K ETOS
No. 6/ April 2019
JDC MAGAZINE
SHARKS
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In this issue SCIENCE
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DOLPHINS AND FISHERMEN
NATURE
A strange relationship
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IN THE DEEP BLUE Hydrothermal vents
CURIOSITY
18
SO DIFFERENT,
YET SO ALIKE
10 THINGSTOKNOW
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10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT Sharks
JDC NEWS
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AN INTERNATIONAL TREASURE
OPEN SPACE
28 29 4
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 Editor
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The relationship between humans and cetaceans has existed ever since mankind first sought nourishment from the sea. The two are linked by the same source of food, namely fish, and by the environment from which they procure it. Fishermen have always accused dolphins of depriving them of their catch; however, due to overfishing, populations of various species of cetaceans have suffered a sharp decline. In recent decades, the development of new fishing techniques, and the intensification of fishing activities, has led to a worrying increase in the frequency and intensity of this interaction. Between 1990 and 1994 alone, the number of marine mammals accidentally captured globally was estimated to be 653,365. This shows the enormous impact of these anthropic activities on the survival of different species of cetaceans and of other animals. Indeed, it is this type of interaction that appears to pose the most direct threat to dolphins, whales, seabirds, sea turtles, and sharks.
The levels of interaction can vary: an ecological interaction occurs at the level of trophic routes, when fishermen and cetaceans are engaged in exploiting the same target species; an interaction linked to fishing and to the use of different equipment, is one in which cetaceans are caught or become entangled. Fortunately, in recent years, both fishermen and governments have 6
D
FIS
as
shown greater sensitivity towards environmental issues, and they have concentrated their efforts towards developing sustainable fishing targets. Because of this, the regulation of fishing has become more stringent and specific. Each fishing gear has its own regulation that sets constructive limits, the characteristics of armament, the zones and the times in which it can be used.
SCIENCE
DOLPHINS AND
SHERMEN
:
strange relationship
MORE DOLPHINS, MORE FISH “Dolphins eat all the fish; they are eating our livelihood.� This is what many fishermen think, but what they don't know is that the presence of dolphins guarantees the presence of fish. Dolphins are top predators, and they play a key role in the marine ecosystem and in the food chain. Their presence allows the balance, and the correct functioning of the system, to be maintained. If dolphins were to disappear from an area, the quantity of fish would increase at first, but the food resources would decrease, and in the long run the fish population would suffer a drastic reduction, leading to a series of negative chain reactions. Without the dolphins, the fishermen would have nothing to eat!! 7
Bottom Trawls
Dredges
Marine mammals can become entangled by trawl gear when swimming to forage or migrate, with risks differing widely between species. Species that forage on or near the sea floor are at risk of being captured or entangled in netting or tow lines (also called lazy lines).
The risks to marine mammals from dredging are similar to the risks from bottom trawling.In addition to being captured, small cetaceans, like dolphins or porpoises, can become entangled in the tow lines. Mortality is considered low for this fishery type because slower tow speeds allow whales and dolphins to avoid capture or entanglement.
Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD)
Gillnets
Similar to sea turtles, marine mammals can become entangled in any nets, ropes, and lines that are used in the FADs. These entanglements can limit the animals' ability to swim and feed and could eventually lead to drowning if the animal is held underwater. These FADs can also alter marine mammal feeding behavior by habituating them to a temporary and unnaturally aggregated food source.
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Depending on the gillnet mesh size, animals can become entangled around their necks, mouths, and flippers. Entanglement can prevent proper feeding, constrict growth, or cause infection after many months. Marine mammals entangled in set gillnets can drown while those entangled in drift gillnets can drag gear for miles as they migrate and forage, leading to extreme fatigue.
Midwater Trawls
Purse Seines
Pelagic Longlines
Skimmer Trawls
Many species of marine mammals forage and swim at midwater depths, putting them at a high risk of being captured or entangled in these trawls. As marine mammals are swimming to forage and migrate, trawling vessels can entangle these animals in netting and tow lines or even cause disorientation due to vessel noise.
