-led data acquisition. Such early decisions include - but are not limited to - the definition of a target species, the delineation of a research area and the establishment of an available budget. In the case of DMAD’s Montenegro Dolphin Research project, 4 species of cetacean are the target animals, surveyed in Montenegrin and partly Albanian seas, with a focus on basic environmental factors and marine traffic.

Further required decisions depend on the selected conservation approach , which mainly differ in focus depending on the specific situation in which they occur. Conservation designs can be ecosystem-focused , mostly focusing on preserving and improving health and integrity of the relations within the sea. Species protection -based conservation focuses on the target animal and its direct environment, guaranteeing the functionality of the factors it depends on and stands in direct relationship with. Essentially based on human welfare, the sustainable livelihood approach works towards a marine environment that can support the people depending on it in daily life and economy, for example through the improvement of fishing grounds. Either way, basic presuppositions include the exact definition of the protected areas and habitats, permitted activities and rights, enforcement strategies and time frame.

Several studies have shown that the most important part of the planning process is the involvement of all stakeholders, meaning all affected and interested groups in and around the defined area. That includes the scientists providing the data, the responsible governmental institutions and - most importantly - the general public such as fishermen, residents and businesses. With a lot of contrasting positions in the room, thorough conflict mitigation is essential. Extensive assessment and identification of stakeholders, their expectations and the distribution of costs and benefits need to be conducted to provide a plan that all parties can agree with and commit to for the long term. By including the later management instance in the planning process, the likelihood of a realistic and broadly consented plan increases sharply.

One way to balance involved stakeholder expectations is through the spatial planning method. Herein the “spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas [is allocated] to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives, […] usually specified through a political process”. Zones with different activity permissions and goals are tailored to their importance in each regard and the specific threats in each area. Namely managed as Marine Protected Areas (MPA), they are often part of a bigger conservation area. The integrated management allows for a “comprehensive way of planning and managing human activities so that they do not conflict with each other and so all factors are considered for the conservation and sustainable use” .

A prime example of this design approach has been operated in the world’s largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia. The planning process itself included at least two statutory phases of public participation – one before, one after the main zoning draft was discussed and decided on. To offer suitable preparation and guidance, multiple brochures with information material were provided. “Elected representatives, the media and indigenous communities were all targeted with information specifically written and formatted for their needs. A mix of technical, scientific and layman’s information were made widely available”. By including additional zoning provision, special management measures in certain area were put into place, such as the permission of traditional use of marine resources to practice the aborigines living marine culture. To mitigate overlapping Federal and State jurisdiction, an independent Australian Government agency was put in place for the protection and management of the Marine Park.

Their success is widely believed to result from the unexpected amount of public involvement. To name just one example of their achievement, recent studies suggest that several of the protected individual reefs are more resilient towards climate change than expected. They are better able to regenerate themselves, thereby acting as sinks estimated to be “able to supply larvae to almost half of the entire ecosystem in a single year”.

DMAD’s main task in its planning process was the supply of essential data (e.g. through our website and affiliate stranding network, sancet.org ), the consultation of decision-makers and participation in meetings. At the end of September 2019, we conducted several boat surveys in Güzelcamli, Turkey, to get a better understanding of the current cetacean population while the planning process of an MPA takes place. The observation of several striped dolphin groups with calves suggested that the area could be a nursing ground, making its protection even more important.

We regularly talk to fishermen in the harbour and on our boat surveys to gain their point of view and understand their expectations and desires. Additionally, as a local group in Montenegro, we try to come up with possible MPA plans for the government to use and implement.

In our next article, we will cover how a smooth transition from planning to implementation can be ensured. We will take a look at how Ireland mobilized its public, how a Mexican family managed to mobilize a whole town and how DMAD takes the public along on their quest to conserve the Montenegrin waters.

References:

Day, J.C. (2002). Zoning—lessons from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Ocean & Coastal Management. 45(2): p. 139-156

Bodkin, H. (2017). Hope for Great Barrier Reef with discovery of hardcore 100 able to withstand climate change. Online access: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/11/28/hope-great-barrier-reef-discovery-hardcore-100-able-withstand/ Last accessed: 28.09.2019

Conservation through Action: Krajlevska Plaza Beach Clean!

