Cetaceans and Coastal Monitoring in Italy

This program aims to provide volunteers with knowledge on various aspects of cetacean and marine macrofauna research and vital coastal monitoring techniques. It includes a course that presents a strong theoretical component, with different lectures covering diverse topics: biology, anatomy, ecology of the main species of cetaceans and sea turtles present in the Mediterranean and Ligurian Sea, ID techniques to recognize these species, and the various oceanographic and geomorphological aspects of these basins. Furthermore, additional information is given on the main research techniques used in this field of science, as well as during the monitoring of the coastal environment and data collection. Participants take part in various practical activities to improve their familiarity with the monitoring protocols of coastal environments, data collection protocols used in the field by researchers, ID skills, and photo identification. They also conduct land-based surveys when good weather conditions allow and contribute to species monitoring within the study area.