Bottom longlines pose less of a threat from incidental hooking to marine mammal species that feed in shallower depths. However, injuries and entanglements can occur from vertical lines attached to surface buoys and in derelict gear. These interactions can lead to lacerations, puncture wounds, exhaustion from entanglement, and drowning.
Once the netting has been set, encircled marine mammals cannot escape and can become entangled, injured, or stressed. Even with quick retrieval, marine mammals' sensitive bodies and internal organs cannot usually withstand the weight of the catch or the impact of being placed on the vessel.
While shorter tow times at the surface allow fishermen and observers to more quickly identify, respond to, and release entangled marine mammals, being caught in fishing gear can still be stressful and may cause lasting damage. Smaller marine mammals such as harbor seals, common dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins can become twisted and wrapped in netting while trying to escape, making it even more difficult to facilitate safe release.
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2018
IS COHABITATION POSSIBLE? An interesting study was conducted by the Federal University of St. Catherine in Brazil, where biologist Mauricio Cantor documented the close collaboration that has developed between dolphins and fishermen. In a collaboration that was first observed in the 80s, a group of bottlenose dolphins regularly helps the local fishermen make their catch. The dolphins push the shoals of mullet towards the shore, where the fishermen are waiting. The fish can’t be seen from above the waterline, so the men wait for a sign from the dolphins, such as the toss of the head, or the flick of the tail, at which point the nets are cast. It can be said that the dolphins initiate the fishing activity, and any fish that escape the nets are left as reward for the dolphins. 10
The Gulf of Taranto represents a particular example of this. The area is characterized by a very high level of urbanization, and it represents one of the most productive areas historically exploited by fishing activities. In this environment, cetacean populations are continually exposed to threats related to human activity such as trawling, post nets, and collisions with boat propellers. The photos and underwater videos of cetaceans spotted during the last season have allowed us to observe the wounds and injuries sustained in different parts of the body and on the fins resulting from this interaction. In the best cases, we saw fins that had been notched or fringed, which in itself would not cause great problems to the animals. However, three of the bottlenose dolphins we
SCIENCE 2014
monitored showed evidence of an ex-
worrying as we have no evidence of
tremely negative effect on cetaceans. Two sustained mutilation of the dorsal fin, which is important for maintaining balance during swimming, and one sustained the amputation of the caudal fin, which is fundamental for propulsion and speed. Although the swimming of a dolphin without a dorsal fin is difficult, and results in rolling and pitching movements, the two bottlenose dolphins
its survival. We have therefore launched a new line of research which aims to assess the potential threat of these interactions. The aim is to increase our understanding of this threat in order to develop a valid ecological indicator of the health of dolphins.
seem to have adapted to this condition thanks to the presence of their companions. Four years after they sustained these injuries, we were able to confirm the survival of these individuals thanks to the sightings of one of them accompanied by calf. There has been no sighting of the dolphin which lost its caudal fin, however, and this is
We do not want to stop fishing, but we do want to understand how the correct use of natural resources can make them last longer. The objective is to create guidelines to be included in the process of management and regulation of fishing activities in the stretch of sea that will be incorporated into the Blue Oasis of the Gulf of Taranto in the future.
Aldo Rizzo 11
Into the DEEP blue…
The Hydrothermal vents In “The Ecological Theater and the Evolutionary Play”, written in 1965, George Evelyn Hutchinson, by many considered the father of modern ecology, theorized the existence of organisms that lived thanks to the earth’s heat; until 1977, however, no biologist had ever observed such a community. That was when Corliss and Edmond, two marine geologists on board the Alvin submersible, on an expedition organised by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, observed for the first time the presence of abyssal hot springs: the Hydrothermal Vents. It was while searching for basaltic rock samples along the oceanic ridge of the Galapagos, at a depth of about 2,600 metres, that the two geologists found a very unexpected scenario: "That was how we arrived in view of an incredible scenario. The basaltic formation typical of the axes of the ridges is really very shabby: monotonous fields cut by faults and cracks, for square meters there is not a single organism. Yet here, there was a real oasis, tubular worms two meters high, mussel cliffs and 12
expanses of giant 30 cm bivalves appeared in the flickering water along with crabs, sea anemones and gudgeons. The remaining five hours of the time devoted to research were frantic [...] We worked until the energy available for the equipment ran out” These are the words of the two researchers after that incredible experience. Following this discovery, the Alvin was used extensively in the study of hydrothermal sources representing extreme marine ecosystems. These sites were found in various oceanic locations, all of which were tectonically active.