Mon, 25 Nov 2019 07:04:02 GMT

On Saturday the 16th November volunteers from MDR and the local community set out to clean Krajlevska Plaza. Accompanied by students from Meksiko School, who came along to support our efforts and get involved following MDR presentations in their ecology classes earlier this month (read about it here !), the team was able to collect 9 large bags of rubbish in just two hours. Intern Phoebe Thorpe writes...

On Saturday the 16th volunteers from Montenegro Dolphin Reserach and from the local community cleaned Krajlevska Plaza . A a total of twenty two volunteers worked hard, had fun and managed to collect nine large bags of rubbish in only two hours! Everyone's effort was represented in the result - a cleaner beach and a safer environement for cetaceans.

The aim of our beach cleans is to reduce the waste on the beaches here in Bar. We also want to know what type of waste is ending up on the beach in order to set targeted actions to reduce and solve the issue of bad waste management. Even though we are not a waste management NGO it is important to us and many of our volunteers to reduce and tackle the problem of sea pollution. This is because an unhealthy sea means unhealthy dolphins!

To help us figure out the type of waste we collected and make sure that our efforts were meaningful, we decided to adopt a protocol developed by the Break Free From Plastic movement. We used data sheets to enter the type of material, amount and,. if identifiable, the brand of each item that we collected. Break Free From Plastic then takes this data and breaks down the results into sections and graphs of the different types of waste found, allowing them to identify which industries and companies need to take more responsibility for the waste they create.

In the 9 industrial sized bin bags we filled, with a volume of 200L each, we identified 1755 individual items of litter taken from a 300m stretch of beach. Of this, a massive 75% was made up of food packaging and smoking materials alone.

Once the material was sorted and recorded we took the recyclable plastic and aluminium to a recycling unit at Donja Gorica, close to Podgorica, in the hopes that this waste won't make it's way back into Montenegro's seas. It was rewarding for all of the MDR team to have the local community joining us and to see the enthusiasm surrounding the project. We intend to have a beach clean at least once a month, and hope to see the local community feeling welcome to get involved! Together we can heighten awareness of pollution and unnecessary waster, and create a more eﬀective system for future generations in Montenegro!

To read more about Montenegro Dolphin Research please have a look through our blog! News and updates about future beach cleans will be featured on our facebook page or, if you'd like to get in touch with us to arrange a community or school presentation please drop us an email at info@dmad.org.tr.

Conservation: From Observation to Action - Part 2: Research

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 13:11:10 GMT

In this series research assistant S. Capitain introduces the topic of wildlife conservation and outlines the steps neccessary for conservation efforts to move from observation to action. Find the first installment of the series here - The Basics of Conservation .

Every drive for change, no matter whether in industrial innovations, social revolutions or ecological conservation, starts with the realisation that an improvement of a present situation is in order. In the case of species conservation, extensive observation needs to take place to provide for an efficient planning and managing process.

First off, to realize that resposnive action is required, basic research on the current situation needs to be conducted. That includes a representation of the actual numbers of a given species and their abundance. Long term observations are a crucial instrument to distinguish and understand the changes and to isolate the main problems faced by the species and their causes . To enable efficient action planning, important habitats such as migration corridors and feeding and nursing grounds need to be identified at the same time. Further levels of research include the understanding of environmental interrelations and cycles, enabling a planning process that thrives for an overall healthy environment and therefore efficient preservation. SImilarly, innovation in research is need in order to investigate new usages of reusable resources.

The wide-reaching nature of the knowledge required is a key reason for which research and planning need to be very closely connected. With a strictly defined target and goal, research can be conducted on a demand led basis, efficiently channelling financial and human resources.

Additional knowledge can be obtained by working with local communities. Their unique experience and observations cover a much longer time and offer deeper insight than formal research could ever do.

To give an example of just how important the basic understanding of environmental relations is we can look at the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA) in West Maui, Hawaii.

Over the course of only 15 years more than half the coral close to Kahekili had been suffocated by algal blooms, while the number of fish present on the reef had declined dramatically. Corals provide shelter for creatures big and small, supply food for smaller fish and thereby prey for predators, play a role in erosion prevention and filter the water from toxins. They are the funamental drivers of ecosytem survival in shallow tropical water, and their loss has huge and wide reaching implications for ocean health. Research into the causes of the decline showed that the reef had been subject to dramatic blooms of algae covering the corals, blocking them from sunlight and thereby inhibiting their process of food production through photosynthetic algae living in their cells.

