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! 

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.  Intern Phoebe testing students’ knowledge on marine mammals 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! Intern Francesca introducing the students to MDR’s community beach clean 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!

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.

On 23rd October, the DMAD team took to the road early in the morning (04:45, to be exact!) to travel across the border from Montenegro to Albania,. to further research the dolphin abundance along the coast of the Southern Adriatic.  The 5 researchers arrived in time for a sunrise survey at a site in the town of Shengjin. As always, the survey tasks were shared amogst the whole team, with each researcher taking it in turns to use a theodolite, fill in the data sheet and operate the pythagoras software on the field computer. This particular survey site looked on to a wide expanse of water, meaning that the team needed to stay alert when observing the surface. No dolphins were spotted on this first survey, but positions and movements of boats were logged and will contribute to our data set on marine traffic.  After  a short lunch break the team carried on to the next survey station, a 2 hour drive away through the rural areas of northern Albania. We aim to conduct our surveys around sunrise and sunset, leaving a break in the  middle of the day to relax on the beach, catch up on sleep or have a quick swim.  Arriving at the Cape of Rodon, the team set up again and almost immediately spotted a fin in the distance! The team followed the movements of a pod of 3 bottlenose dolphins for around 20 minutes, recording their swim styles, group style and their behavioural events which included breeching. The most common behavioural state was travelling, and they traveled parallel to the coastline until the team lost sight of their fins.  Once the sun had set, the team continued on to Durrës to check in to the accommodation. The apartment overlooked the beach and restaurants, and although it was dark everyone was looking forward to what promised to be a great view the next morning. With high spirits following the afternoon’s dolphin encounter, the victorious researchers had dinner at a nearby restaurant and reflected on a great first day in Albania!  The next morning the team was back on the road bright and early ready to set up at the next survey site in Durrës. Already well accustomed to their role and synchronised as a team, everyone set to work scanning the area for dolphins and logging boat traffic, aided and abetted by some trivia from team supervisor, Tim (did you know that hippos sweat in red when they’re upset?)!  As many field biologists know, patience is a virtue when committing to repetitive surveying. It’s important to keep enthusiasm and morale high amongst the whole team, and in Albania it was fantastic to be in the great company of the other volunteers. Over the course of two surveys at Durrës, only marine vessel traffic was recorded. Although it can be disheartening not to see dolphins, this data is still important and valuable when pursuing long-term research that aims to positively affect marine conservation and advance the protection of marine mammals in Albanian waters.  The frustration of plastic pollution catching attention and causing false hope when surveying the ocean is a reminder of the environmental issues the planet is facing. It is also the evidence that everybody must live as sustainably as possible and continue to spread this message to others. The survey sites that the team worked with in Albania are all stunning however sadly marred by litter and plastic pollution that ends up there.  On day 3 the team once again had an early start, this time hitting the road to go back to Cape of Rodon. In the absence of dolphins the team kept themselves entertained mapping boats in the area and playing a few marine biology related games. (A favourite question amongst the DMAD team – If you were a marine mammal, which one would you be and why?) After the final survey of the trip back at Shengjin everyone enjoyed a sunset drive back across the border into Montenegro, accompanied by some Montenegrin music and the prospect of arriving back home to our adopted dog and honorary DMAD mascot, Kewa! 

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

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.

With a strong passion for marine conservation and a background in shark research, I wanted to broaden my knowledge on other marine species, which from October of 2019 included dolphins! As a scuba diver, I feel it is my responsibility to contribute towards protecting our oceans and marine life. I try to live a sustainable lifestyle and encourage my friends and family to do so too. I was intrigued by the Montenegro Dolphin Research project as they were the first to document the annual sightings of cetaceans in this region. They also work within pubic outreach, aiming to encourage the local community to care more about their coastline and species which inhabit it. I’ve only just started and have already learnt so much, including how to consolidate dolphin sightings using a density heat map on GIS, how to use a theodolite during land surveys, how to categorise dolphin behaviours and how these behaviours may be affected by marine vessel activities. I can’t wait to develop more transferable skills for a future career as a researcher within marine ecology.

Littered beaches, plastic bags flowing in the water and fear of microplastic in the fish we consume are the results of our single plastic use policy. We might be the ones who created the problem, but we are not the only ones suffering from it. More than 500,000 tons of plastic enter the Mediterranean Sea every year, accompanied by the 1.25 million microplastic fragments concentrated in each square kilometre. Plastic attracts aquatic toxins, which are being consumed by fish when it mixes with the plankton. Through the food chain, those toxins accumulate, leading to lower reproduction and survival rates. Not just fish but also marine mammals like dolphins and whales are known to mistake the litter for food, damaging their digestive system, ending deadly for 100,000 mammals around the globe during the last year. Others get entangled in packaging or abandoned nets, which often leads to fatal injuries or the inability to scavenge for food. “We used the opportunity to conduct surveys on the local dolphin and porpoise population, collecting photo ID and behavioural data” The WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative has taken the task upon themselves to fight for a stop of further plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. Besides pushing for legal action and laws, they work with the coastal population to rethink and act. As part of the latter, their sailing boat Blue Panda set sail to a six-month journey around the Mediterranean Sea, educating and mobilizing people on the way. On their recent stop in Istanbul in the last week of September, DMAD under WWF-TURKEY, jumped on board to support them in their quest. In several trips through the Istanbul Strait, we took supporters, persons of public interest and the general public along for a ride. We strived to educate on the environmental threat plastic holds, to illustrate the dangerous effects it has on the marine wildlife – mammals in particular – and to discuss possible solutions in day to day life. At the same time we used the opportunity to conduct surveys on the local dolphin and porpoise population, collecting photo ID and behavioural data. The results of such data efforts can be used to monitor changes in the population size in the future. Thereby possible underlying causes might be exposed and counteractive actions could be initiated in time.To determine the situation and understand the need for action scientific research is essential.However, public awareness and mobilisation are what carries the necessary changes.  Therefore it is critically important to build the bridge between scientific data acquisition and the education and mobilisation of the broader public, letting both sides join forces in the fight to #stopplasticpollution, conserve a healthy marine environment and protect our marine mammals. Blue Panda sets an important example in that regard and we hope to keep doing so alongside them.