Dear all,
My co-authors and I are pleased to announce the
following publication:
M. Podestà, A. Azzellino, A. Cañadas, A. Frantzis, A.
Moulins, M. Rosso, P. Tepsich, C. Lanfredi, 2016. Cuvier's Beaked Whale, Ziphius
cavirostris, Distribution and Occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea: High-Use
Areas and Conservation Threats. in "Mediterranean Marine Mammal Ecology
and Conservation", Advances in Marine Biology Volume 75. Editors: Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara,
Michela Podestà, Barbara E. Curry. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 75:
103-140.
Abstract
Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris G. Cuvier, 1823)
is the only beaked whale species commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea. Until
recently, species presence in this area was only inferred from stranding
events. Dedicated cetacean surveys have increased our knowledge of the distribution
of Cuvier's beaked whales, even though many areas still remain unexplored.
Here, we present an updated analysis of available sighting and stranding data,
focusing on the atypical mass strandings that have occurred in the
Mediterranean Sea since 1963. We describe in detail the five more recent events
(2006–14), highlighting their
relationship with naval exercises that used mid-frequency active sonar. The
distribution of the species is apparently characterized by areas of high
density where animals seem to be relatively abundant, including the Alborán
Sea, Ligurian Sea, Central Tyrrhenian Sea, southern Adriatic Sea and the
Hellenic Trench, but other such areas may exist where little or no survey work
has been conducted. Population size has been estimated for the Alborán and
Ligurian seas. Habitat modelling studies for those areas, confirmed the species
preference for the continental slope and its particular association with
submarine canyons, as has also been found to be the case in other areas of the
world. The application of results from habitat modelling to areas different
from their calibration sites is proposed as a management tool for minimizing
the potential impacts of human activities at sea. Military sonar is known
worldwide as a threat for this species and is suggested to be a major threat
for Cuvier's beaked whale in the Mediterranean Sea.
A copy can be downloaded at
Kind regards
Michela Podestà
dr. Michela Podesta'
Curator Vertebrate Zoology Dept.
Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano
corso Venezia 55 - 20121 Milano - Italy
tel. +39 0288463324 - +39 0288463280 fax +39 0288463281
michela_podesta@hotmail.com
michela.podesta@comune.milano.it
www.comune.milano.it/museostorianaturale/index.html