WWF oasi blu

A project for the welfare of cetacean in Mediterranean

A long term research to study the ecological

and the ethological aspects of these marine mammals,

monitoring as well the environment where they live.

Pilot whale (Globicephala melas)

Mediterranean, as almost everyone knows, isn’t in perfect health. Actually pollution and overfishing or destructive fishing have caused a general state of degrade and depauperation.

In that situation cetacean represent an extreme reliable index. Infact they are quite longeval, but in general they have low reproductive rates, so the decline of the populations depend sensibly on the different environmental changes.

"STUDIOMARE" and "OASI BLU - WWF" have been conducting a research project on a particular area, the Archipelago Pontino-Campano, since 1991. The supervisor of this project is Dr. Antonio Di Natale, responsible of the scientific development in the "Genoa Aquarium" and director of the Research Institute "Acquastudio-Messina". This sample area hadn’t ever been studied in the past, so our work has started with a very accurate census, occured also during Winter seasons. Actually the data have revealed that this area is characterised by a sensible presence of cetacean all the year.

Since 1993 the research has been supported by the presence of a sailing boat, "Barbarian" ( a 15m schooner equiped as a ketch) which has been transformed in a real labaratory on the sea, devoted entirely to the research on cetacean. The boat is provided with a database (of images too) and a recording system to collect bioacoustic data.

Since 1994 the support of "Magica", a 14m. sloop, has contributed, during the watching sea cruises, to increase the number of sighting data collected, besides the support of a second boat has permitted to involve more researchers in the project. The possibility to have two boats perfectly equiped for the research which monitoring the area has allowed the development of new scientific projects about ethology, ecology and bioacoustic

Nowadays the projects comprehend the following subjects:

• ecology and feeding of Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus);

• feeding and mating behaviour of Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) and of Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis);

• vocalisations analysis of Striped dolphin and Common dolphin;

• behaviour of a semi-resident group of Pilot whales (Globicephala melas);
• analysis of Pilot whales whistles;

• intereactions between a resident population of Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the fishing (da posta ?) nets;

• census of Sea birds as major Magpie (Calonectris diomedea) and minor Magpie (Puffinus puffinus).

This cetacean project self-maintains through the naturalist research cruise "Sails, islands and dolphins". Thanks to the participation of hundreds WWF volunteers that have chosen to dedicate their holidays to a conservation project, it has been possible to continue with our effort in the research so far. WWF initiatives are a good chance for people who care the ecological problems, to do actually something practical for the conservation of the environment.

Activities:

• course of cethology (evolution, adaptation to the sea, classification of the different species with a particular attention to the Mediterranean ones, bioacoustic, social behaviour, relations with the fishing, fishing in the Italian waters);

• practical lessons about cetacean watching;

• during the watching every volunteer carries out a precise task as timing the long and the short divings, photoidentifying the animals… every single useful thing purposed to collect more data as possible;

• the recording system lets the volunteer to get confidence with animals’ vocalisations and background noises of the sea.

• seamanship: interested volunteers can learn the main riggings to sail as steering, hoisting and striking the sails, take confidence with sheets, halyard, compass and courses…besides they can collaborate with the crew during the mooring.

Accomodation: in the berths of "Barbarian" and "Magica", the two 15m. sailing boats can accomodate from 3 to 14 people.

Time: from June to October.

Fees: June, September and October 750,000 ITL

Galley: sharing cash.

The first dinner will be in "Trattoria" on your charge.

Embarking and disembarking:

• Ventotene Island, in the new harbour. You could arrive in Ventotene from Formia (LT) by ferry or hydrofoil;
• Ischia Island, in Forio harbour. You could arrive in Ischia from Naples by ferry or hydrofoil;
• To confirm the embarking harbour, please contact us to the following phone number +39(0)330445520;
• meetig point at your arrival is " Barbarian", black two-masts;
• we embark on Mondays at 18.30 and we disembark on the next Sunday about 17.00.

General informations:

• We speak just Neapolitan, sometimes Italian and very seldom English, anyway there is also a german researcher.
• cooking, washing up, cleaning, steering and watching are sharing among the crew and the volunteers;
• course is decided in according to the forecast conditions and to the purposes of the research;
• water and electricity are precious resources on the boat, so they must be used with care;
• do you like pets? Very well, because on board of "Barbarian" there are three dogs ( Norma, Auro, Zora) and one (Pancho) on "Magica".

We remind you that to live on a sailing boat is a choice: spartan life, sharing a small room with other people, conservation of the energy, ecocompatible lifestyle.

We wish you could be interested in a future collaboration with "Oasi blu-WWF", supporting with your help a research and conservation work on animal species actually threaten by pollution and overexploitation of the resources of our sea.

If you are intersted in our activities, please contact:

STUDIOMARE

Mrs. Bettina Büttgen

Phone & Fax +39.081.908170

e-mail: studiomare@pointel.it

With regards

Barbara Mussi

Archipelago Pontino Campano

• Ischia, Procida, Ventotene e Ponza, Mediterranean volcanic islands with common tradition and origin, colonized from Greeks, Romans, and Neapolitans.

• Nature that is the priceless and unspoiled, opulent with the rarest arboreal species

• Thermal waters

• Earth that is rich, yielding a luscius bounty of fruits, spices, vegetables and a very special wine

• History of millenniums written in stone and in the evidences of the past

Touristic areas and nearest cities

• Roma
• Napoli
• Pompei ed Ercolano
• Vesuvio
• Capri
• Sorrento
• Costiera Amalfitana
• Caserta
• Parco Nazionale del Circeo
• Paestum