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My name is Rosi, I’m 32 years old and for me the field of marine conservation is completely new… After high school I studied fashion design as my bachelor degree and continued with a postgraduate degree in journalism and communications for fashion. I’ve been working in the fashion and advertising industry for seven years.  However, I developed a strong interest in the current climate crisis and its causes over the years. Making conscious decisions like a vegan lifestyle, living sustainably and participating in climate demonstrations were the foundation for my choice of taking a closer look into conservation work. As the oceans sustain all life on earth, marine conservation and specifically marine mammals were my first choice. With DMAD I can get first hand impressions of what a conservationist’s work looks like. Going on land and boat surveys to watch and document dolphin encounters, study their behaviours and learn about the threats for marine mammals are the highlights of my time with the Montenegro Dolphin Research project.  As a creative person I have enjoyed learning the software to create representative maps and was able to design various social media layouts and posters for the project. Community Outreach is an equally important part for conservation work here, and also somewhere that I can apply my knowledge of communications and social media. Every member of the team brings an individual skill to the project and we all benefit from each other’s previous experiences and knowledge. Maybe the most important thing I have learned here is that you don’t need to be a scientist to do conservation. I am looking forward to where this experience will take me in life!

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. 139-156Bodkin, 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

I’m a chemical engineer and I’ve been working in the textile and clothing industry for many years in Innovation and Sustainability. The recent attention on the issues of pollution caused by the fashion industry made me face many challenges, including finding solutions to tackle the impact of the textile waste and clothes leftover as well as the release of microplastics by synthetic fibers in wastewaters.  I’m a freediver and since I have always been passionate about the ocean and the marine biology, I have decided to take a leave of absence to devote myself to what I love most and moreover to give a contribution to the safeguarding of marine ecosystems and biodiversity. My love for nature and animals, particularly cetaceans, has driven me to want to embark on a new path of deepening and understanding their behaviour and the threats they are facing nowadays. With DMAD I had the opportunity to see up close what it means to work in research and conservation. I really enjoyed being in field with scientists and learning how to conduct dolphins surveys, but also working on data analysis and being involved in some other interesting programs like public outreach and citizen science.  I’m very happy I could be part of such an incredible and enthusiastic team!

DMAD Marine Mammal Association has been a blessing to me. After deciding to take a year out from University, I am grateful that I was able to pursue this opportunity as it has given me an abundance of knowledge, skills and wonderful memories. Here I can contribute to the conservation of marine mammals in remarkably picturesque setting on the Adriatic coast, immersed by the mountains, nature and old historic towns. I admire that this organisation distributes its time to research, data collection, community outreach and educating the next generation- which are all crucially important for successful conservation. As my first real experience working with an NGO, I now have an insight to each of these sectors, which also creates a diverse work pattern that is always exciting. It is great to spend some days in the office learning about bottlenose dolphins, their behaviours and threats, contributing to research and being taught valuable skills such as how to use GIS software. Then soon after getting to go on road trips along the Montenegrin coast to collect sighting data on dolphins and marine traffic. The surveys require patience, which is always worth it when you are rewarded with a sighting that creates a type of energy within a group of like-minded individuals that you are all able to enjoy and take pride in together. Conservation can sometimes be a bleak issue, however working in the field has energised me with motivation and optimism. I have realised that when you can appreciate your surroundings like the nature of Montenegro, plus being stimulated by other people who inspire you, it gives you more purpose and passion to continue to protect the environment through your hard work. Every intern here is slowly but surely adding their unique ideas and contributing together to improve conservation locally here for the dolphins. It is amazing to be a small part of that influential process and to watch it evolve over time. I now have a better understanding that there is unfortunately no quick fix in conservation, and instead of being disheartened by this we should be persistent as every action we take is raising awareness, helping to create a new culture of people who realise the significance of protecting the natural world. In order to do this, the science needs to be accessible for everyone, and I praise this organisation for teaching in ways that are permitting for all people and accepting people from a range of backgrounds as everyone has an impact.