NATURE
What are hydrothermal Vents and what allows the existence of these oases at the bottom of the sea?
2,000 and 5,000 metres.
When lava comes into contact with water, which at these depths has a temperature of less than 4 °C, it solidifies, forming pinnacles of basalt which emit grey or white smoke. The greatest concentration of these habitats is along the oceanic ridges, which are typically found at depths between
The biodiversity associated with Hydrothermal Vents consists of highly specialized species, subjected to severe stress due to prohibitive environmental conditions. Higher up the trophic chain, we find dominant species belonging to the Bivalvia class, such as the mussels of the species
BIODIVERSITY CONNECTED TO HYDROTHERMAL VENTS.
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CHEMISTRY OF THE VENTS Very hot water comes out from these pinnacles, rich in reduced gases such as methane (CH4) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S), and of metals including iron, copper, zinc, gold and platinum. These are chemical characteristics which allow the development of a large biological community with high density and biomass values.
Bathymodiolus thermophilus
How does the food web work in these environments? What is the energy cycle associated with it? At the base of the trophic network of hydrothermal sources, there is chemosynthesis: bacteria use the dissolved oxygen in sea water to oxidize reduced organic compounds (such as methane), whose atomic bonds are rich in energy. In this way, the H2S and the other gases are converted into biomass available for consumption by the animals of the higher trophic levels.
Bathymodiolus thermophilus of the family of the Mytilidae, or the Calyptogena magnifica belonging to the family of the Vesicomyidae, classified as ‘giant bivalves’ as they have a biomass that can reach 10kg/m2. Among the most characteristic inhabitants of the hydrothermal Vents are pogonophores, such as Riftia pachyptila from the Siboglinidae family. These worm-like animals are characterized by their abundance and their size, some reaching up to 2.4 metres in length. Due to the presence of haemoglobin in the blood, they have bright red plumes. When the water temperature increases, the animal retracts inside the tube, which is white in colour. Several species are associated with Riftia pachyptila, including anemones, mussels,
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NATURE Calyptogena magnifica
Riftia pachyptila
limpets (especially of the genus Neomphalus), and prawns (especially of the genus Alvinocaris). It is precisely the crustaceans belonging to the genus Alvinocaris that are the most abundant of the subphylum. Among these we note the species Rimicaris exoculated, a small shrimp that lives in numerous communities on the walls of the plumes, where it feeds on organic substance thanks to the presence of symbiotic bacteria present in the carapace. This shrimp has developed a broad plaque on its back, which contains photoreceptors. These photoreceptors receive the light emitted from the openings of the plumes and, in this way, the shrimp are able to orient themselves. A species worthy of particular
attention by researchers is Alvinella pompejana, an endemic polychaleic annelid of hydrothermal vents. This species is the subject of study for its ability to withstand temperatures above 100° C. Physiological studies have shown a characteristic heat dispersion system, which is how it has earned this very special record. Hydrothermal vents support complex ecosystems whose inhabitants have developed unique biochemical adaptations that have allowed them to live at high temperatures and environmental conditions that we would consider toxic. They are dynamic ecosystems, subject to remarkable and rapid changes, so the vents’ communities probably only persist for some years to a few decades. 15
Rimicaris exoculata
Alvinella pompejana
Furthermore, hydrothermal sources act as natural hydraulic systems that transport heat and chemicals from within the Earth and help regulate global ocean chemistry. Studying the organisms that inhabit them can teach us much about the evolution of life on Earth, and the possibility of life elsewhere in the solar system and in the universe. Roberto Crugliano
THE LOST CITY In December 2000, during the study of an underwater mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean, a group of researchers from the University of Washington discovered about 30 hydrothermal springs located on the Atlantis Massif underwater mountain, which they named ‘the Lost City’.
