K ETOS
No. 4/ February 2019
JDC MAGAZINE
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In this issue SCIENCE
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STORIES BY DNA A story written on the page of all cells
NATURE
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IN THE DEEP BLUE… Discovering oasis in the desert
CURIOSITY
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WANDERING CREATURES
10 THINGSTOKNOW
20 JDC NEWS
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10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT Climate change
A WONDERFUL
SEAVIEW The future of Palazzo Amati
BACK TO SCHOOL
OPEN SPACE
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READERS’ MAIL YOUR SHOTS
Edited by: Carmelo Fanizza JDC Chairman and founder Vittorio Pollazzon Head of team and Contributor Stefano Bellomo Head of team and Contributor Francesca C. Santacesaria Editor and Contributor Aldo Rizzo Contributor Pasquale Bondanese Contributor Roberto Crugliano Contributor Alessandro Console
Graphic designer Elena Montrasio Translator
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A story written on the page of all cells. Discover how DNA reveals “invisible to the eyes� informations.
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SCIENCE
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In order to devise the best strategies for the protection of dolphins in the wild, there is still a lot about these animals that needs to be studied. This is why, during each sighting, we try to collect as much data as possible. We estimate the number of specimens; we identify calves, juveniles and adults; we determine the behavior; we pay attention to particular issues such as potential injuries or diseases, trying to ascertain what it might be. Unfortunately, we can’t answer all these question by mere observation.
Where do they come from? Which ones are male, or female? Are they in a relationship? What is their story? To find the answers to these questions we need to rely on their DNA, a wealth of information that characterizes each individual and its species. The DNA consists of a succession of nucleotides, the letters that make up its alphabet A, G, T, C. They are combined forming thousands of different words, the genes, whose reading leads to what is present in every single cell, tissue, and organ.
A resource that tells innumerable stories thanks to the hidden words that we are now able to read. DNA samples are collected through non invasive methods. No blood, or anything similar, it is simply a touch on their shedding skin (dolphins change their skin every 2 hours). 8
Nothing more than a scrub.
Thanks to new technologies, we need tiny quantities of samples to reveal all the information that is usually “invisible to the eyes”. The DNA analysis revolutionized and helped biology research. Think, for example, of a simple information like sex determination. It’s really hard to obtain this data just looking at an animal. A few species of cetacean present sex dimorphism (difference between male and female), whereas, for the other species, it is necessary to identify the number of holes on the belly of these animals. Females have four holes (one for the genital organs, one for the anus
SCIENCE and two for the breast) while males only have two. Trust me, it’s a big challenge! To get this information, they should turn belly up long enough to allow you to count. But, well, it's always a matter of seconds DNA analysis, on the other hand, would be sufficient to look for the SRY gene, characteristic of the Y chromosome and only present in males. Why is this information so important?
Thanks to sex identification, we are able to understand the social structure of a group, the meeting strategies and the sex-specific dispersion rates. Try to think, now, about some information such as age determination of
Male or Female?
How old are you? an individual. Of course, you can make approximations by size; for example, a common dolphin longer than 1,75 meters is considered an adult, but nothing will give us the certainty of how old it is, and it certainly will not answer the question into detail. In the past, teeth were used to determine the age of odontocetes. Once extracted, the layers of dentin were counted (as it is done for the rings of a tree). Obviously, this method was very invasive and required very strong efforts, but luckily the answer was found in their DNA. One of the methods applied today is based on the length of the telomeres, highly repeated DNA sequences found at the end of the chromosomes, and very useful to protect and preserve the information contained in the chromosomes. In cetaceans, just like in humans, telomeres become shorter with age. In this way their length becomes indicative of their age. Once again, from basic information we come to understand other important data such as the current state 9
Where are you from?
of the population.
Studying DNA, we can create an identity card of the animal: recognize it thanks to its genetic "fingerprint", discover the parental bonds, study their origin and migrations. A nice story comes from studies done on the striped dolphins and on the bottlenose dolphins of the Gulf of Taranto. From the observation of these species, it was hypothesized that they are a settled population. DNA not only confirmed this hypothesis, but even revealed the presence of characteristic haplotypes. It means that in the phrases written in the DNA there are words with the typical Taranto’s accent. We can’t find these words in animals from other areas! What does it mean? Probably that a process of speciation is in progress: our dolphins will slowly become different (it will take millions of years) from other individuals of the same species present in the Mediterranean Sea as a consequence of a lack of 10
interaction and exchange of genetic heritage. This information leads us to understand much more about dolphins and allows us to develop plans for the protection and conservation of cetaceans.