Rather than introducing active measures to combat the algal growth, scientists instead monitored the eating habits of local fish with the aim of establishing which herbivorous species displayed a preference for the algae. Coincidentally, the herbivorous species were the same species that had significantly decreased in number due to overfishing.

This observation was then used as the basis for a novel strategy: by prohibiting the fishing of specific herbivore fish species and sea urchins in the protected area, the fish were able to perform their regulatory role sufficiently by eating their preferred food: the overgrowing algae. As a result, the balance in the reef was restored while the target fish species increased their biomass by up to 135% within the next seven years. A trend shows that the effect can also be seen in the detection of bigger fish and larger schools in the area.

During the research effort the scientisst engaged local research volunteers to partake in the surveys, acting as a sort of 'Neighbourhood Watch' and increasing both the research effort and management acceptance tenfold.

As a research NGO, DMAD's primary focus is the collection of data on our target species. In light of the data deficiency of certain marine mammal species along the Montenegrin coast, the Montenegro Dolphin Research (MDR) project was implemented in 2016 to conduct research on abundance and behaviour of cetaceans in the area. Through regular land and boat surveys, data on cetacean sightings, behaviour, environmental factors and marine traffic are collected. This allows MDR to estimate the number and change in abundance of dolphins, whale and porpoise populations over time, while environmental and traffic impact are monitored. With the goal of preserving cetacean wildlife strictly in mind, our focus is solely on understanding their situation, identifying the important habitats (e.g. high calf density suggests importance as nursing grounds) and biggest threats. As with the Kahekili Fisheries example, our intention to use this data to inform which conservation actions are necessary and will prove most beneficial to the region.

In our next article of this series we will take a look at how the planning process is essential as a base to put successful conservation into action. The conservation work in the world's biggest coral reef will provide us with an example of how to balance the most important aspects of conservation, while DMAD's work on a local level in Montenegro will also be illustrated.

References:

Edwards, J. (2017). Let Them Eat Algae. Maui No Ka Oi Magazine. Online access: https://www.mauimagazine.net/kahekili-reef-kaanapali/2/ Last access: 28.09.2019

Conservation through Education - taking MDR into the classroom!

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 11:08:13 GMT

Earlier this week, Montengero Dolphin Research’s community outreach team headed into a local school to introduce biology students to our work and the positive impacts that they can have on marine conservation! Research Intern Phoebe Thorpe wrote this report on the team’s day in Meksiko School, Bar.

A small group of our team visited Meksiko Primary School to talk about the work we do here at DMAD, introducing the children to MDR and our research efforts. We discussed different types of sea life and the various species of cetaceans which live in the South Adriatic. The students were interested to hear that they have all this amazing sea life on their doorstep and learned about the different characteristics different species have! We went on to explain the threats dolphins and other sea life face on a day to day basis. We explained how fishermen’s activities can be a lethal threat to dolphins due to using dynamite and that dolphins are regular victims of by-catch.

For the second half of the presentation, our Research Intern Francesca discussed what plastic is and where we find it in our daily lives. The students were very engaged and got involved in the discussion. The school teacher also pointed out to the students the main industries who use materials which harm the planet. The students learnt how plastic is a big threat to all living things in the ocean. Francesca explained to them the things the students could do in their daily lives to reduce their plastic consumption, particularly in regards to single use plastic. The students were enthusiastic about the idea of reusable bags and bottles and they agreed that items such as plastic straws and spoons are unnecessary.

We tested what the students had learnt with a short quiz. They found this fun because it gave them a chance to shout out answers after being patient and listening for half an hour.

To finish we gave them our social media handles so that they are able to follow what we do. Some students asked if they could come and volunteer with us now, which was great to see their enthusiasm, but we explained that our volunteers do need to be over 18. For now, though, we explained that they can definitely come and help us with beach cleans and other activities, and told them the details for our beach clean on Saturday and they seemed very interested in joining us for that!

MDR will be hosting a beach clean at Kraljevska Plaža on Saturday 9th November , kicking off at 10am. Any members of the public and local community are more than welcome to join us and the students of Meksiko School in our efforts to protect the beautiful beaches of Bar!