The ‘Lost City’ is located 15 kilometres west of the mid-Atlantic ridge, and it expands to a depth of about 750 metres. 16
NATURE
Similarly to the Hydrothermal vents, the hydrothermal sources of the Lost City also support various forms of life. Small invertebrates are very abundant, including snails, bivalves, polychaetes and ostracods, but pogonophores and giant mussels, which are abundant in typical hydrothermal sources, are absent in the Lost City. This discovery was a real surprise for scientists because, as we have seen, these hydrothermal systems are usually formed along oceanic ridges, where the magma of the Earth's
mantle is close enough to the surface to heat the seawater. In these areas, magma minerals are emitted as black plumes, which reach temperatures up to 300∞. But the Lost City is very far from the Atlantic ridge; it emits white carbonates and fluids rich in methane and hydrogen, and its temperature is between 40 and 70˚ C.
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SO DIFFERENT, YET SO ALIKE Once upon a time there was a bat and a dolphin‌ The beginning of this story seems almost like a joke. Mammals that can fly compared to those that have conquered the sea. The first have wings; are more like birds than terrestrial mammals; are mainly nocturnal, and they live in trees or in caves, feeding on insects. The second are large and powerful; they have a hydrodynamic form similar to that of fish; they spend all their lives in the sea, and they have become top predators and masters of the oceans. So, what could ever link these animals? Well, bats and dolphins have something in common: they have both adapted to hunting in conditions of low light. In order to avoid competition with birds, bats have decided to conduct their activities in the dark of night. In order to reach their prey, dolphins go to depths of over 200m, where sunlight cannot reach. 18
It is there, where sight can’t be used to identify prey, that nature develops different characteristics and chooses to use other senses. Under these conditions, both bats and dolphins have developed a sixth sense: echolocation. Everything at this point is based on hearing; on the ability to emit sounds at high frequencies and to perceive the returning echo.
CURIOSITY
The sound emitted hits the prey and returns to the ear of the animal in a particular way, which allows it to understand the distance that separates them, as well as the exact position. Echolocation is also a fundamental tool for these animals to orient themselves in the space in which they live. This represents a perfect example of evolutionary convergence.
Two animals, genetically distinct and very distant from an evolutionary point of view, have developed the same way of adapting to the same environmental conditions. Echolocation requires the ability to hear high frequencies, and even though the way in which dolphins and bats emit sounds is different, their cochlea (a portion of the inner ear) has many anatomical features in common, and in particular is shorter and rigid compared to that of other mammals.
HOW DO THESE MAMMALS PRODUCE ULTRASOUND? In BATS, the larynx produces short bursts of ultrasound from the nose or from the mouth. The head of a DOLPHIN contains the ‘monkey lips’, membranes which vibrate and produce the clicks that are then amplified by the melon. Each external characteristic corresponds to a change within the genome at the level of DNA sequences. A study has shown signs of an evolutionary convergence between genes related to hearing, which are apparently important for echolocation, and others related to sight, leading to the same result. What a wonderful thing the evolution of nature is! Francesca Santacesaria
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10 1.
Sharks
ABOUT SHARKS
Sharks are important predators that have characterized marine life for more than 400 million years, and they are essential for the health of the planet. The population of sharks has decreased by 90%, with the greatest decline in the Mediterranean Sea. Here, many species, including the hammerhead , mako, blue, and thresher sharks, have declined by 99%. If this decline continues, most of them will become extinct in the next decade. People often think of sharks as hunters preying on human beings; ruthless and cruel. The truth is that we should respect and admire these beautiful creatures, and we simply cannot continue this senseless massacre. Sharks are an apex predator in the food chain, and they play a crucial role in the marine ecosystem, as well as in all the ecological benefits that it creates for human beings.
