Seabirds, sharks and rays: sentinels of a fast-changing world
For both seabirds and elasmobranchs, the ecological knowledge still remains fragmentary and geographically limited, making it difficult to forecast realistic population trends. Further, for many of these species, migration corridors, breeding and foraging areas of preference are poorly known/ understood. Such vast knowledge gaps not only seriously limit the efficiency of local protection measures with regard to these species, but also could mask important signals of their response to natural/anthropogenic changes in the ecosystems.
What is the distribution of species? Where do they move to and when? What are their migratory pathways? What is the connectivity of populations?
The project main challenges are to fill in major knowledge gaps in the geographic distribution and movements of seabirds and elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) in the Mediterranean and Black Sea Basins; and identify as best as feasible migration corridors and the interconnected breeding, foraging and wintering areas.
The project follows both a participatory science and experimental approach.
Background:
Seabirds in the Mediterranean are increasingly threatened by climate change, depletion of sea food resources, and other human related impacts (by-catch captures, artificial light pollution, habitat destruction). Although only few are considered critically endangered globally, in the Mediterranean and Black Sea region the situation is much different, whereby 25 species are listed in the Annex II List of Threatened and Endangered species of the SPA Protocol of the Barcelona Convention.
Dedicated webpage :
https://ciesm.org/marine/programs/seabirds/
Background:
Most Mediterranean elasmobranchs are impacted by intense fishing pressure, either directly (trawling) or indirectly (bycatch). As a result, nearly half of sharks and rays species present in the Mediterranean Sea are classified as Endangered or Threatened in the IUCN Red List; a likely underestimate, in view of the paucity of data available.
Guide of Mediterranean Skates and Rays: :
https://ciesm.org/marine/programs/skatesandrays/
This initiative by CIESM aims to draw attention to their cartilaginous ‘cousins’ – the rays – which evolved from common ancestors at least 250 million years ago. While living sharks include some 500 species worldwide, skates and rays are represented by some 630 species, most of which exhibiting a relatively narrow distributional range. Nowadays cartilaginous fishes are highly vulnerable to extinction mostly due to unregulated overfishing – deliberate or not. This is particularly the case in our region: only 38 species of skates and rays, all covered here, are found in the Mediterranean.
Spatial ecology:
Filling in major knowledge gaps in the geographic distribution and movements of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean and Black Sea Basins; identification of main migration corridors, starting with a pilot species.
- SHARKnowledge – Use of Local Ecological Knowledge: Coming soon
- Satellite tracking of pelagic sharks: Coming soon
This CIESM program is co-financed by Prince Albert II Of Monaco Foundation. A financial contribution to the programme activities has been granted by the Foundation for a four-year period (2020-2024).