We apologize for cross-postings to the ECS and Marmam lists.

Some decades ago the harbour porpoise was considered as extinct species in the Mediterranean Sea. Since 1997 ten strandings (two live) have been recorded in a limited area of the North Aegean Sea and particularly in its north-eastern part (Thracian Sea). Six skin samples that were analysed so far for mtDNA showed the relatedness of the Aegean porpoises with the Black Sea population, but do not exclude and actually indicate an isolation from it. In addition, the recorded strandings occurred all year round and included all age classes also indicating that the Aegean harbour porpoises are likely to belong to a very small resident population. The analysis of 6 more samples is still pending.

During the last 1.5 year three more specimens were found stranded (one along the Turkish coasts of the Aegean Sea). Surprisingly, one after the other these last strandings were significantly expanding the known range of the subspecies (P. phocoena relicta) further south, at both the west and east coasts of the Aegean Sea. One week ago on Sunday 9 March 2008 the last stranding was recorded in the suburbs of Athens (Vouliagmeni), some 250 nautical miles southern than the northern Aegean and Thracian Seas. There is no easy explanation of this sudden appearance of harbour porpoises in southern and hotter seas. A relative note including necropsy results and an update on the Aegean harbour porpoises is being prepared.

The harbour porpoise is rare in the Aegean Sea and both the Aegean and Black Sea sub-populations have been proposed to be listed as "Endangered" by a joint ACCOBAMS-IUCN workshop in 2006.

Relative downloadable references:
The first five of the following papers can be downloaded through the link:
http://www.pelagosinstitute.gr/en/pelagos/index3.html

Frantzis A., Gordon J., Hassidis G., Komnenou A., 2001. The enigma of harbor porpoise presence in the Mediterranean Sea. Marine Mammal Science 17 (4): 937-944.

Rosel P.E., Frantzis A., Lockyer C., Komnenou A., 2003. The Source of Aegean Sea harbour porpoises. Marine Ecology Progress Series 247: 257-261.

Frantzis A., Alexiadou P., Paximadis G., Politi E., Gannier A., Corsini-Foka M., 2003. Current knowledge of the cetacean fauna of the Greek Seas. The Journal of Cetacean Research Management. 5(3): 219-232.

Birkun A.Jr. and Frantzis A. 2006. Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena relicta (Black Sea subspecies). Pp 39-47 in Reeves R., Notarbartolo di Sciara G. (compilers and editors). The status and distribution of cetaceans in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea. IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Malaga, Spain. 137 pp.

Viaud-Martinnez K.A., Martinnez Vergara M., Gol'din P.E., Ridoux V., Ozturk A.A., Ozturk B., Rosel P.E., Frantzis A., Komnenou A., Bohonak A.J., 2007. Morphological and genetic differentiation of the Black Sea harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 338: 281-294.

H. Guclusoy H., 2007. The first confirmed report of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phoceana) in the Turkish Aegean Sea. JMBA2 - Biodiversity Records. 2 pp.

Best wishes,
Alexandros
--
___________________________________________

Dr. Alexandros Frantzis
Scientific director
Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute
Terpsichoris 21
16671 Vouliagmeni,
GREECE
Tel.: +30-210-8960108
e-mail: afrantzis@otenet.gr
website: http://www.pelagosinstitute.gr
___________________________________________