Finally, one of the most beautiful stories that DNA tells us is the one that makes us jump back millions of years and allows us to reconstruct their evolution. A story "started" 50 million years ago, when the Pakicetus, a fourlegged animal with hooves, hair, and ears, moved closer towards the water to protect itself from predators and look for food. From that moment, it has continued to evolve and to adapt its body to live in a marine environment: no more hind paws, and the front ones turned into pectoral fins; the blubber replaced the hair to maintain a constant body temperature; no more external ear; the eyesight adapted to the water; a streamlined body and the appearance of the dorsal and caudal fins. Millions of years, to arrive to the
NATURE SCIENCE
shape that we know today.
And it’s not over; DNA surprises us even more, revealing how the three classes of marine mammals (cetaceans, pinnipedes, and sirenians) evolved independently from each other, yet resortng to the same strategies to survive in the marine environment. We talk about convergent evolution: the development, in genetically distant organisms, of similar structures in response to an environmental stimulus. And so, in these three different classes we find the same genes for the formation of bones, heart muscle tissue, and blood coagulation. Moreover, DNA analysis reveals completely unexpected tiess. Dolphins and hippos are distant cousins. Can you believe it? We know that DNA has many more stories to tell, and we can’t wait to hear them! Francesca Santacesaria
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In the deep blue...
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NATURE
Discovering oasis in the desert Cetaceans play a fundamental role in the marine ecosystem, both during the course of their life and beyond. By travelling into the depths of the sea we can discover what happens to their lifeless bodies. Millions of species live around the carcass of the whale to enjoy the richest of banquets.
A large body, rich in nutrients, abandoned in the sea ... Lunch is served! The idea that the carcass of a cetacean could host specialized animal communities dates back to 1854, when a zoologist described a new species of small mussels extracted from a piece of whale blubber floating next to Cape of Good Hope. A century later, a bone covered by the same small mussels was recovered from a trawl net off the South African coast. In 1985, a tiny species of patella (gastropod) found among the bones of a whale carcass was described. These were named “Osteopelta� for their association with the bones. Only in 1987, thanks to Craig Smith, oceanographer of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the importance of the presence of real ecosystems around the carcasses became clear.
In those years, Smith and his team of oceanographers made a series of dives to map the bottoms of the Santa Catalina Basin, in Southern California. During the last dives the sonar of their submarine detected the presence of a large object. Thanks to the video recordings, at a depth of 1,240 meters they found a 20 meter long blue whale carcass. The animal had been dead for years, but its bones and the water around them swarmed with life: worms, small bivalves, snails, limpets and white patches of microbial colonies.
That body was a flourishing oasis in the middle of a vast lifeless desert. This work allowed researcher to identify different unknow species, documenting the presence of dozens of marine communities that feed on cetaceans’ carcasses. It has been possible to describe more than 400 species living in, or around those remains,30 of which have never been observed elsewhere. 13
How it evolves?
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Ecosystem phases: Mobile scavanger stage
During the first stage, which lasts for about 2 years after the sinking of the dead animal, over 90% of its soft tissues are attacked by necrophagous organisms, such as sharks and other fish. Among the necrophagous species are the Hagfish and the Pacific sleeper shark, that can reach a length of over 4 meters.
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Sulphophilic stage
The second stage is carried out by "opportunist" organisms. They colonize the bones and sediments that have been contaminated with the carcass’ organic matter and with any other tissue left by the saprophages. This second phase can also take up to two years. The bones are colonized by communities of small gastropods, bivalves and polychaetes. Subsequently, the skeleton is attacked by microbial organisms that anaerobically decompose the lipids found inside the bones and release sulfuric acid (H2S) as a waste substance .
