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Assessment of Marine Mammal Ecological Traits and Habitat Conservation
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Assessment of Marine Mammal Ecological Traits and Habitat Conservation

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 October 2023) | Viewed by 16792

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giulia Cipriano

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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Interests: marine ecology; marine mammals; biodiversity; conservation; GIS; ecological modeling; population dynamics; endangered species
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pasquale Ricci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Via E. Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Interests: food web modeling; fisheries management; community ecology; cetacean conservation; top predator ecology; marine spatial planning (MSP)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Clara Monaco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 100, 95123 Catania, Italy
Interests: distribution; ethology; anthropic impact; conflicts between cetaceans and fisheries; depredation; coastal management; marine protected areas; habitat conservation; endangered species; sustainable development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is well known that cetaceans play a recognized important ecological role in the marine ecosystems contributing to their stability and resiliency and supporting several ecosystem services with positive reflection, even on climate change. Despite the importance of their role as sentinel and keystone species in the marine food web, their protection is still scarcely enforced, especially in basins such as the Mediterranean Sea, which are affected by several anthropogenic pressures. Thus, it is essential to fill the gaps in knowledge regarding cetaceans’ ecology and habitat suitability, as well as the interaction with human activities to address effective strategies for the conservation of cetacean species.

The purpose of the invited Special Issue is to publish research focused on different bioecological traits of dolphins and whale populations, which will represent the baseline for more in-depth studies to assess the possible interactions between cetaceans and human pressures. Moreover, high-quality papers describing approaches and methodologies aiming to assess changes in vocal, behavioral, and distribution patterns of species in the presence of anthropogenic disturbance are strongly encouraged. Papers related to the following topics are suitable for publication:

  • Advanced or novel techniques applied to marine mammal conservation;
  • Insights into bioecological aspects of cetacean populations of Mediterranean Sea;
  • Monitoring and data sharing networks on cetaceans;
  • Mitigation of threats to marine mammals and habitats.

Dr. Giulia Cipriano
Dr. Pasquale Ricci
Dr. Clara Monaco
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • marine ecology
  • cetacean conservation
  • protected areas
  • ecoinformatics
  • ecological traits
  • management
  • multiple pressures
  • marine spatial planning

