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Projects and Activities

Ischia Dolphin Project
Roman Dolphins
ACCOBAMS MMO/PAM COURSE

Sail with us!

Pm breach

Join the Ischia Dolphin Project to watch whales and dolphins at sea

Since 1991, seven Mediterranean cetacean species, weekly expeditions from May to September

Cruises are open to everybody who wish to share and work enthusiastically on the field. Anybody can participate. The Project is almost exclusively supported by the financial contribution of participants. The money you pay to participate in the program will be used to cover the project running costs. The financial contribution of project participants is essential to allow study and conservation activities to continue.

Roman Dolphins is the research project monitoring the cetaceans frequenting the Roman coast between Fiumicino, Ostia and Torvaianica, including the Marine Protected Area "Secche di Tor Paterno". The target species is the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). The species is protected by the Bern, Barcelona and Washington Convensions, by the EU Habitat Directive and by the 157/’92 Italian law, resulting the only species, among those under the protection of the MPA “Secche di Tor Paterno”, profiting of a very high degree of consideration in terms of conservation measures. To date, 90 individuals were photoidentified by Oceanomare Delphis Onlus researchers.

The purpose of this project is to achieve a better understanding of the presence of bottlenose dolphin and the interactions with human activities along the Roman littoral. In particular, the study is developing a regular monitoring program to study the distribution, the abundance, the use of the habitat and behavior of the species, to produce an updated data platform and to evaluate the impact of fishing activities (gillnets and trawlers).

Oceanomare Delphis Onlus and CIBRA under the agreement signed with ACCOBAMS (Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area) will be running a new training course to qualify Marine Mammal Observers and operators of Passive Acoustic Monitoring systems.

When: 23^rd to 28^th September 2019

Where: Albergo della Regina Isabella, Lacco Ameno, Island of Ischia (Italy)

For more information or to apply: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Leatherback Turtle in waters of Ischia

Tartaruga liuto PRESS RELEASE - NAPLES, 04/08/2018 - Oceanomare Delphis Onlus and Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn together for the knowledge and conservation of the biodiversity of our Sea.

Last 25th June, the researchers of Oceanomare Delphis Onlus (ODO) within Ischia Dolphin Project – for the monitoring and conservation of cetaceans – encountered a rare Leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), immediately warning the Marine Turtle Research Center of Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn. The event occurred with great timing, as the two organisations have started a scientific collaboration for the realisation of joined-up research, education and awareness activities to the benefit of the conservation of the marine ecosystem, with a special focus on great vertebrates.

IDP 2017 Results

Gg 01 PRESS RELEASE, ROME 14/05/2018 - ODO publishes the results of Ischia Dolphin Project 2017. The campaign engaged researchers and volunteers in 77 sea journeys, travelling 2540 nautical miles, totalling 674 hours of monitoring effort.

During the months of May until September 2017, 67 cetaceans’ sightings were carried out of 5 different species, with an observation effort of 71 hours and 194 nm travelled in the presence of the animals.

The striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) was encountered 29 times, thus confirming to be the most sighted species of the area, followed by the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) with 15 sightings and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with 14. A very welcome back species was the Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) spotted 4 times; whereas the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) was only recorded 2 times, and in 3 instances, it was not possible to identify the species.

Training day on cetaceans for the Coast Guard in Rome

formazioneCP PRESS RELEASE, ROME 10/05/2018 – Last Monday, Oceanomare Delphis Onlus (ODO) researchers delivered a course on cetaceans addressed to the staff of the Coast Guard in Rome.

This initiative falls within the Agreement of the scientific collaboration for the study and conservation of cetaceans signed between the Coast Guard of Rome and ODO (March 2017), which aims at cooperating in the research activities as well as in awareness campaigns supporting the safeguard of the marine environment and, in particular, of cetaceans inhabiting the waters off the coasts of Lazio region.

Campaign Results of Delfini Capitolini 2017

DC13 PRESS RELEASE, ROME 05/04/2018 - During the 2017 campaign of Delfini Capitolini, ODO researchers carried out 48 sea journeys, travelling 990 miles in 170 hours of monitoring the study area, which led to 19 sightings of bottlenose dolphins.

During the 100 miles travelled in the presence of the animals, about 46K photographs were taken, and thanks to a stationary hydrophone by Dodotronic, acoustic data was gathered of feeding and socialising animals.

In 9 instances, dolphins were observed interacting with fishing activities, a useful information for the study of interactions between animals and fishing practices.

IDP 2016 Results

Pm Procida PRESS RELEASE, ROME 26/04/2017 – Oceanomare Delphis Onlus (ODO) presents the results of the 2016 campaign of Ischia Dolphin Project (IDP), carried out between May and October in the waters of the Campania Archipelago (Ischia, Procida, Capri) and Pontino Archipelago (Ventotene and Ponza).

The project involved ODO researchers and volunteers in 81 sea journeys, travelling 4080 km and totalling 707 hours of research and monitoring activity. 45 cetacean sightings have been registered of 5 different species, with an effort of 67 hours of direct observation in 304 km travelled with the animals.

Mesoplodon traversii

Monday 13 March in Morocco was found stranded and dead a 5 meter-long individual of Traver’s beaked whale (Mesoplodon traversii), one of the rarest cetacean species in the world. To this day, there isn’t any evidence of sighting these animals alive.