Funded by the Blue Planet Virginia Böger Stiftung X.X , the InterMed project was dedicated to the monitoring and conservation of cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically, it represents a collaborative project based on the Intercet platform, on which partners can upload and share information regarding sightings of different species in the Mediterranean basin.
The project
Lasted three years (2020-2022), InterMed represented the ideal continuation of the previous TursioMed project, carried out between 2017 and 2019, which aimed to consolidate and expand the research network in the Mediterranean, and share and analyze data on cetaceans, with particular reference to the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops trucatus). InterMed is based on Intercet, the data-sharing platform created by the Genoa Aquarium Foundation and the Liguria Region as part of the Interregg GIONHA project and already used as part of TursioMed. Researchers can share data regarding cetacean sightings on the platform so that it is available to other partners and enables matching between photo-identified individuals. The information thus collected and analyzed by the research network enables assessment of the conservation status and ecology of the species, and will be an important support to conservation programs.
Results
- The InterMed partners shared on the common platform a total of 245,379 kms of sampling effort, carried out in the respective study areas, which resulted in 6985 sightings of cetaceans. CIMA Research Foundation provided the largest dataset, accounting for 41,149kms and 1,967 sightings
- Data shared were used to inspect cetacean biodiversity in the Mediterranean basin; the results of the analysis have been published in a peer reviewed journal
- Cuvier’s beaked whale data shared were not sufficient to define a network analysis of the species in the Mediterranean basin
CIMA Research Foundation’s contribution
CIMA Research Foundation coordinated the analysis activities regarding the beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), a species on which the Marine Ecosystems Department has been working for years. In particular, the researchers devoted themselves to photo-identification and validation of data concerning the beaked whale, integrating their own dataset with data provided by other agencies throughout the Mediterranean basin, in order to prepare a final report on the conservation status of the beaked whale. They also shared the part of their own data on the Intercept platform, contributing to the advancement of the project and the assessment of the conservation status of all other species.