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2.
THE THE SLAUGHTER OF SHARKS
Between 70 and 100 million sharks are killed each year for: their fins, which are used to produce tasteless soup; • their teeth and jaws, which are used •
to produce jewellery and souvenirs; • their skin, which is used to make wallets and belts; • their cartilage, which is used in the production of pills and ointments sold as miracle drugs; • the oil from their liver, which forms the base for the production of cosmetics and skin care products.
Sharks grow slowly, and they reach sexual maturity at an advanced age. They produce few calves, and this makes them particularly vulnerable to overfishing because the small number of survivors cannot reproduce quickly enough to replace the number of sharks that are killed.
3.
10 THINGSTOKNOW RUBRICA SHARK FINNING
Shark finning is a brutal practice. Sharks are captured and their fins cut off while they are still alive. They are then thrown back into the sea where, unable to swim without fins, they sink and are subjected to a slow, agonising death. Their fins are used mainly in the preparation of shark fin soup, a Chinese speciality. It is considered a symbol of prestige and luxury, and more than 4,000 tons of shark fins are used to make this soup every year. The fins make up 6% of the weight of a shark, which means that 700,000 tons of sharks are caught each year. One third of the fins imported to Hong Kong, the largest shark fin market in the world, come from Europe. The main supplier is Spain, followed by Norway, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and Italy. It is a multi-million business, and demand is fuelling the expansion and development of this indiscriminate and illegal practice, responsible for killing millions of sharks.
4.
DOES THE LAW PROTECT SHARKS?
Even today, shark fishing is not subject to strict catch limits. Some years ago, the European Union released an action plan designed to improve the situation, but most of the good intentions remained just that. Despite current European regulations, which make it illegal to remove the fins of sharks at sea, a derogation for Member States has provided fishermen with special permits, enabling them to bypass this rule. It is a loophole which allows, for example, the landing of fins and carcasses in different ports.
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6.
THE MONSTER
“Few creatures of the Earth are so much feared and little understood as sharks.” Ron and Valerie Taylor
5.
WHY DO SHARKS ATTACK HUMANS?
Shark attacks against swimmers, divers, and surfers are very sporadic and rare. The statistics are very clear: there are about 70 to 100 attacks per year, worldwide, 5 to 15 of which are deadly. The attacks often consist of a single bite, and death occurs because of blood loss, shock, or the lack of immediate assistance. There are many reasons why a shark will attack, but only rarely is it due to a predatory intent; the diet of a shark does not include human flesh. Most of the attacks are due to a series of factors: the shark defending its territory; poor visibility in the water; an error in judgement, which causes the animal to mistake the human for its usual prey; environmental factors. The situation is aggravated by overfishing, which reduced the availability of the shark’s natural prey, and the presence of waste, often food waste, that ends up in the sea and attracts carnivorous fish.
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Sharks have the ability to feed our ancestral fears, and the media feeds our fear of these animals, too often leaving out key information useful in understanding why an attack has occurred. If the same attention was placed on the issues that now affect so many species of shark which are close to extinction, we would probably learn to see these animals in a different way. The perception of sharks as killers has spread due to imaginative films, like the ‘Jaws’ series, in which these animals were presented as monsters. It should be remembered that Peter Benchley, the creator of ‘Jaws’, later dedicated himself to correcting the image of the shark as a monster.
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8.
7.
SHARK CARTILAGE AS CURE FOR CANCER?
Shark cartilage has been presented in the media as a new cure for cancer, but this is false. The Department of Biology and Department of Comparative Medicine of The Johns Hopkins University states: ‘The promotion of crude shark cartilage extracts as a cure for cancer has contributed to at least two significant negative outcomes: a dramatic decline in shark populations and a diversion of patients from effective cancer treatments.
