Movements of Mediterranean Monk Seals (Monachus monachus) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Adamantopoulou, S.

doi:10.1578/am.37.3.2011.256

Cited by 24 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…This sighting of a Mediterranean monk seal in Libya is but the latest of a spate of extra-limital sightings of the species in the southeastern Mediterranean Basin. If the Libyan monk seal was a migrant, it would involve the crossing of more than 300 km of open sea (i.e., the closest distance from Libya to the southern coast of the island of Crete) by a juvenile Mediterranean monk seal, thus confirming the assumption of the species being capable of traveling long distances (Adamantopoulou et al, 2011). Extra-limital sightings also have been recorded recently in Italy and Croatia in the Adriatic Sea (Gomerčić et al, 2011;Mo, 2011).…”

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confidence: 69%

Short Note: First Confirmed Sighting of the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) in Libya Since 1972

Alfaghi¹

2013

Aquat Mamm

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confidence: 69%

Short Note: First Confirmed Sighting of the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) in Libya Since 1972

Alfaghi¹

2013

Aquat Mamm

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“…The Ionian Islands are important sites for the conservation of the Mediterranean monk seal because they are characterised by a heterogeneous coastal habitat, which includes both open sandy beaches and several rocky areas, with marine caves suitable as resting and breeding grounds for monk seals [27,28]. Studies on the behavior and migratory capacity of the Mediterranean monk seal are extremely rare due to the difficulty in performing tagging and tracking experiments [29]. However, observations carried out in different areas in Greece have highlighted the ability of sub-adults and adults to cover a total distance of 100-300 km, with a daily mean of 10-40 km [29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies on the behavior and migratory capacity of the Mediterranean monk seal are extremely rare due to the difficulty in performing tagging and tracking experiments [29]. However, observations carried out in different areas in Greece have highlighted the ability of sub-adults and adults to cover a total distance of 100-300 km, with a daily mean of 10-40 km [29]. Moreover, juvenile individuals have also been observed in areas hundreds of kilometers away from their putative origin [23,30,31].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mediterranean Monk Seal Pup on the Apulian Coast (Southern Italy): Sign of an Ongoing Recolonisation?

et al. 2020

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The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. This species has been threatened since ancient times by human activities and currently amounts to approximately 700 individuals distributed in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (Aegean and Ionian Sea) and Eastern Atlantic Ocean (Cabo Blanco and Madeira). In other areas, where the species is considered “probably extinct”, an increase in sporadic sightings has been recorded during recent years. Sightings and accidental catches of Mediterranean monk seals have become more frequent in the Adriatic Sea, mainly in Croatia but also along the coasts of Montenegro, Albania and Southern Italy. A Mediterranean monk seal pup was recovered on 27 January 2020 on the beach of Torre San Gennaro in Torchiarolo (Brindisi, Apulia, Italy). DNA was extracted from a tissue sample and the hypervariable region I (HVR1) of the mitochondrial DNA control region was amplified and sequenced. The alignment performed with seven previous published haplotypes showed that the individual belongs to the haplotype MM03, common in monk seals inhabiting the Greek islands of the Ionian Sea. This result indicates the Ionian Islands as the most probable geographical origin of the pup, highlighting the need to intensify research and conservation activities on this species even in areas where it seemed to be extinct.

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“…However, the term ‘vagrant’ does not seem to apply for all seal sightings’ since no breeding nuclei within the known movement range of the species are known from this part of the Mediterranean (i.e. 12–40 km per day and up to ~300 km within a few months; Adamantopoulou et al, ). The frequency of the sightings recorded along the Egadi Islands (Sicily) might reflect a permanent presence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On sightings of (vagrant?) monk seals, Monachus monachus, in the Mediterranean Basin and their importance for the conservation of the species

Bundone

Panou

Molinaroli

2019

Aquatic Conservation

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In ancient times, the distribution range of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) extended all over the coasts of the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and parts of the north‐eastern Atlantic coast. Nowadays, the species is classified as Endangered and the current total world population is stated to consist of ~700 animals, though numbers mostly express best estimates. Distribution patterns in documents of international authorities from the last 15 years indicate the species' extinction in a number of Mediterranean countries, whereas in some of them only a few individuals are thought to survive and in others the status is unknown. This study analyses recent monk seal sightings over the period from 2000 to 2014 in the Mediterranean Basin. The locations of the sightings cover most of the study area and indicate a spreading of individual seals or a more stable presence in regions where the species was considered extinct. The investigation pointed out that efforts for the protection of monk seals, the most endangered marine mammal in Europe, should encompass all areas where monk seal sightings have been recorded, including the protection and conservation of potential suitable habitats in countries where the species apparently no longer exists. Appropriate conservation measures, such as the establishment of marine protected areas and sustainable management of fisheries, will aid natural recolonization and enhance gene flow between distant regions throughout the Mediterranean Basin, allowing the reconnection of distant populations or individual animals.

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Movements of Mediterranean Monk Seals (Monachus monachus) in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Cited by 24 publications

References 0 publications

Short Note: First Confirmed Sighting of the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) in Libya Since 1972

Short Note: First Confirmed Sighting of the Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus) in Libya Since 1972

A Mediterranean Monk Seal Pup on the Apulian Coast (Southern Italy): Sign of an Ongoing Recolonisation?

On sightings of (vagrant?) monk seals, Monachus monachus, in the Mediterranean Basin and their importance for the conservation of the species

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