For event details check out Montenegro Dolphin Research's Facebook page!

Baseline data for the Entire Mediterran and Black Sea

tim.awbery91@gmail.com (Tim Awbery) — Mon, 04 Nov 2019 19:04:10 GMT

The First Result of the ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative

The First Result of the ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative (ASI) were presented today at the ASI Special Event held in Istanbul in Turkey proceeding the ACCOBAMS 7th Meeting of the Parties which runs from tomorrow to Friday. The ASI aims to “establish an integrated, collaborative and coordinated monitoring system” to assess the status of the cetacean population at the whole ACCOBAMS area level. Aerial surveys were conducted for more than 75% of the region with many of the gaps filled using boat surveys.

The ASI Special Event saw talks from member of CNRS Lebanon, Representatives of Egypt and Syria, Mare Nostrum, TUDAV, UNEP/MAP/SPA-RAC, Pelagis Observatory, IMMRAC and of course from Simone Panigada, the ASI Project Coordinator and Florence Descroix-Commanducci, ACCOBAMS Executive Secretary.

The talks not only presented the results of the study (available at: https://www.accobams.org/asi-data-presentation/) but also talked about the setbacks encountered in several countries and how they were overcome as well as the use of other methods such as acoustic surveys and the future use of drones.

Using satellites to fight illegal fishing

Sun, 27 Oct 2019 21:27:28 GMT

A low-cost satellite system may hold the answers for real-time monitoring of fishing vessels using synthetic-aperture radar (SAR).

Illegal fishing has always been difficult to monitor and the prospect of monitoring all the world's fishing vessels in realtime has always seemed impossible yet we are one step closer thanks to the use of “minibar-sized satellites” which are equipped with synthetic-aperture radar (SAR).
In theory all ships over 300 gross tons are required to use Automatic Identification Systems or AIS to show there whereabouts. The problem is that it is possible to turn these systems off which is often done to avoid being detected during illicit fishing activities. These ships are known as 'dark ships'. In December, Capella will be launching a constellation of 36 of these satellites, which are a 20th of the weight of there predecessors and therefore easier and cheaper to launch. Whilst the radar from these satellites doesn't provide the same clear picture that optical satellites produce, it can detect boats against the sea and when compared with AIS data can show illegal fishing. In an important bonus of these satellites is that they work in any weather including at night and whilst clouds are present which prevents optical satellites from taking images.

Up until now the major drawback has been that there haven't been enough of these sorts of satellites in orbit to function properly and because they are power-intensive and large they generally only operate where it is light. This meant that they only imaged a small-portion of the earth per day. As it takes time for these satellites to get into position, orders have to be made up to 72 hours in advance. Capella believe that they will be able to reduce this process to order on-demand images online through an API (a software intermediary that allows two devices to talk to each other). Each of Capella's satellites will begin to take images as soon as they are launched and the whole system will be operational by 2022. At this point Capella believe that the satellites will be able to take one new image of a target per hour at the equator and even more at the poles. Capella are not the only organisation doing this either and ICEYE have announced plans to build an 18 satellite constellation by 2020.

The challenge now is being able to overlap this technology with currently existing technologies such as AIS and Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) to be able to provide a full picture and really tackle illegal fishing but this is certainly an interesting step in the right direction.

Conservation: From Observation to Action - Part 1: The Basics of Conservation

Sun, 27 Oct 2019 12:36:02 GMT

In this series research assistant S. Capitain introduces the topic of wildlife conservation and outlines the steps neccessary for conservation efforts to move from observation to action.

As the Marine Mammal Research Association, DMAD's focus lies on the fate of marine wildlife both in the present and in the future. Because of this, one of our primary task is to study the changes of population abundance; report events such as strandings; and monitor the health of the marine environment. Unfortunately, with developed countries and societies striving for exponential growth in economy and territory, motivation to protect marine mammals at a governmental level is low, and the outlook for the future of these animals is bleak.

Because of this, it is important to always keep the secondary element of our work at the forefront of our mind, the one all our research work is targeted on: the conservation of species and the marine environment.

Wildlife conservation is defined as the practice of protecting wild species and their habitat in order to prevent them from going extinct. Current populations and habitats need to be preserved so species can prevail against further human impact.