ITALIANS EAT SHARK MEAT
Few Italians know that our country is the fourth largest importer of shark meat in the world after Spain, Korea, and Hong Kong, and that we are the major consumers in Europe. Shark meat imported to Italy consists mainly of porbeagle, short-fin Mako, and dogfish. The meat is often marketed under different names such as ‘palombo’, ‘penna’, ‘canesca’, ‘vitella’ o ‘vitello di mare’ and it is commonly found in fish markets. Dishonest vendors often sell porbeagle or Mako flesh, which is sold in pieces with no head or fins, as swordfish. The reason is purely economic; they are very similar in appearance, but shark meat is much less expensive than swordfish, therefore profit margins are very high. The shark meat sold in Italy comes mainly from Spain (45% of all EU catches), and the rest comes from more than 35 countries, the main ones being Vietnam, France, and the United Kingdom
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Swordfish Xiphias gladius
The future of swordfish in the Mediterranean Sea is seriously at risk: it is subject to a strong overfishing that is reducing the number of catches and the size of individuals: too many young speciamens end up caught before they can reproduce and ensure the survival of the species.
The swordfish has a fusiform body, its main characteristic is the great development of the upper jaw which forms the typical "sword", flattened and sharp and about one third of the body long. It is a very versatile predator capable of exploiting various trophic resources. It is present in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas.
CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MEAT: • Smooth and without scales • White meat with concentric fiber musculature and characteristic red V-shaped muscle • Bone tissue in the center
HOW TO DISTINGUISH THEM ON THE FISHERY BENCH? Porbeagle Lamna nasus
Mostly threatened by decades of overexploitation, the porbeagle has suffered a serious decline in its population and is considered Critically Endangered in the Atlantic in the north-east and in the Mediterranean Sea
The porbeagle is widespread in cold and temperate seas up to a depth of 400 meters, it feeds on small fish that move in shoals such as mackerel, squid and cod. It is a voracious predator whose color varies from gray-blue to brown with white spots.
CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MEAT: • Rough and knurled leather • dark with longitudinal muscle fibers and globular red muscle • Cartilaginous tissue in the center 24
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9.
SHARKS AND ECOTURISM
According to a study published in Australia, a shark is more valuable to the local economy alive rather than dead. Researchers calculated that a reef shark, which lives near tourist areas frequented by snorkellers and divers, contributes about 180,000 US dollars to the state coffers a year. A dead shark, however, would only sell for just over 100 US dollars. In 2009, the republic of Palau, a small state in the archipelago of Micronesia, created the first shark sanctuary in the world. Many divers travel to the island for a closer look at sharks in their natural habitat, and this has made a huge contribution to the local economy. The decision of the Republic to prohibit shark fishing in its territorial waters has strong economic foundations. Because of the protectionist measures it has adopted, Palau is becoming the model for many other states that see sharks as protagonists , while at the same time respecting these animals and their habitats.
10.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO PROTECT SHARKS?
