Population identity and feeding ecology of the northern Iberian Mediterranean striped dolphin

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Main researcher: Assumpció Borrell Thió (Barcelona University)

Description:
The conservation status of cetaceans present in the Black and Mediterranean Seas has been a cause of significant concern for many years and this has been unequivocally reflected in the Action Plan of the Barcelona Convention of 1991 as well as within several global action projects for the conservation of cetaceans of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).

In this context, this study aims to establish the main ecological features of the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). The species shows serious problems of conservation. This information is therefore a basic element for any activities aimed at managing these creatures.

Given the knowledge available to date on the conservation problems affecting this species, the research effort will focus on establishing the following:

• The degree of contamination of heavy metals (HM) and organochlorine compounds DDTs and PCBs.
• The current exploited trophic level and diet, through analysis of stable isotopes and stomach contents.
• The potential change in diet over the past 20 years caused by possible variation in food resources as a result of fishing pressure (through stable isotope analysis).

The study results will be applied to the management of Iberian populations of this species, the development of conservation plans and, ultimately, the development of the Spanish Strategy for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity and the international agreements made by Spain on this matter.

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