Conservation work comes in many different forms and sizes. It can range from small scale conservation efforts, such as increasing structural complexity in local parks as a refuge for urban-avoiding birds and mammals, all the way up to international institutions such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and inter-country agreements.

Such efforts cannot be based on the actions of dedicated NGOs alone. Conservation is a process that needs to be carried out by several groups of people and relies on wide-spread engagement. Its stages can be loosely defined as follows:

Research
Planning
Implementation
Management

While each element works towards the common goal of successful species conservation, each stage strives to build the basis for the next. Tasks vary throughout the process, with groups reappearing at different stages to take the lead or supplement each other. The actual procedure, however, depends heavily on the subject and situation at hand, leaving room for diverse approaches and unique solutions.

In order to provide you with a basic understanding of conservation work and examples of success stories, we will take you along on a journey from observation to action. Based on successful conservation efforts from around the world, we will illustrate the intrinsic components of each stage, followed by an insight of DMAD's involvement in each step.

Join us in this conservation series on an educational trip from observation to action, through more positive reports and towards a hopeful future in the fight of preserving marine mammals and their environment.

References:

1) The national human education society (2019). Wildlife conservation. Online access: https://www.nhes.org/wildlife-conservation/ (last access 28.09.2019)

2) Hodgkison, S., Hero, J.-M., & Warnken, J. (2007). The efficacy of small-scale conservation efforts, as assessed on Australian golf courses. Biological Conservation, 135(4), 576-586

DMAD has successfully completed our first hosting of theACCOBAMS HQ MMO/PAM OperatorCourse in Turkey

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 12:57:34 GMT

18 participants joined the course, of which nine were from Turkey

DMAD has successfully completed our first hosting of the ACCOBAMS HQ MMO/PAM operator course in Turkey between the 22nd and 27th of July 2019. Whilst the first four days were dedicated to the theoretical information described in ACCOBAMS protocol, the next two days were designed to cover the practical aspect of it and was conducted in a beautiful sailing boat, sailing through the waters between Marmaris and Fethiye. Additionally, we had two interesting topics on GIS mapping of sightings and stranding first aid information.

Overall, 18 participants joined the course, of which nine were from Turkey (in order to increase the local capacity) and each of the participants successfully passed the evaluation test and was awarded with the ACCOBAMS MMO/PAM Operator certificate.

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge ACCOBAMS for giving us this chance to improve local capacities, Patrick Lyne for leading the entire course and explaining each topic with a passion for marine conservation, Jonathan Gordon for providing us with the PAM kits for the course and finally to all of our participants for supporting our conservation actions and to sharing their knowledge with us.

All the certificated participants are listed below;

Amber Beerman

Aylin Akkaya Bas

Cansu Ilkilinc

Cemil Timuçin Dinçer

Dinis Geraldes

Emine Ulusoy

Enorha Guimard

Ersin Bas

Giorgia Farne

Joao Nuno Goncalves

Liam von Walsum

Merve Kurt

Nilüfer Araç Günkar

Raquel Soley Calvet

Taylan Tolga Köken

Tim Awbery

Türkmen Belen Yildirim

Zeynep Gülenç

Giant Guardians of Deep Seas: Summer Expedition

Thu, 30 May 2019 14:13:32 GMT

GGDS SUMMER 2019!

The seasonal offshore expedition of Marine Mammals Research Association will take place on July 2019, in Marmaris, Turkey for this year. If you want to join to this great adventure drop us an email and reserve your spot amongst our team. The survey will cover training and practice that consists of passive acoustic monitoring, sailing techniques, data collection and observation.

For more information about the Giant Guardians of the Deep Seas Research efforts, have a look at our projects here .

To apply, please send your CV and cover letter to info@dmad.org.tr

May 2019 - Community Day!

Wed, 29 May 2019 12:58:20 GMT

May 2019 saw the Montenegro Dolphin Research team hosting members of the local community for a community day in our offices in Bar!

We would like to thank everyone who came out and joined us to make our community day event so successful! We had a great time with arts and crafts in the morning and some informative presentations throughout the day. Missed out? Don't worry we will be running more Community Days later in the year with lots more activities!!