H2S is used by chemoautotrophic bacteria as a source of energy. These bacteria live in close symbiosis with polychaete worms. Poly-
chaetes ensure the physiological conditions to allow the life of chemosynthetic bacteria, whereas bacteria produce acids that allow the worms to feed on the lipids contained in the bones. These organism become nourishment for other species, including mussels, isopods, shrimps, crustaceans, polychaetes , patelle and gastropods. This last period can last up to 100 years. 14
Opportunist stage
NATURE In 1989, a study estimated that about 690,000 carcasses of the 9 largest whale species were lying on the ocean floor, which housed entire underwater ecosystems. We can’t be surprised by this phenomenon; it would be to irrational to assume that all energy contained in the whale tissues could simply be lost. In fact, as Antonie Lavoisier (French chemist, biologist, philosopher and economist) reminds us, in nature
“Nothing is created, nothing is destroyed, but everything is transformed.” This is the law of conservation of the mass, a fundamental postulate of mechanical physics, which states that in a chemical reaction the total mass of the reagents is equal to the total mass of the final products. Another fundamental law states that
"Under certain conditions of the acting forces (for example the absence of friction) the sum of the kinetic and potential energy is constant." In other words, energy can transform itself through the work done, but it can’t appear or disappear from nothing. This is the law of conservation of energy and was first enunciated, around the second half of 1600, by Gottfried Leibniz, a German scientist, mathematician, and philosopher. These two laws represent the starting
point for the inorganic and organic world. They allow us to understand matter’s bio-geochemical cycles and the transfer of energy that derives from it; to understand the delicate balances between the biotic and abiotic factors; to draw trophic networks and to understand the functioning of many ecosystems. Roberto Crugliano
Sources: Biologia Marina – Roberto Danovaro La seconda vita delle balene – Crispin T.S. Little 15
How many of you, after seeing some of the documentaries on whales or the movie "Happy Feet", got curious about those little orange creatures forming submarine clouds of gigantic proportions? How many of you were fascinated by hearing about krill or plankton?
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CURIOSITY
When we are out at sea with tourists, we often talk about the trophic network and the ascent of nutrients from the sea depths. We wonder about the microscopic krill on which whales feed and how it is one of the most incredible forms of life in the oceans.
Plankton is a source of food, as well as the primary source of oxygen; it supports the whole life system on our planet. And this is why we need to discover more about it. The name plankton derives from the Greek word planktòs, meaning “errant", which indicates the aimless wandering of these organisms in the ocean. These creatures tare unable to swim against marine currents, apparently lacking a direction or a purpose. Due to these characteristics, we can distinguish plankton from nekton, which comprises all organisms that are able to swim, and from the benthos, which is the life on the rocky or sandy substrate. We need to underline that planktonic organism can be both animals and plants. For this reason, plankton is divided into phytoplankton and zooplankton, respectively single-cell algae, and simple or young animal organisms. 17
The algae carry out photosynthesis, producing 2/3 of the oxygen present on the planet, and represent the vegetal organic substance on which the herbivorous zooplankton feeds. These become the prey of the carnivorous zooplankton, which, in turn, may be prey to other larger predators, in an ongoing chain that can begin with the small copepods (little crustaceans) and move all the way up to the giants of the sea, the baleen whales. The size of these organisms ranges from the few microns of the algae or the protozoa to more than one meter, the size observed in jellyfish such as the Nemopilema nomurai. Due to the density of their bodies, which is higher than water’s, we would expect these organisms to sink; however, a series of adaptations such as eyelashes, tentacles and flagella (a sort of hair-like adaptation), allow them to float. These wandering creatures hunt, feed, rest and reproduce along the water column.
For them the sea represents an entire universe to live in and travel across in order to colonize the most remote areas of the oceans. The thermohaline and tidal currents that move the water columns of different densities are exploited by the adults for the dispersion of the larval stages, which will ensure their greater chances of survival over long distances and in the long term. Zooplankton is classified in gelatinous plankton, where 95% of the body is made of water, and zooplankton crustacean, where water only represents 70 or 80%. Jellyfish (cnidarians), ctenophores, mollusks and tunicates 18
Phitoplankton
Zooplankton
represent some of the planktonic organisms that we can meet in the sea. Two classifications of different nature allow us to have a clearer idea of both the dimensions and the life cycle of these wandering creatures. We can describe the holoplanktonic organisms as those which live their entire life as plankton; and the meroplanktonic organisms, in which only one stage of their life cycle, usually the larval, is planktonic, while the other, the adult stage, is nektonic or benthic.
Within the water column, some of these organisms undergo real vertical migrations that follow the circadian rhythms, mediated by the presence / absence of light.
CURIOSITY
At medium and high latitudes these organisms go back to the surface during the night and then descend into the darkness of the sea just before the sunrise, so as to lower the chances of being seen by predators. At the latitude base, however, it has been discovered that, during the long winters, the zooplankton that lives in the icy waters of the sea migrates in mass following the cycles of the moonlight.
