ECOPOTENTIAL: Improving Future Ecosystem Benefits through Earth Observations

Improving approaches for whale conservation and tourism in the Mediterranean

CASE STUDY 3

status of whale species, and of the activities of tourism operators and fishing and shipping industries.

Location: Pelagos Sanctuary, Mediterranean Sea

The Application of Earth Observation in ECOPOTENTIAL: The ECOPOTENTIAL project and its partners are applying several approaches to better understand the situation: applying ground-breaking approaches to using satellite data and images to count whales; applying ecological modelling methods to better understand and predict where species’ critical habitats are located; and working with over 94 whale watching companies to understand how and where they operate. An important end-goal is to bring this information together to inform management decisions for the Pelagos Sanctuary. This case study has been adapted from the original ECOPOTENTIAL storyline contributions by Drakou, E. (UBO); Pendleton, L. (UBO); Appeltans, W. (UNESCO)

The Challenge: Nine species of whales exist in the Mediterranean Sea, and these provide the basis for a whale watching tourism industry across several countries. These whale populations are also exposed to a number of threats, including overfishing, underwater noise, fisheries bycatch and plastic debris. The presence of big vessels also can also lead to death or injury from boat strikes. A number of marine protected areas (MPAs) have been designated or are proposed to protect these species (see map). One of the existing MPAs is the Pelagos Mediterranean Sanctuary, which is located between the island of Sardinia and the coasts of Italy and France. However, a fragmented understanding currently exists about the movements and population

29