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. Analysis of waste according to product type (graph by Franscesca Soster) 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! A happy team with a cleaner beach! (Photo by Eva Lambert) Collecting rubbish from the rocks Plastic bottles are big culprits and easy to avoid Members of Bar’s local community Undiscovered Montenegro came from Lake Skadar to get involved too! Intern Franscesca briefing volunteers Students from Meksiko School A chance for a short marine biology lesson! Volunteers Rosi, Grant and Natasa analysing waster 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 [email protected].  

Our interns in Montenegro had great fun trekking and wine tasting near Lake Skadar with Undiscovered Montenegro yesterday! Our beach clean last weekend was attended by Emma and Ben Heywood from Undiscovered Montenegro and their three lovely children. Emma and Ben very kindly invited us hiking and wine tasting near to Lake Skadar where their family home and business is based. Lake Skadar is the largest lake in the Balkan peninsula and the Montenegrin portion is designated a national park. It is home to 270 bird species including some of Europe’s last remaining pelicans. It’s safe to say that great fun was had by everyone despite a few sore legs this morning! Önceki Sonraki

DMAD’s hard work has been recognised by MedPAN who have elected DMAD as a new partner The Mediterranean Protected Areas Network or MEDPAN was created in 1990 during a conference in Monaco with two main objectives of: Developing management tools for marine protected areas Sharing experience between managers of protected areas In October 2019, the Organisation consisted of 71 members, managing over 110 MPAs and 51 partners from 20 Mediterranean countries.  We are delighted to announce that at the 2019 regional workshop, “Management of highly mobile species across Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas” which was held from 12-14 November 2019 in Akyaka, Turkey, DMAD were elected as a partner. Not only will DMAD gain a great deal from the experiences of managers of marine protected areas but they will also be able to share their experiences and data collected with leaders of Turkish marine protected areas and managers from further afield.We are very grateful to MedPAN for electing us as a partner and look forward to a positive future together!

With the ambition of pursuing a career as a marine biologist and conservationnist, being part of DMAD within the Montenegro Dolphin Research team is a huge opportunity for me. After gradutating with a bachelor degree in biology of organisms and population in France and specializing in marine sciences in Norway, I decided to postpone my place on the IMBRSea masters programme and do an internship. Getting into the field in order to gain some experience and satisfy my yearning to work in marine conservation was a must-do for me before continuing my studies! Because of the humanitarian and environmental challenges that the oceans represent, research in this field opens up a wide range of possibilities for both mankind and the planet. Only 5% of the oceans have been explored. While ocean exploitation is a very profitable practice for many industries, the environmental impact humans have on marine species is a matter of concern and it’s up to our generation to find a solution; to change behaviour and put in place protocols that are viable over time. These are the goals that drive me to want to continue studying marine biology and to professionalize in research.  Being part of MDR allows me to be active in the marine conservation field. Understanding how we are able to make a difference and transmitting it to the next generation has a real importance as well as going into the field and gathering scientific data. The team here helps to educate the local community about threats we pose to wild species and the planet, and how were can help to recover from our mistakes. How? Simply by sensitizing the public about marine animals living here, raising awarness about important issues and encouraging local authorities to take concrete actions on areas that should be protected. There is no  action too small – everyone can make a difference and this is the reason I am so happy to be part of this team!

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

Keeping an eye out for ceatceans at sunrise on a boat survey Zdravo! My name is Elle, I’m 27 and come from the UK. I originally studied languages at university and, a few years after graduating, I decided to leave my teaching job and travel around Latin America. Although I was always interested in scuba diving and enjoyed spending time by the coast, it wasn’t until I began diving regularly that my interest in – and concern for – the marine environment really developed. I trained as a divemaster and, after returning to London, decided that I wanted to make my overall lifestyle more sustainable so that I could reduce my impact on the environment. A huge element of this aim also meant changing my career so that I can develop my knowledge and skills, and focus my energy into making a real difference in marine conservation.  Up until now, I’ve been involved in small-scale volunteering projects and recently spent 8 weeks as a research assistant in Indonesia. I’m hoping that my internship with DMAD will give me experience of how an NGO operates; the chance to get involved with field data collection and an idea of the challenges faced when trying to enact important changes within communities and governments. I’m also excited to learn more about the Mediterranean in general, and cetaceans in particular. I would eventually like to study a masters degree in conservation, and the internship with DMAD is an excellent way to get practical experience of the end goal!