Topic: New paper on Black Sea dolphins. Dear MARMAM readers, It is a pleasure to announce the publication of our latest paper in Scientia Marina: Habitat preferences among three top predators inhabiting a degraded ecosystem, the Black Sea. by Alicia Sánchez-Cabanes, Maja Nimak-Wood, Nicola Harris, Renaud de Stephanis Abstract: This study investigated whether there is evidence of widespread niche partitioning based on environmental factors in the Black Sea and tested the hypothesis that physiographic factors may be employed as predictors. It addresses poorly researched areas with good habitat potential for the only three cetacean subspecies living in this area: the Black Sea short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis spp. ponticus), the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus spp. ponticus) and the Black Sea harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena spp. relicta). Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to analyse data collected from multiple sources. In total, 745 sightings of the three species between 1998 and 2010 throughout the Black Sea were included. The analysis found depth and sea surface temperature to be the most important variables for separating the occurrence of the three species. Common dolphins occurred mainly in deep waters and in areas where the sea surface temperature was low, bottlenose dolphins were distributed primarily in shallower and warmer waters than common dolphins, and harbour porpoises were distributed in shallower waters with lower sea surface temperature than bottlenose dolphins. This study suggests strong niche segregation among the three cetacean species. The study is also the first contribution to the basic information of cetacean species distribution and habitat preferences in the Black Sea as a whole. Knowledge of the distribution of the three dolphin species in the study area is essential to establish conservation measures for these populations This is an open-access paper, which can be downloaded here: http://scimar.icm.csic.es/scimar/index.php/secId/6/IdArt/4437/ Sincerely, Alicia Sanchez Cabanes, MRes Marine Wildlife Observer Marine Wildlife Department Gardline Environmental Endeavour House, Admiralty Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 3NG www.gardlinemarinesciences.com CONFIDENTIALITY - This e-mail and any attached files contain information that is confidential and/or may be subject of legal privilege, intended only for use by the addressee(s). If you are not the intended recipient or the person responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, please be advised that you have received this message in error and that any dissemination, copying or use of this message or attachment is strictly forbidden, as is the disclosure of the information therein. If you have received this message in error please notify the sender immediately and preserve this confidentiality by deleting the message. Sender accepts no responsibility for the completeness or accuracy of this message as it has been transmitted over public networks. Unless otherwise specifically stated any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the sender Company. This email has been virus checked by Barracuda Spam Firewall on behalf of the Gardline Group of Companies.