If you are curious enough to want to observe the plankton, you just have to walk along the beach just after sunset, drop a nylon stocking in the sea and observe, with a good magnifying glass, what you have caught. But then, throw it back in the sea! Plankton ... life could be simple! Aldo Rizzo
These vertical migrations represent the links of the food chain that, like a real biological pump, from the most remote sea depths all the way up to the shallow waters, gives food to all organisms that live at different depths. 19
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THINGS T0 KNOW ABOUT...
Climate change
IS THE CLIMATE CHANGING?
We often hear about global climate change, variations in the climate system that are affecting the world and the oceans. Variations that normally occur over a very long-time span of thousands of years, have been observed in the last hundred years. These are extremely rapid and unprecedented changes. To measure these changes, we calculate the radiative forcing, the variations of the energy flows in the highest levels of the atmosphere. If these forcing are positive, we will see a warming of the Earth's surface. If the value is negative, there will be a cooling down of the Earth. Starting from 1970, a positive radiative forcing was calculated, which caused an absorption of energy by the climatic system and an increase in the global surface temperature of 0.85 ° C. The main cause seems to be linked to the increase in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. Every day we can see the effects of these changes: the reduction of the sea ice and mountain glaciers, the rise of sea level, the increase in acidity and temperatures of the ocean and a significant reduction in biodiversity. 20
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SOS MEDITERRANEAN SEA
The last report from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights the Mediterranean as one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to the impacts of global warming. In particular, we talk about processes of desertification and expansion of arid and semi -arid systems due to the increase in average temperatures of 0.4 ° C more than the global average and a reduction in precipitation especially during the summer. The expected effects include the extinction of different species, variation of the flora distribution, an increase in erosional phenomena, a higher intensity of fires, a limited availability of water and a loss of wetlands. Furthermore, during the past two decades, sea level has risen by 6 cm and sea water acidity has significantly increased. In the long run, this will inevitably lead to a reduction of food, clean water, security, medicines and other important resources.
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ABOUT BIODIVERSITY?
The effects of climate change on biodiversity vary from species to species and depend on the ability of a species to adapt itself. Each species responds differently both in terms of modality and intensity, and this means that important spatial and temporal connections between different species, such as the relationship between pollinating insects and blooms or between prey and predators, fail. For example, in Arctic ecosystems there has been a decline in the populations of voles and lemmings (small rodents) with the consequent decrease in the population of their predators, the Arctic fox and the snowy owl. The risk is that a lot of species, that rely on resources available in specific regional habitats, may not be able to adapt as rapidly as those environments are being altered.
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GOODBYE CORALS!
Who dreams of diving and getting lost in the colors of the great coral reef will probably have to give it up. One of the main consequences of climate change in temperate and tropical regions is bleaching. Stressed by the high temperatures and by the acidity of the sea the corals first bleach and then die. Only in 2016, one third of the coral reef was lost!!!
Coral bleacing
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MARINE MAMMALS
The impacts of these changes on marine mammals will be mainly indirect, mediated through alteration of physical habitat and predator–prey dynamics. Responses to global warming included pole-ward shifts in distribution and changes in the timing of life-history. For example, in temperate areas there is an increase in sea level which may result in a loss of habitat for seals and sea lions, that rely on low-lying coastal areas for rest, molting, pup birth and rearing, and courtship/mating. In the case of endanÂgered and endemic fauna, such as Hawaiian monk seals, an evaluation of potential effects of sea level rise by 2100 found that maximum projected habitat loss ranged from 65% to 75%.
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THE COLOUR OF THE SEA CHANGES
The sea, with its incredible colours, has always charmed humans. Its colour depends on how the sunlight interacts with the molecules and organisms present in the water. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the National Oceanography Center Southampton studied how sea colour is changing due to climate change. In particular, they studied changes in phytoplankton, the main responsible for primary productivity in the oceans. The phytoplankton contains the main actor of photosynthesis: chlorophyll. This molecule absorbs the blue light and reflects the shades of green, giving at the areas rich in algae a greenish shade. The study predicts that in the next years the sub-polar and polar areas will become greener thanks to a significant increase in productivity due to melting glaciers. In the temperate and tropical waters, where the high temperature of the water stops the flow of nutrients, it is expected a reduction of oceanic productivity. Those area will appear of an intense blue poor of life. 22
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EFFECTS ON POLAR REGIONS
In Polar Regions, sea ice losses and glacial disintegration are the clearest signals of disturbance to the marine environment attributable to climate change. In the Arctic, areal extent of sea ice has been reduced by 50%, concomitant with a 75% loss of multiyear ice. The loss of sea ice will be most detrimental to those species that rely on ice as a platform for hunting and birthing, such as the polar bear, the walrus and several seal species. Furthermore, the loss of glaciers leads to complex and cascading interactions between the trophic components of the Artic marine ecosystems. In the case of the emperor penguins, the reduction of the population has been attributed to a scarcity of food resources: the availability of crustaceans (in particular of krill) and of molluscs, which constitute their main food source, are disappearing.
