- Статьи
- Science and technology
- Uniform cetacea: dolphin census to be conducted in the Black Sea for the first time in 30 years
Uniform cetacea: dolphin census to be conducted in the Black Sea for the first time in 30 years
Russian scientists have launched the first comprehensive study of the Black Sea dolphin population in three decades. Extensive work is needed to accurately estimate the abundance of these marine mammals. Environmental incidents are regularly recorded in the region, but experts cannot assess their impact on local cetaceans, as they simply do not have data on their numbers. To monitor the coast from Taman to Sochi, a network of observation posts will be deployed, whose staff will record the routes of movement of marine life. In the future, the crew of a specialized vessel will join the research.
Counting dolphins
Specialists from the Clean Seas Ecological Foundation and the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences have begun the first large-scale study of the Black Sea cetacean population since the 1990s. It will be devoted to the study of the Red Book of Azov, bottlenose dolphins and white-tailed dolphins. Currently, scientists do not have up-to-date data on the condition of these marine mammals, which makes it difficult to assess the impact of changing natural conditions and anthropogenic pressure. Among the factors requiring analysis are a large release of fuel oil off the coast of Anapa in 2024, as well as changes in tourist activity in the region.
— We have to solve several important tasks with this project. First, we need to find out what is happening to the cetacean population of the Black Sea. These are bottlenose dolphins and porpoises, as well as white-bellied dolphins. They need to be studied. We need to investigate how they are affected by various factors and how they adapt to them. The last large-scale monitoring was carried out in the early 1990s. And in 2019, we conducted an air accounting. But this data is not enough," said Anna Subbotina, Deputy General Director of the Clean Seas Foundation and project Manager.
The study is designed for 2.5 years. For these purposes, a network of at least five observation posts will be created on the Black Sea coast from Taman to Sirius. At each of them, two employees will use binoculars to monitor dolphin activity during daylight hours. Experts have already selected the most suitable locations.
— We were looking for such points that meet the requirements. It should be high ground and open country. Plus, it needs proximity to infrastructure. From these positions, surveillance and photography will be conducted every season three times a year for 10 days from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.," said Anna Subbotina.
Among the selected points, for example, a high-rise building in the Anapa city limits and the Utrishskaya marine station. In addition to working on land, dolphins will also be monitored from aboard the ship. The data obtained will be entered into a special mathematical model that will help calculate the total number of individuals of each species. In addition to the size of the population, this work will allow for a better understanding of their movement routes.
According to scientists, several scientific and volunteer groups are currently engaged in the study of cetaceans in the Black Sea. Another important task of the project is to coordinate their work and provide a common methodology for observing and accounting animals.
— Now each group considers dolphins in its own way. We want to introduce one common methodology so that we can combine the results later," said Anna Subbotina.
The flagship view
The specialists plan to expand the number of observation posts on the coast, including through the efforts of volunteers. Negotiations are currently underway to involve volunteers from Sirius University in the project. The Utrish Nature Reserve will become another important dolphin research center.
— Separate initiatives have already been taken to study cetaceans in the Black Sea, but this was not a systematic effort. Now we intend to implement a long—term project on deep dolphin exploration in a very large area," said Dmitry Glazov, the scientific director of the project.
A joint expedition to study dolphins and other cetaceans in the Bugaz Spit area on the Black Sea was recently conducted by employees of the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Nature and People Foundation and the Moskvarium Center for Oceanography and Marine Biology. During visual observations, experts recorded cetacean encounters, noted data on the composition of groups and animal behavior, and took photographs for further photo identification and the compilation of an individual catalog of individuals. The information gathered will help to understand how important the surveyed area is for cetaceans.
Research in the future should make it possible to assess the condition of local groups of animals, understand the causes of their death and identify the main risk factors for populations as soon as possible. Work has already begun and the first data has been received, said Varvara Levitskaya, a junior researcher at the Laboratory of Marine Mammals at the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an expert at the Nature and People Foundation.
— We are monitoring the work of our colleagues, although, as far as we know, the project is still at the planning stage. But in general, we consider marine research to be particularly important. We hope that, in fact, they will be a continuation of the shipboard work that the Institute of Oceanology carried out in 2018-2019, and will allow us to obtain comparable data for analyzing changes between the years," she told Izvestia.
Scientists are open to cooperation with all teams working on this problem in the region. All these studies solve a common task: to obtain an objective picture of the condition of the Black Sea cetaceans and identify the factors that affect them, Varvara Levitskaya emphasized.
According to ecologist Artyom Akshintsev, work on assessing biodiversity in the Black Sea is now necessary, especially given the ongoing environmental woes in the region. It is necessary to understand whether these species need protection, what is their number and population dynamics.
— There are various federal programs that can be connected to the protection of Black Sea dolphins, — he said.
The expert emphasized that dolphins are a flagship species. That is, the overall health of the entire ecosystem depends on his health.
The project is supported by a grant from the Presidential Nature Foundation.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