Each one of us can do something to support the protection of sharks. Even the smallest act is important. Before you buy fish at the market, or before you order a certain type of fish at a restaurant, find out exactly what it is you are ordering, and where the fish came from; for example, did it come from a sustainable source? This is essential, because many sharks are protected, and their disappearance would be ecologically damaging to marine ecosystems as well as to human lives. Moreover sharks, as top predators, are the final receptors of many polluting elements, including heavy metals such as mercury. The Food and Drug Administration has included the shark in the list of fish that children and pregnant women should avoid eating for risks associated with mercury poisoning. Stefano Bellomo
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An international treasure
From 26 to 30 March and from 8 to 15 April of this year, the Gulf of Taranto has become the center of attraction for the study of cetacean biology. The “Marine biology camp” is the international research camp of the Jonian Dolphin Conservation that involve the active participation of young student. The first camp has been realized in 2017 and it involves participants from all over the world. It’s a unique and great opportunity to live a training strictly in contact with the world of marine biology: work on a research vessel side by side of experts, volunteers and students of other countries, experience the activities directly in contact with cetaceans and marine biodiversity; participating in scientific activities of monitoring and conservation of these important species. Every year we carry out one or two camps, mostly in spring and autumn. 26
This year, in March, students from various Italian regions and a young participant from Cyprus were able to observe and study two species of cetaceans in the heart of the Gulf of Taranto: the striped dolphin and the bottlenose dolphins. From 2018, our format of the Marine Biology Camp is created also for specific institutions that carry out study trips for young students from various realities all over the world. In June and July 2018 we have created two camps with Broadreach, a US institution, with which we will carry out three research camps this year. April 2019, from the 8th to the 15th, was the turn of Flooglebinder, an English institution, through which nine British college students and trainers joined our team in research activities. Despite the not very favorable weather conditions, thanks to our positive spirit, we managed to organize activities
JDC NEWS
at sea, educational experiences and, from the point of view of the study of cetaceans, we have been rewarded to the fullest. In one week, we were able to observe and study three species of cetaceans: in addition to the frequent striped dolphin, the first sighting of the year for risso’s dolphins and short -beaked common dolphins. Inevitable, during our camp, a space dedicated to sea turtles, thanks to the friends and partners of the WWF Policoro. Here, camp participants can observe specimens in rehabilitation at the Recovery Center and meet the experts who are dedicated to their protection. It is not unusual that during our activities at sea our operators save specimens in difficulty, and it is precisely in this
center that the recovered turtles are in cure and then returned to the sea. The goal of these camps, is to to show the whole world the importance of the natural resources of our sea.
Our camps aim is to increase international activities and have an impact on the competent authorities, which, must convert the management of the territory and the sea, towards sustainable objectives and that lead to the sustainable development of the sea, of our sea. Stefano Bellomo
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Reader’s Mail My name is Maurizio Ingrosso and my luck is to have lived many experiences with Jonian Dolphin Conservation. I've seen things you colleagues, Biology students, wouldn't have seen before. I've known people who have made the history of the Conservation in the world. I've received the example of professional men. Every day these men, with perseverance, devotion and sense of duty, continue the journey to acheive a better place: Taranto! But seen with new eyes and lived with the worth of its founders. I'd like to tell you something about it in my letter... Today I live JDC as a volunteer: when it's possible I go to the boats' quay to help the team, I do whatever it's needed. I have the possibility to live great, magic moments... and also to see cetaceans. As it happens while sailing, the sighting comes at the end. During these years I learnt to live JDC as an association, made by people with their own values and skills; like a dynamic community we could say. Some years ago could a Biology student of the first year sail the Gulf of Taranto form Taranto to Corigliano, making sightings untill the sunset? Could him meet Ric O'Barry, world symbol against dolphin's captivity? Could him encounter dolphins, sea turtles (saving them when sick) and sperm whales, adults and cubs? Could him think to 28
participate to a research camp as gift for his girlfriend's graduation? Or more: the nights, the travels, the seminars, the meetings, the stories... Well, untill some year ago, for me or other Biology students, or you lectors, it would be unthinkable. I could do it in Puglia, in Taranto. Everything now is part of my cultural heritage. Nowadays everyone can do it. I'm observing that JDC is increasingly a network of people from all over the world. New connections spring up also among the local citizens. They now start to believe in an alternative economic way: tourism, sustainability, research. I exhort lectors to keep living JDC after the typical "Researcher for a day" programme and act as a "JDC member" every day; why not including other people. A well known orchestra master, Ezio Bosso, sustain that our soul is composed by "stanzas". We could imagine them as rooms of our soul with a little door that we can open, explore and eventually close. During my experience on board I opened some of the stanzas in which now I spent most of my time: the one of the study of the marine ecology, the one of love for the sea and the one of the life example. This is my treasure and my luck.
Maurizio Ingrosso
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: Vincenzo Segreto
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1 Vincenzo Segreto
2 Andrea Grieco
3 &4 Pietro Giovannelli
5 Nicla Marzano
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