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10 THINGSTOKNOW RESTORE THE SEA
We need to take care of the sea. It is really important to keep it healthy and rich, but due to climate changes, the habitats will be destroyed. To cope with this problem, biologists, scientists and experts are working to restore the sea. In Australia, biologists are trying a large-scale transplant of millions of coral larvae in damaged areas of the coral reef. In Italy, dry stone walls are used to revive the Posidonia meadows. The goal is to curb the effects of global warming by increasing biodiversity levels.
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THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AFFIRMS
Many scientists are giving their contribute to emphasize the importance of respecting the objectives set by the Paris Agreement. The objective of this agreement is to stabilize the increase in atmospheric temperature to 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. To achieve this aim, it would be necessary to cut fossil fuel use by 50% within 15 years and eliminate them almost completely by 30. This means no homes, businesses or industries heated with gas or oil; no vehicle powered by diesel and more renewable energy. The emission reduction plans presented by the governments will instead lead to a rise in temperature between 2.7 and 3 degrees Celsius and it is expected that in 2050 there will be too much CO2 in the atmosphere.
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TERMITES ARE SUPERHEROES!
Forests provide an extremely important service to humanity by removing about 25% of the CO2 from the atmosphere. Desertification is one of the main causes and effects of climate change. Termites, which devour leaves and dead wood, have a very bad reputation, and yet are fundamental to protect ecosystems from the effects of desertification. A study showed how termites help the Amazon forest to endure drought, leaving it intact and healthy, thanks to the release of nutrients and to their ability to keep the soil wet. For the same reasons, it has been observed that in the most vulnerable prairies, savannas and ecosystems exposed to desertification phenomena in Africa, South America and Asia, the plants are concentrated in proximity to the termites. Thus, termites protect forests against climate change! Stefano Bellomo 23
A wonderful seaview: The future of Palazzo Amati
There is a great excitement and desire for change in Taranto. Institutions, associations and groups of people who
"city of the sea and cetaceans" and to establish the link between Taranto’s citizen and its gulf.
share projects, common goals and dreams. Hope is widespread and people look to the future.
How to do it? Everything starts from a project of the JDC, funded by “Fondazione per il sud”, which provides for the recovery of the oldest building of Taranto: Palazzo Amati. Here, we are working on "KETOS" the Euro-Mediterranean center of cetaceans and the sea: an interactive museum, a library, a space to share the culture of the sea and an area for tou-
A new proposal is presented on February 15th at the "Pietro Acclavio" Civic Library. The idea is to restore Taranto as the
rist services. “Taranto is the only place where we can combine multimedia with practice, we can visit the museum and then go to the sea. This is the opportunity for the old city to be reborn” Carmelo Fanizza -JDC founder
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JDC NEWS
A wonderful seaview and a new chance. During the meeting, something more is proposed: transforming Palazzo Amati into a “Palace of the Sea” bringing within it one of the treasures of the city of Taranto, guarded by the Institute for the marine and coastal environment (IAMC CNR ).
Back to school!
