:: Alnitak ::

Work lines of Alnitak Alnitak

Photo-identification of cetaceans
Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
Long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas)
Risso´s dolphin (Grampus griseus)
Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Spatial modelling of habitat use
Cetaceans
Sea turtles
Seabirds

Abundance estimates
Cetaceans
Sea turtles

Mitigation measures for human impacts
Maritime traffic, fisheries, military manoeuvres, tourism

Other conservation measures
Conservation Plans, Marine Protected Areas

Photo-identification of cetaceans

Alnitak is doing photo-identification of cetaceans inthe Alboran Sea since 1992. The main objectives of this work are:

To obtain abundance estiamtes throug mark-recapture methods
To calculate survival and reproduction rates
To investigate the social structure of the populations
To investigate the degree of residency and the site fidelity of animals/social groups
To investigate the identity of the populations and possible migrations and/or movements
To investigate the habitat use of animals/social groups

The catalogues of the different species and tehir analysis are at different levels of development:

	Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)
	A preliminar catalogue has been built with photographs taken between 1992 and 2003. This catalogue inludes for the moment 196 individuals. A review and update of the catalogue will be undertaken from 2009.
	Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
	The catalogue for this species has not benn done yet, but it is planned to start with it in 2009. There are at least 25000 images available for this species.
	Long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas)
	The catalogue for this species is been prepared by María Ovando and has already more than 400 individuals, with many recaptures from year to year. Becci Jewell will continue with it from 2009 as part of her PhD thesis: "Ecología y conservación del calderón negro en el mar de Alborán".
	Risso´s dolphin (Grampus griseus)
	The catalogue of indivuals has been built for the years 1992 to 2007, in which (up to now and still waiting for review) 182 individuals have been identified from both sides, 111 only fromt he left side and 145 only from the right side. A first estimate of abundance for the years 1992-1995 has been done with mark-recapture as part of the Master thesis of Gabriela Vélez, at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid: Mark-recapture of Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus in the Alboran Sea.
	Sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
	The catalogue for this species has not been prepared yet. The images of the first years were contributed to the NAMSC catalogue (North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sperm whale Catalogue).

Spatial modelling of habitat use

Alnitak started applying the method of spatial mdoelling of cetaceans survey data in 2001, short after this method was born in the field of cetacean studies, thanks to the work of Sharon Hedley from CREEM (Center for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling) at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, in 1999. Ana Cañadas started working in this field precisely at the University of St Andrews when she started her PhD in 2000 under the supervision of Prof. Phil Hammond, and thanks to the support and advices from Sharon and other researchers from CREEM and SMRU (Sea Mammal Research Unit).

With this mehtod we aim to:

Investigate the spatial distribution and habitat preferences of several species of cetacenas, seabirs and the loggerhead turtle, based on the preferences shown for specific characteristics of the marine environment.
Evaluate the importance of "intrinsic" factors of the popualtions or groups in the habitat use, such as presence of calves, beahviour, etc.
Identify the areas with higher density, the most sensitive areas (e.g. those used more frquently for feeding or when ahving calves), and the areas with more important threats from human activities for each species and/or groups of species.
According to the previosu point, identify the areas that should be subject of some degree of protection (marine protected areas) and the msot needed, appropriate and feasible mitigation measures for each species / groups of species and area.

Up to now, this work has yielded several scientific publications and PhD, Master and Diploma Thesis. Inthis moment we keep on working on the following lines:

	Habitat preferences
	The spatial models of distribution and habitat preferences are being updated for all cetaceans species present in the Alboran Sea, and the models for the loggerhead turtles and for seabirds are being done now too.
	Assessment of the influence of intrinsic factors on the habitat use
	These models are being updated for common dolphin. They are being prepared now for bottlenose dolphins too and will be done soon for pilot whales.
	Identification of "hot spots" and proposals for conservation
	Through the project "Spatially-explicit Conservation in the Alborán Sea: Predictive Habitat Modeling and Gap Analysis Guide Pelagic Protected Area Designs", subcontrated to Alnitak by Duke University Marine Lab (North Carolina, US) within a "Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation", the predictive habitat models for cetaceans, sea turtles and seabirds are being developed, refined and improved using Alnitak´s surveys data and new oceanographic data from satellite imagery. With these analysis, we will do a GAP analysis to identify the overlapping areas and "priority habitats" for conservation, both within and across taxonomic groups. Finally, to evaluate potential MPAs (Marine proteceted areas) designs, we will cuantify the spatial and temporal predictability of those oceanographic charactreristics identified during the modelling process and teh GAP analysis. In parallel, we keep on working with the public administrations to develop and imporve conservation proposals based on sounds scientific data on cetaceans and sea turtles.

Abundance estimates

In Alnitak we are working since seevral years ago in the estimatesof abundance for several species of cetaceans and for the loggerhead turtle. The abundance estiamtesa re not a static value, but are updated periodically. Therefore, Alnitak keeps on working in this moment on this line, either updating estiamtes from previous years or obtaining new ones for species for which there are no previous results. We work mainly mith spatial modelling combined with line transect data to obtain the abundance estimates.

This work has yielded also several scientific publications and PhD, Master and Diploma Thesis. At present we are working on the following species:

Bottlenose dolphin:

Cañadas, A. and Hammond, P. 2006. Model-based abundance estimate of bottlenose dolphins off Southern Spain: implications for conservation and management. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 8(1). (1.2 Mb)

Analysis of fluctuations in abundance of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Alborán Sea.

Common dolphin:

Cañadas, A. and Hammond, P.S. 2008. Abundance and habitat preferences of the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) in the South-western Mediterranean: implications for conservation. Endangered Species Research 4: 309-331. (3.2 Mb)

Risso's dolphin:

Marcaje-recaptura de calderón gris Grampus griseus en el Mar de Alborán.

Long-finned pilot whale:

Modelling the distribution and absolute abundance of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) in the Alborán Sea.

Striped dolphin:

Abundance and habitat preferences of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) in the northern Alborán Sea, Spain.