Keep updated on our facebook page for news of upcoming events.

Operation 3 Seas: Study B

Thu, 02 May 2019 06:27:22 GMT

Conservation works at its best when different parties - be they countries, NGOs or individuals - work together towards a joint goal. In 2018, DMAD and Project Manaia formed 'Operation 3 Seas', a research effort which would explore areas of the Eastern Mediterranean where little is known about resident cetaceans.

Over the last few weeks, Operation 3 Seas, a collaboration between DMAD and Project Manaia, has been sailing southwards through the Adriatic from Lignano, Italy to Bar, Montenegro.

Leaving Bar last Friday, they began 'Study B' of the research effort, which passes through Montenegrin, Albania and Greek waters eventually ending in Plakias. The first few weeks focused on networking with fellow NGOs, universities, dive schools and other institutions in order to establish the need for a data sharing platform to aid research and conservation in the Adriatic. Within Montenegrin and Albanian waters the team aims to document five key cetacean (dolphins and whales) species which will aid the conservation efforts of Montenegro Dolphin Research and Albania Dolphin Research (a collaborative project between DMAD and the Agricultural University of Tirana). The team has already collected some fantastic data (including citizen science data) on invasive species, cetaceans, sea grass and other species, and has achieved some great steps in terms of networking with other universities and organisations! They hope to continue this on the journey southwards to enhance conservation in the Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean.

For updates please follow their journey on Instagram at @Operation3Seas

Giant Guardians of the Deep Seas: Spring Expedition

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 14:08:48 GMT

The Giant Guardians of Deep Seas 2019 Spring Expedition is in full swing!

This is the fourth day of our expedition across the big blue of the east, the neglected child of the Mediterranean! We set sail this morning with the first light of the day from Marmaris with a nice breeze following us on our wat. Eventually, we had led the sails and nagged the engine off and there we were in the international waters just before the sunset. Unfortunately, however far we go, we still come across the footprints and impacts of the man-made world. Although the sea looked calm on the surface, there was the unbearable noise of the sonar underneath. It was impossible for us to track down the whales with our passive acoustic monitoring equipment or have a chance of a sighting at the surface with the constant drone of sonar in the background.

Just as we were losing hope, something unexpected happened and we were able to hear sperm whales - the giant guardians of deep seas! There they were. We tracked them for almost three hours until we dived into a storm and had to leave the site without any visual contact and carried eastwards. Since then, the sea has been silent with some occasional dolphin sightings and fellow shearwaters hoping to get some fish from us.

Today, we will reach an area in which fin whales were recently seen. Fingers crossed maybe we will be lucky enough to get a sighting this time!

Akdeniz’in göz ardı edilen çocuğu, Doğunun engin maviliği ile kucaklaşmamızın dördüncü günündeyiz. Günün ilk ışıklarıyla Marmaris’ten derin denizler seferimize açılırken yol boyunca bize taze bahar meltemleri eşlik etti. Nihayetinde, uluslararası sulara vardığımızda güneş batmak üzereydi. Ne yazık ki, ne kadar uzağa gidersek gidelim, insanın ayak izinden ve yarattığı etkiden kaçmak mümkün olmuyor. Deniz yüzeyde son derece sakin ve pürüzsüz görünse de, sualtı dayanılmaz bir sonar sesiyle adeta çalkanıyordu Bu duraksız ve amansız ses oldukça bizim derin denizlerin devlerini ne duyabilmemiz ne de görebilmemiz mümkündü.

Derken, beklenmeyen oldu ve onları duyabilmeyi başardık. İşte oradaydı, Kaşalotlar! Fırtınaya yakalanana kadar üç saat boyunca onları takip ettik lakin nihayetinde rotamızı doğuya çevirip geri dönmek zorunda kaldık. Üstelik henüz görsel bir temas sağlayamamıştık bile. Dönüş Yolu boyunca bize balık bulma umudu ile eşlik eden bir kaç yunus ve yelkovandan başka yalnızlığımıza ortak olan çıkmadı.

Bugün, uzun balinaların en son gördüğünü yere varıyoruz. Bize şans dileyin, umalım ki bu sefer onları bir araştırmacının gözünden belgeleyebilme fırsatımız olsun.

Read more about our Giant Guardians of the Deep Seas Project here !