Project NORA

Yesterday in Porto Tolle, Italy, learning about the results of Project NORA: maritime spatial planning within the fisheries department of Chioggia, region of Veneto.

(Photos by G. Bearzi)

The Planet We Want / Do Not Want

Giovanni Bearzi will make a presentation titled "The changing sea: what we have lost and what we want to save".

Dolphin off the Po river delta

A well-marked bottlenose dolphin surfaces off the Po river delta. The inactive power station of Porto Tolle is visible in the background.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)

Il Pianeta Che Vogliamo / Non Vogliamo

Upcoming event in Cordenons (PN), Italy: "The Planet We Want / We Do Not Want".

Giovanni Bearzi will make a presentation titled "The changing sea: what we have lost and what we want to save".

The 5x2m poster features a one of our photos: a bottlenose dolphin in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece.

Just another day

Just another day of dolphin research off Veneto, Italy.

(Photos of people by G. Bearzi; photo of dolphins by M. Bregoli)

Dolphin and midwater pair trawler

Bottlenose dolphin approaching a large midwater pair trawler ("volante") as the net is being hauled.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)

Odd reflections

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)

Dolphins following a beam trawler

In the waters off Veneto, Italy, bottlenose dolphins routinely follow midwater pair trawlers and otter trawlers. None of approximately 60 beam trawlers inspected by us had dolphins in their wake. We thought dolphins did not follow boats using this gear. However, this week we found dolphins feeding in the wake of a beam trawler, an unexpected new behaviour.

For more about dolphins changing their behaviour to adapt to human impact, stay tuned for an upcoming publication:
Bearzi G., Piwetz S., Reeves R.R. 2019. Odontocete adaptations to human impact, and vice-versa. In B. Würsig, ed. Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Toothed Whales and Dolphins, the Odontocetes. Chapter 11. Springer, Heidelberg (in press).

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)

Field training

Marco Bregoli learning dolphin photo-identification.

(People photos by S. Bonizzoni and G. Bearzi; dolphin photo by M. Bregoli)

Silvia, Marco and dolphin

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)

Peaceful dolphin school

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)

Friendly dolphins

Today's group of nine bottlenose dolphins were friendly and easy to approach. They seemed to like our new fibreglass boat and often came to inspect it :-)

(Photos by G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)

At sea again

Our Sea Pro jumps into the Adriatic after having hibernated in its cave.

SeaWood

Some marine handicraft made over the years, when not at sea or in front of a computer.

More (not for sale) at: http://www.dolphinbiology.org/_seawood/index.htm

Silvia and Kimon at the DBC office

Silvia with Greek researcher Kimonas Koemtzopoulos at our office in Italy. Kimon is being trained on dolphin research and conservation methods and strategies, in the context of a collaboration with MOm, the Hellenic Society for the Study & Protection of the Monk Seal.

(Photos by G. Bearzi)

Gulf of Corinth Natura 2000

In 2018 the Gulf of Corinth was formally included in the EU Natura 2000 network (Area code GR2520007, Law 4519/2018).

We hope that such designation won't remain "on paper" and will be followed soon by concrete and properly enforced conservation action. To this end, we are working on a new publication (based on seven years of research) that describes the habitat of striped, common/admixed and bottlenose dolphins, and defines the most effective management action to protect their populations in the Gulf.

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Our contributions so far have included:

Bearzi G., Bonizzoni S., Agazzi S., Gonzalvo J., Currey R.J.C. 2011. Striped dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece: abundance estimates from dorsal fin photographs. Marine Mammal Science 27(3):E165–E184.

Bearzi G., Bonizzoni S., Gonzalvo J. 2011. Mid-distance movements of common bottlenose dolphins in the coastal waters of Greece. Journal of Ethology 29(2):369-374.

Bearzi G., Bonizzoni S., Santostasi N.L., Eddy L. 2017. I cetacei del Golfo di Corinto, Grecia. Pp. 59-61 in S. Mellea and F. Ricciardelli (eds.), Capodogli e delfini dei nostri mari: criticità e strategie di protezione. Fondazione Marittima Ammiraglio Michelagnoli, Taranto.

Bearzi G., Bonizzoni S., Santostasi N.L., Furey N.B., Eddy L., Valavanis V.D., Gimenez O. 2016. Dolphins in a scaled-down Mediterranean: the Gulf of Corinth's odontocetes. Pp. 297-331 in Mediterranean Marine Mammal Ecology and Conservation (G. Notarbartolo di Sciara, M. Podestà and B.E. Curry, eds). Advances in Marine Biology, Vol. 75, Academic Press, Oxford.