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4483 KiB  
Article
Dead on the Beach? Predicting the Drift of Whale Remains Improves Management for Offshore Disposal
by Jan-Olaf Meynecke, Sasha Zigic, Larissa Perez, Ryan J. K. Dunn, Nathan Benfer, Johan Gustafson and Simone Bosshard
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2024, 12(7), 1156; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12071156 - 10 Jul 2024
Viewed by 2929
Abstract
Whale mortality and strandings have increased in recent years, with deceased whales often brought to landfill. However, the disposal of whale remains offshore holds significant ecological importance and can be a culturally and ethically sensitive approach. Moreover, offshore disposal mitigates potential risks associated [...] Read more.
Whale mortality and strandings have increased in recent years, with deceased whales often brought to landfill. However, the disposal of whale remains offshore holds significant ecological importance and can be a culturally and ethically sensitive approach. Moreover, offshore disposal mitigates potential risks associated with onshore whale remains disposal, such as the spread of diseases and the logistical challenges of managing large carcasses. A challenge with offshore disposal is defining the best release location to avoid the remains drifting ashore or into shipping channels. Here we compared the drift model outputs using a drift forecast model (SARMAP) for a 14 m whale carcass that was moved offshore in southeast Queensland, Australia, and fitted with a satellite tracker over an observation period of 150 h until positioning signal ceased. The modelling was conducted using different ocean products (BLUElink, HYCOM, and Copernicus), which showed a good agreement with the tracked whale carcass, albeit with changing wind conditions and contrasting currents flowing northward along the coast and, further offshore, flowing south. This case study illustrated that wind was the foremost driver of carcass drift due to the surface area above the water surface. The drift forecast simulations allowed for a reliable prediction of the floating whale drift that can assist authorities with decision making. Offshore disposal of whale carcasses is a sustainable practice but requires good planning and scientific assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Marine Mammal Ecological Traits and Habitat Conservation)
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15 pages, 9507 KiB  
Article
Seasonal Occurrence of the Indian Ocean Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus indica) off South Coast of Sri Lanka
by Upul S. P. K. Liyanage, Pradeep K. P. B. Terney, Upali S. Amarasinghe, Kanapathipillai Arulananthan and Marianne Helene Rasmussen
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11(8), 1523; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11081523 - 30 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2576
Abstract
This paper describes the distribution, abundance and seasonal variation in blue whales (BWs) on the south coast of Sri Lanka, off Mirissa, where they are faced with anthropogenic threats. Data collection encompassed opportunistic sightings by whale-watching (WW) operations. This study revealed that large [...] Read more.
This paper describes the distribution, abundance and seasonal variation in blue whales (BWs) on the south coast of Sri Lanka, off Mirissa, where they are faced with anthropogenic threats. Data collection encompassed opportunistic sightings by whale-watching (WW) operations. This study revealed that large aggregations of BWs consistently overlapped with busy shipping lanes located between Dondra Head and Galle within important foraging and breeding regions on the south coast. Throughout 2015 (except June and July), 729 BWs were sighted over 177 sighting days. The sighting frequency was higher during the northeast monsoon and the first intermonsoon and lower throughout the second intermonsoon (n = 9) and latter part of the southwest monsoon. The highest frequencies of BW encounters per day occurred in April (n = 15) and December (n = 20), while the mean annual group size per sighting was 3.07 ± 0.24. From the January-to-April season, 13 mother–calf combinations and 1 pregnant cow were sighted off the southern coastline of Mirissa, suggesting the calving season peaks between the months of March and April in Sri Lanka. As this important habitat overlapped with the busiest shipping lanes, fishing and commercial whale-watching activities, the authorities have to take action toward the conservation of this ecosystem and whales as well as their safe navigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Marine Mammal Ecological Traits and Habitat Conservation)
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12 pages, 9212 KiB  
Article
Exfoliating Whales–Sandy Bottom Contact Behaviour of Humpback Whales
by Jan-Olaf Meynecke, Johan Gustafon and David E. Cade
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2023, 11(3), 600; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11030600 - 12 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 7542
Abstract
Cetaceans are known for their intelligence and display of complex behaviours including object use. For example, bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) are known to rub on rocks and some humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) populations undertake lateral bottom feeding. Such underwater [...] Read more.
Cetaceans are known for their intelligence and display of complex behaviours including object use. For example, bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) are known to rub on rocks and some humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) populations undertake lateral bottom feeding. Such underwater behaviour is difficult to observe but can play a critical role in the whales’ survival and well-being. Distinguishing social behaviours from those which serve a specific function remains challenging due to a lack of direct observations and detailed descriptions of such behaviours. A CATS (Customized Animal Tracking Solutions) suction cup tag with on board video and a 3D inertial measurement unit was deployed on three different humpback whales to assess their behaviour in the Gold Coast bay, Australia. Here, we present evidence of humpback whales (tagged and untagged individuals) performing bottom contact with prolonged rolling on sandy substrate. In addition, we showed that fish were actively feeding from the whales’ skin during this behaviour. We detail the behaviour and discuss possible drivers, with a focus on cetacean innovation, possible ectoparasite removal, and habitat preferences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Marine Mammal Ecological Traits and Habitat Conservation)
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15 pages, 2756 KiB  
Article
Water Surface Behaviour of Irrawaddy Dolphin Orcaella brevirostris (Owen in Gray, 1866) and Influencing Factors in the Bay of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam
by Nurlisa Azizul, Saifullah Arifin Jaaman, Farah Dayana Haji Ismail, Azmi Marzuki Muda, Xuelei Zhang, Hairul Masrini Muhamad, Mohammad Vol Momin and Bohari Abdullah
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2022, 10(11), 1711; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse10111711 - 9 Nov 2022
Viewed by 2620
Abstract
There is limited information on Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) in the Bay of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam. This research was carried out from 2016 to 2018 to determine the water surface behaviour of Irrawaddy dolphins in the bay, the relationship between behaviour [...] Read more.
There is limited information on Irrawaddy dolphins (Orcaella brevirostris) in the Bay of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam. This research was carried out from 2016 to 2018 to determine the water surface behaviour of Irrawaddy dolphins in the bay, the relationship between behaviour and abiotic factors and the number of individuals displaying the behaviour. Behavioural categories, i.e., feeding, socializing, and travelling in groups or individually, and water parameters were documented during boat-based line transect surveys. “Feeding” (n = 188) behaviour was the dominant activity exhibited by the dolphins. The chi-square test (χ2) shows that the frequency of feeding, socializing, and travelling to the water depth range is significantly high (p-value = 0.03). Forty-six percent (46%) of all behavioural categories occurred at depths 1.00–5.99 m. The number of individuals displaying “feeding” behaviour has a weak positive relationship with depth (p-value = 0.07), turbidity (p-value = 0.7), sea surface temperature (p-value = 0.9) and salinity (p-value = 0.9). This study may serve as a baseline for future research. It can help in planning conservation projects and management for Irrawaddy dolphins in the Bay of Brunei, Brunei Darussalam. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessment of Marine Mammal Ecological Traits and Habitat Conservation)
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