INSEAD Annual Report 2023-20143 test - Flipbook - Page 19
Projects
Marine Science 2023
Cetacean Refuges
Lead investigator: Dr. Clare Embling,
University of Plymouth
Cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are
charismatic yet vulnerable marine animals that
play a vital ecological role in our ocean. Many
whale populations are still recovering from historic
whaling and cetaceans worldwide are threatened
by fishery bycatch, ship strikes and increasing
noise pollution. Cetaceans are highly mobile and
tend to travel huge distances. Their movements
are often determined by changing oceanography,
the distribution and concentration of their prey,
and by the life cycle such as seasonal breeding
migrations. Successful management, particularly
in the face of impacts such as bycatch, is
dependent on a proper biological understanding.
The central Indian Ocean may be one of the
last tropical refuges where cetaceans remain
protected from human impacts, yet unfortunately
we know very little of their diversity, distribution,
and abundance. This project is surveying
cetaceans in this poorly-studied region, with a
focus on the Chagos Archipelago, using sightings
and acoustic surveys and closely linked with
regional capacity building.
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