Bearzi G., Casale P., Margaritoulis D., Bonizzoni S., Santostasi N.L. 2015. Observation of a leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. Marine Turtle Newsletter 146:6-9.

Bonizzoni S., Bearzi G. 2012. Conservation status of short-beaked common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. 12th International Congress on the Zoogeography and Ecology of Greece and Adjacent Regions (ICZEGAR), Athens, Greece 18-22 June 2012.

Bonizzoni S., Bearzi G. , Santostasi N.L., Furey N.B., Valavanis V.D., Würsig B. 2016. Dolphin depredation of bottom-set fishing nets in the Gulf of Corinth, Mediterranean Sea. Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, Funchal, Madeira, 14-16 March 2016.

Bonizzoni S., Furey N.B., Valavanis V.D., Bearzi G. 2018. Predicting dolphin distribution within an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) in Greece to support spatial management planning. Proceedings of the 32nd Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society. La Spezia, Italy, 6-10 April 2018.

Pearson H.C., Bearzi G., Bonizzoni S., Santostasi N.L. 2014. Understanding the social organization of an apex marine predator to inform conservation practices: striped dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. International Marine Conservation Congress, Glasgow, Scotland, 14-18 August 2014.

Santostasi N.L., Bonizzoni S., Bearzi G. 2014. Striped dolphin abundance in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece: dataset simulations help improve sampling design. International Marine Conservation Congress, Glasgow, Scotland, 14-18 August 2014.

Santostasi N.L., Bonizzoni S., Bearzi G. 2015. Optimizing abundance estimates of striped dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. Proceedings of the 29th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society. St. Julians, Malta, 23-25 March 2015.

Santostasi N.L., Bonizzoni S., Bearzi G., Eddy L., Gimenez O. 2016. Revised abundance estimates of striped and short-beaked common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, Mediterranean Sea. Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society. Funchal, Madeira, 14-16 March 2016.

Santostasi N.L., Bonizzoni S., Bearzi G., Eddy L., Gimenez O. 2016. A robust design capture-recapture analysis of abundance, survival and temporary emigration of three odontocete species in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. PLoS ONE 11(12): e0166650.

Santostasi N.L., Bonizzoni S., Gimenez O., Eddy L., Bearzi G. 2018. Common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth are Critically Endangered. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. doi: 10.1002/aqc.2963

When in Galaxidi

A partial checklist of animals encountered around Galaxidi in three days includes bottlenose dolphins (observed twice from the coast), a pair of golden jackals, one red fox, several hoopoes, a pair of little owls, plenty of scops owls... Meanwhile, one monk seal was reportedly sighted in the Bay of Itea. Wildlife in this corner of Paradise MUST be better protected.

(Photos by G. Bearzi)

A meeting in Galaxidi

In Galaxidi with Panos Dendrinos, the President of MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study & Protection of the Monk Seal, and Kimon Koemtzopoulos, also from MOm. The meeting was kindly hosted by our friend Chrisoula Papalexi at Hotel Ganimede.

(Upper photo by C. Papalexi, lower photo by S. Bonizzoni)

Return to Galaxidi, Greece

(Photos by G. Bearzi)

House for insects

We installed a "house" for insects built by our friends at Associazione Naturalistica Cordenonese. These houses attract lone species of pollinators (solitary bees). Small actions can only make a small difference, but isn't it better than no difference?

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

Presentation to high school students in Pordenone (2)

Today one more presentation to a different group of 150 high school students in Pordenone, Italy.

The slide on top features Margaret Mead's famous statement "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." This was one of several take-home messages, together with Jane Goodall's "What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."

(Photos by S. Bonizzoni)

Presentation to high school students in Pordenone (1)

This morning Giovanni made a presentation to 150 high school students in Pordenone, Italy, sharing his cetacean research experience and offering advice to those willing to plan a career in marine conservation.

(Photos by S. Bonizzoni)

Happy 2019

Interazioni fra delfini e pesca in Adriatico settentrionale

We just produced a report (in Italian) in the context of a collaboration with the University of Padua, Italy. It is a review of dolphins-fisheries conflict in the northern Adriatic Sea, based in part on this year's field experience.

The report is available at the link below:
http://www.dolphinbiology.org/_download/literature/Bearzi_Bonizzoni_2018.pdf

Back in Venice

Today one more presentation on our research and conservation activities in the NW Adriatic. It happened at the Venice Natural History Museum, during a workshop on sea turtle and dolphin interactions with fisheries.

It's been a nice opportunity for meeting old friends and former colleagues, back from the times when our office was located in Venice and hosted by the Museum (thank you Luca Mizzan and Mauro Bon!).

(Photos by S. Bonizzoni)