The Thalassographic museum has been closed for 20 years and gathered numerous findings from the Italian and the tropical seas. “We hope that this situation is about to end. We don’t want to re-open the museum but we want to create a new reality that combines science with maritime history. We can do it through citizen science" Fernando Rubino-IAMC CNR
A common purpose that is supported by the public present in the room and which activates a positive cycle for the growth and development of Taranto. Francesca Santacesaria
Every year, the JDC team of biologists goes back to school to share the culture of the sea. Projects, ike “researchers for a day" program or “marine biology camp”, involve students of all ages. The goal is to create in young people the awareness that the sea, in addition to being a vital element from which human life depends, is the cradle of life, a source of biodiversity, an universal heritage and it offers professional opportunities in the field of Environmental Conservation. We talk about the marine ecosystem, the interaction between man and the environment and finally about cetaceans and research. To tell you about these activities we turn the floor to whose have already lived them. In the next pages, we report the experience of school-work program of Francesca Pia Orlando from “Gallileo Ferraris” high school of Taranto. 25
"The project took place in the Gulf of Taranto on board of “Extraordinaria� one of the catamaran of JDC. We had the opportunity to work with the experts of the JDC team, practicing what we learned during the theorical lessons. Our experience lasted 3 days in which we started our research activity divided into working groups. The first day, on the road from Taranto to Policoro, we used binoculars and a
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drone, which allowed us to estimate the number of individuals, we were able to sight 10 specimens of striped dolphin. We oberserve them and determinated the behaviour of the groups: they were in traveling. We used various instruments such as the hydrophone, a real microphone designed for underwater acoustics studies; GPS, Reflex with 70-300mm lens, video cameras and the instrumentation necessary for the collection of biological samples.
JDC NEWS
We spent the second day, always on board the “Extraordinaria� Catamaran, with an expert of the birdlife. We had the great fortune to spot a species of rare seagull in the Basilicata area, that is the Seagull of the North Sea. This was the third observation in absolute in Basilicata (the first was at the end of 1800). In the afternoon, we reached the WWF rescue center of Policoro, where it was possible to observe the sea turtles treated and saved by the veterinaries of the Oasis. The last day, before leaving for Taranto, we had a briefing, to sort all the data collected in the previous 2 days of research and organize the different jobs
classroom. Above all, this project led usto understand that our territory is a really important treasure and we have to take care of it! "
Francesca Pia Orlando
that we then presented in the final conference of our project, held on April 7, 2018 at the High Hall of our High School. It was an extremely significant experience for improving our skills. . These days allowed us to act on the field and made real what we have studied in the 27
Reader’s Mail I have been to 18 countries so far and when I am travelling there are the three most important things: nature, people and food. But it is not a text about food… However, I love your little sandwiches with zucchini Fabio!
of wild animals in their natural environment is an amazing thing so it is totally fine to cry when you see a sperm whale while it is resting on the sea surface. Every time when I go for a boat survey I am excited as a kid! You
Marine mammals are my passion for over 10 years. When you love what you are doing the work is not just a work, it becomes a way of living. That is why I decided to join the Jonian Dolphin Conservation during my summer holidays in 2018. I had a pleasure of being a part of their team for two weeks. Actually, I still feel like I am a part of the JDC team. Why did I choose the Jonian Dolphin Conservation? I used to work
never know what might happen. Sometimes you will not see anything and sometimes you will see a pod of 120 dolphins. That is the beauty of our job! Cetaceans are wild animals and in the natural environment, they can do whatever they want. If they are inquisitive like a Risso’s dolphin calf they swim next to the boat. But they can also be preservative and watch the boat from the distance. You can observe
abroad where I have observed porpoises and dolphins but I have never worked with tourist on the board. So I decided to try. And that is an amazing thing when I can share my passion and knowledge with other people, even though I cannot speak Italian During my stay with the Jonians, I have acquired knowledge about new area for me – Gulf of Taranto. I did not expect
them during feeding, resting or playing. They are unpredictable and that is fascinating. But during the boat survey, there are sad moments too. I cannot forget to mention about two dead sea turtles which we have seen. They had some plastic bags in their mouth. Nowadays the plastic in the ocean is a huge problem. For all readers of the Ketos Magazine,
that during my stay I will have a chance to explore such a unique environment. For me, as a biological oceanographer boat survey is not just the time for staring at the dolphins and take nice pictures with them. It gives us an opportunity to collect the data about
if you have a list of New Year's resolutions, you have to put “Survey with the Jonian Dolphin Conservation” on it! It is already on my list, so I hope to see you on board! And be careful you can be addicted to it!
their behaviour and take some pictures for photo ID. Of course, enjoy the view 28
Julita Gutkowska
OPEN SPACE
YOUR SHOTS Enjoy nature. Exploring with respect so that we can understand. Observe the world with different eyes. Be in close contact with dolphins, symbol of freedom. This is what our reader– you– lived on board of our catamaran and told to us with these photos.
Share your photo and experience with us by email at lia@joniandolphin.it
Ph: Julita Gutkowska
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1 Vito Di Bari
2 &3 Julita Gutkowska
4 Lucia Vinella
5 &6 Ivana Scarcelli
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OPEN SPACE
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“A great experience with my family at the end of October” Lucia Vinella
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