(haipo) This week, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority conducted a survey of mammals and seabirds in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time since 2022. The survey lasted two days and included seven sections along Israel's coast, during which 18 adult common dolphins, a rich variety of seabirds and migratory birds, as well as a rare sighting of a white-bellied sole, were observed.
A comprehensive survey in collaboration with researchers and ornithologists from leading organizations
The three research boats were attended by marine ecologists and ornithologists from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and inspectors from the Authority's marine unit, researchers from the Maurice Kahn Marine Research Station of the Leon Czerny School of Marine Sciences at the University of Haifa, members of the Delphis Association for Marine Mammals in Israel, and ornithologists from the Ornithology Center of the Society for the Protection of Nature. The combination of experts allowed for the simultaneous documentation of mammals and seabirds, which are important markers of food concentrations and oceanographic phenomena, and thus obtained a wealth of data on the biodiversity of the open sea. Yali Meborach, coordinator of the Deep Sea Project at the Supercarnivore Laboratory of the Maurice Kahn Marine Research Station at the University of Haifa, explained that during the survey, the entire Israeli coastline – in the north, center, and south – was scanned simultaneously up to eight miles from the coast, covering almost 500 kilometers. According to her, the survey data will be processed for a report to be submitted within the framework of the Barcelona Convention.
'Shlomi' the dolphin was re-identified after years
The dolphins that were observed clustered in two pods in central Israel, most of them far from the coastline, and accompanied the survey boats during the voyage. From analyzing the images taken during the survey, researcher Kim Cobo from the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station identified one of the dolphins as ‘Shlomi’ – a common dolphin that was first documented by researchers from the University of Haifa and the Delphis Association in 2017. Shlomi is the fifth calf of the common dolphin Suki, which is frequently observed off the coast of Israel and has been seen to date with no less than eight different calves. The Nature and Parks Authority explains that the common dolphin is the most common marine mammal along the coast of Israel and one of the most prominent symbols of the Mediterranean ecosystem.
The sea at its best – dolphins, birds and mating sea turtles
Dr. Ruthie Yahel, Marine Ecologist at the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, said that throughout the survey, the research teams were able to see the sea at its best – dolphins alongside seabirds and migratory birds, for which the Mediterranean Sea is a major migration route. According to her, mating of loggerhead and green sea turtles was also observed in preparation for the upcoming nesting season. Dr. Yahel emphasized that the sea is a complete and diverse ecosystem, and that the Authority is making great efforts to expand nature reserves and protected areas in order to continue to protect the sea from the many threats it faces. She thanked all the partners who took part in the survey and who are helping to monitor the ecological situation in the Mediterranean Sea throughout the year.
International commitment under the Barcelona Convention
The current survey constitutes an important step in the implementation of the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution and the Conservation of Biological Diversity, and marks Israel’s international commitment to cooperation in protecting the sea. The survey was conducted as part of the SEMPA project – a unique project of the Convention that encourages data collection and biological monitoring in the southern and eastern Mediterranean, with the aim of improving the state of the marine environment and in particular the management of marine nature reserves and making them more effective for the conservation of marine nature. Israel is working to expand its network of marine nature reserves in the Mediterranean, including deep-sea reserves.
Growing threats to marine mammals
The Nature and Parks Authority reminds us that marine mammals: dolphins, whales, and seals, are defined in Israel as protected natural values and are also protected under the Wildlife Protection Law. However, in the Mediterranean Sea and throughout the world, they are under increasing pressure and threats to their existence due to overfishing, damage from vessels, climate change, noise pollution at sea, and underwater explosions. The ecosystem in the eastern Mediterranean basin is considered poor in nutrients, which makes the presence of dolphins, top predators, particularly sensitive and critical for maintaining the stability of the food web in the marine "desert."
The common dolphin – a critical flagship species for the state of the sea
The common dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is the most common and stable species along the coast of Israel, highly adaptable and interacting complexly with human activity. Dolphins can often be seen around trawling vessels, enjoying the by-catch of fishing, but at the same time are exposed to the risk of entanglement in the ropes or the trawl bag and serious injuries and even drowning.
Dr. Aviad Sheinin, Director of the Superpredators Division at the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station and Co-CEO of the Delphis Association, He noted that monitoring the condition of the common dolphin provides critical information about the health of the Mediterranean ecosystem, and as one of the key species of the Barcelona Convention, its monitoring is part of Israel's commitment to achieving "good environmental status" in the Mediterranean basin. He said that the survey provided an important complementary picture to the ongoing and long-term research being conducted by researchers at the University of Haifa and the Delphis Association.