Worn by the EDEN-I association and its partners, the project BioWhale, supported by the Agoa Sanctuary – marine protected area dedicated to marine mammals of the French Antilles – aims to to identify the largest number of bottlenose dolphins and whales à boss prpresent in the waters of îthe Northern, while also raising public awareness.
La Fêwhale’s headThe event, organized last Sunday, was one of the mission’s key actions: raising awareness about the impact of human activities and encouraging better practices at sea. Increased maritime traffic, boat speeds, and noise pollution represent significant pressures on these coastal species, which are particularly vulnerable when they surface to breathe. “Marine mammals are protected by ministerial decrees; they are sensitive and fragile animals,” reminds Amandine Bordin, president of EDEN-I.
In collaboration with the association Mon école, Ma Baleine, Wind Adventures, the Saint-Barthélemy Territorial Environment Agency and the Saint-Martin Nature Reserve, EDEN-I continues its work of photo identification of the observed individuals. This method consists of photographing the dolphin dorsal fin and the inner face of the caudal fin humpback whaleswhose markings, scars, and spots allow for the identification of each animal. The public can contribute to this scientific work. “Many people take photos at sea; these images can enrich local data,” emphasizes the president, who encourages people to submit them via the platform. ObsEnMer.
collected data will be cross-referenced with other international catalogs to better track populations. technical report is expected by the end of the year. Planned to take three years to be fully effective, the project is currently funded for one year by the French Biodiversity Office. _DR
To support the BioWhale project: https://urls.fr/9vmdFw
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/projet-biowhale-mieux-proteger-baleines-et-dauphins/
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