Dear All,

Apologies for cross posting.

We would like to inform you that the new article has been published in Journal of Environment Protection and Ecology.

Dede, A., Tonay, A.M. 2010. Cetacean sightings in the Western Black Sea in autumn 2007. Journal of Environmental Protection and Ecology 11, No 4, 1491-1494

It is available online via the following link:

http://www.tour.teithe.gr/BSS_project/get_file.php?f=66

Abstract

Cetacean sighting data were collected on a research cruise carried out in autumn season

(27.10–02.11.2007) in the western Black Sea between Istanbul (Turkey) and Constanta (Romania)

and vice versa. This research cruise was conducted with a 32-m research vessel R/V YUNUS-S in

the international waters. Average speed of the vessel was 10 nautical miles/h. At each sighting of

cetaceans, species, numbers of animals, location (coordinates), time, behaviour of animals were recorded.

During the survey, totally 417 nm was covered and 33 h of effort was made. The aim of the

preliminary study was understanding the size and distribution of dolphin population in the western

Black Sea. During the study, totally 16 sightings (91 individuals) of three species; common dolphin

(Delphinus delphis), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and harbour porpoise (Phocoena

phocoena) were recorded. Number of individuals and number of sightings are 61 common dolphins

in eight, 29 bottlenose dolphin in seven, and a harbour porpoise in one observation. The overall

encounter rate was 3.83 sightings/100nmiles. Common dolphin was the most often observed species

(50%), followed by the bottlenose dolphin (44%), and harbour porpoise (6%).