WWF PROJECT

TursioMed and InterMed

 

TursioMed and its follow-up project InterMed aimed to assess the con­ser­vation status of bottlenose dolphins and other Cetaceans in the Medi­terranean Basin.

Image adult bottlenose dolphins

TursioMed Project

The TursioMed project, managed by the Acquario di Genova in colla­boration with WWF Italian Switzer­land, was developed in the three years between 2017 and 2019 with the aim of assessing the con­ser­vation status of bottle­nose dolphins and other Cetaceans in the Mediterranean Basin. The infor­mation collected will be the basic tool to develop ma­nagement and conservation plans for the common dolphin and bottlenose dolphin (another type of dolphin species) in the area analyzed within the subs­equent InterMed project.  To achieve this objective it was ne­cessary to aggregate and ana­lyse data produced by an inter­national cetacean research net­work using a common plat­form. A total of 28 scientific partners from eight Medi­terra­nean countries joined the project.

Risso's Dolphin off the Cost of Genova

A specimen of Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) photographed off the coast of Genova (Italy) and clearly recognisable by its “marbled” colouring. Each sign is a memory of a «bite» received from a herd mate. The scratches heal quickly but lose the original grey pigmentation forever.

Copyright: F. Fossa – Acquario di Genova

Image adult bottlenose dolphins

A pair of adult bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) jump off the coast of Genova – Italy (Corso Italia in the background).

Copyright: M. Bellingeri – Acquario di Genova

A pair of bottlenose dolphins
A pair of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) photographed off Rio Maggiore (La Spezia – Italy). The individual in the background makes a «half jump» out of the water to observe the researchers.

 
Copyright: M. Bellingeri – Acquario di Genova

Striped Dolphin

A striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) breaks the surface to breathe and take a look at the researchers. On the side you can clearly see the streaks that give the name to this dolphin species.

Copyright: L. Frigerio – Acquario di Genova

InterMed Project

The activities of the TursioMed project and the results obtained constitute a fundamental know­ledge base to be able to develop, within the InterMed project, mana­gement and conservation plans for two dolphin species at Medi­terra­nean Basin level. Moreover, a re­search campaign will be acti­va­ted in the large Tunisian-Libyan plat­form, south of the Sicily channel, with the aim of deepening scientific knowledge in a strategic area of the basin and at the same time involving the southern Medi­terra­nean countries more closely in the Cetacean management and con­ser­vation plans. Finally, data con­cer­ning three other Cetacean species will be shared, in order to acquire the necessary knowledge to acti­vate future conservation plans on these marine mammals.

Carried out with

WWF Svizzera Italiana

PROJECT TIME

TursioMed 2017-2019
InterMed 2020-2022

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Address

Blue Planet - Virginia Böger Stiftung X.X.
Via Serafino Balestra 18
6900 Lugano

info@blueplanet-foundation.org

 

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