Pelagic cetaceans off North-Eastern Sardinia and implications for conservation
The all-year-round knowledge on cetaceans off Sardinia is scarce and mostly focused on the coastal speciesTursiops truncatusin the northern waters of the island. This work aims to increase information on pelagic cetaceans in the poor studied off-shore waters from North-Eastern Sardinian coast on the...
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Università degli studi di Sassari
2014
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ftsassariuniiris:oai:iris.uniss.it:11388/250828 2024-02-04T10:00:24+01:00 Pelagic cetaceans off North-Eastern Sardinia and implications for conservation BITTAU, LUCA Bittau, Luca MANCONI, Renata 2014-01-23 http://hdl.handle.net/11388/250828 eng eng Università degli studi di Sassari http://hdl.handle.net/11388/250828 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Biodiversity pelagic cetacean Central Tyrrhenian Sea Caprera Canyon Sardinia Settore BIO/05 - Zoologia info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis 2014 ftsassariuniiris 2024-01-10T17:40:52Z The all-year-round knowledge on cetaceans off Sardinia is scarce and mostly focused on the coastal speciesTursiops truncatusin the northern waters of the island. This work aims to increase information on pelagic cetaceans in the poor studied off-shore waters from North-Eastern Sardinian coast on the basis of surveys carried out between 2010 and 2013, using dedicated and opportunistic surveys.First I evaluate the occurrence of pelagic cetacean species, the spatial-temporal distribution and the interactions with fixed physical variables (depth, slope and shape), non-fixed environmental variables (Sea Surface Temperature and chlorophylla) which may affect their presence and distribution in the study area. The relative abundance of the cetacean species regularly inhabiting the area and the high encounter rate values, point out the significance of the Caprera Canyon for the cetaceans’ conservation, in the central Tyrrhenian Sea. Therefore I analyzed the occurrence and seasonal distribution ofBalaenoptera physalusthe only Mysticete in Mediterranean Sea, in relation with oceanographic variables as Sea Surface temperature and chlorophylla. The high seasonal presence of fin whale off north-eastern Sardinia reflects a yearly pattern and is linked to a mix of variables such as the bottom features, water circulations as proxy of prey availability.Moreover, I analyzed the sightings of three social units ofPhyseter macrocephalusrecorded during summer 2010 and 2013. The encounter rates of this species in the entire study period were low. Despite this I recorded three encounters with sperm whale pods that highlighted the periodic use of the Caprera Canyon by these large cetaceans. The social units were composed of several individuals such as females, calves and probably young males. Finally I present the first documented records of a free-ranging Sowerby’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) in the Mediterranean Sea. This rare and elusive cetacean was sighted together with three Cuvier’s beaked whales in a mixed species group. ... Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis Fin whale Mesoplodon bidens Sperm whale CINECA IRIS Universitá Degli Studi di Sassari |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
CINECA IRIS Universitá Degli Studi di Sassari |
op_collection_id |
ftsassariuniiris |
language |
English |
topic |
Biodiversity pelagic cetacean Central Tyrrhenian Sea Caprera Canyon Sardinia Settore BIO/05 - Zoologia |
spellingShingle |
Biodiversity pelagic cetacean Central Tyrrhenian Sea Caprera Canyon Sardinia Settore BIO/05 - Zoologia BITTAU, LUCA Pelagic cetaceans off North-Eastern Sardinia and implications for conservation |
topic_facet |
Biodiversity pelagic cetacean Central Tyrrhenian Sea Caprera Canyon Sardinia Settore BIO/05 - Zoologia |
description |
The all-year-round knowledge on cetaceans off Sardinia is scarce and mostly focused on the coastal speciesTursiops truncatusin the northern waters of the island. This work aims to increase information on pelagic cetaceans in the poor studied off-shore waters from North-Eastern Sardinian coast on the basis of surveys carried out between 2010 and 2013, using dedicated and opportunistic surveys.First I evaluate the occurrence of pelagic cetacean species, the spatial-temporal distribution and the interactions with fixed physical variables (depth, slope and shape), non-fixed environmental variables (Sea Surface Temperature and chlorophylla) which may affect their presence and distribution in the study area. The relative abundance of the cetacean species regularly inhabiting the area and the high encounter rate values, point out the significance of the Caprera Canyon for the cetaceans’ conservation, in the central Tyrrhenian Sea. Therefore I analyzed the occurrence and seasonal distribution ofBalaenoptera physalusthe only Mysticete in Mediterranean Sea, in relation with oceanographic variables as Sea Surface temperature and chlorophylla. The high seasonal presence of fin whale off north-eastern Sardinia reflects a yearly pattern and is linked to a mix of variables such as the bottom features, water circulations as proxy of prey availability.Moreover, I analyzed the sightings of three social units ofPhyseter macrocephalusrecorded during summer 2010 and 2013. The encounter rates of this species in the entire study period were low. Despite this I recorded three encounters with sperm whale pods that highlighted the periodic use of the Caprera Canyon by these large cetaceans. The social units were composed of several individuals such as females, calves and probably young males. Finally I present the first documented records of a free-ranging Sowerby’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens) in the Mediterranean Sea. This rare and elusive cetacean was sighted together with three Cuvier’s beaked whales in a mixed species group. ... |
author2 |
Bittau, Luca MANCONI, Renata |
format |
Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis |
author |
BITTAU, LUCA |
author_facet |
BITTAU, LUCA |
author_sort |
BITTAU, LUCA |
title |
Pelagic cetaceans off North-Eastern Sardinia and implications for conservation |
title_short |
Pelagic cetaceans off North-Eastern Sardinia and implications for conservation |
title_full |
Pelagic cetaceans off North-Eastern Sardinia and implications for conservation |
title_fullStr |
Pelagic cetaceans off North-Eastern Sardinia and implications for conservation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Pelagic cetaceans off North-Eastern Sardinia and implications for conservation |
title_sort |
pelagic cetaceans off north-eastern sardinia and implications for conservation |
publisher |
Università degli studi di Sassari |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11388/250828 |
genre |
Fin whale Mesoplodon bidens Sperm whale |
genre_facet |
Fin whale Mesoplodon bidens Sperm whale |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/11388/250828 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
_version_ |
1789965659049820160 |