Dataset Information

First Description of the Underwater Sounds in the Mediterranean Monk Seal Monachus monachus in Greece: Towards Establishing a Vocal Repertoire.

ABSTRACT: The Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus is one of the most endangered pinnipeds in the world, and is classified as "Endangered" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Any additional knowledge about the species is invaluable to its effective conservation. In the present study, we deployed an autonomous underwater recorder in an important reproductive area of the Mediterranean monk seal in Greece to describe its underwater vocal repertoire. Over the 330 h of continuous recordings, 9231 vocalizations were labelled as potentially produced by Mediterranean monk seals, and 1694 good quality calls were analyzed. We defined 18 call types divided into three main call categories: harmonic, noisy, and pulsative calls. We also described the soundscape in which this endangered species lives and found that human activities around the two main pupping caves had a strong impact on the sonic environment of these seals: the noise level produced by boat traffic was high, and occurred on an hourly (25 to 50 min/hour) and daily basis (10.8 to 16.9 h/day). Such high levels of noise might not only impair the communication of the species, but also impact its survival, as chronic noise can induce physiological stress.

SUBMITTER: Charrier I

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10044229 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

First Description of the Underwater Sounds in the Mediterranean Monk Seal <i>Monachus monachus</i> in Greece: Towards Establishing a Vocal Repertoire.

Charrier Isabelle I Huetz Chloé C Prevost Léa L Dendrinos Panagiotis P Karamanlidis Alexandros A AA

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI 20230314 6

The Mediterranean monk seal <i>Monachus monachus</i> is one of the most endangered pinnipeds in the world, and is classified as "Endangered" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Any additional knowledge about the species is invaluable to its effective conservation. In the present study, we deployed an autonomous underwater recorder in an important reproductive area of the Mediterranean monk seal in Greece to describe its underwater vocal repertoire. Over the 330 h of contin ...[more]

PMID: 36978589

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Project description:BackgroundCitizen Science (CS) offers a promising approach to enhance data collection and engage communities in conservation efforts. This study evaluates the use of CS in environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring for Mediterranean monk seal conservation. We validated CS by assessing the effectiveness of a newly developed CS-friendly filtration system called "WET" (Water eDNA Trap) in eDNA detection, addressing technical challenges, and analysing volunteer faults. The WET is a 4-litre, manual pump-based filtering system using positive pressure to force water through the filter. We also assessed the use of a retrospective questionnaire as a tool to measure CS's social impact on participants' perceived knowledge, attitudes, and conservation behaviours.ResultsResults suggest the WET performs comparably to traditional methods, with minor technical issues. Despite some faults such as not folding or forgetting to change the filter, volunteers were generally reliable in sample processing. Moreover, CS involvement increased participants' perceived knowledge, affective attitudes, and conservation behaviours towards seal conservation. Volunteers reported a greater understanding of eDNA monitoring, increased interest in monk seal conservation, and more frequent conservation behaviours, including spreading awareness within their community. While these findings are exploratory due to the small sample size (19 participants) and potential ceiling effects in attitude assessment, they provide an initial validation of the questionnaire as a tool for measuring CS's social outcomes. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these results and investigate their applicability across broader stakeholder groups. Continuous improvement in volunteer training and equipment design is also recommended.ConclusionsThis study highlights CS's potential to improve public engagement and knowledge in conservation. By involving diverse participants, CS can play a critical role in long-term conservation efforts and promote sustainable coexistence between humans and monk seals. Furthermore, the validation of the questionnaire offers a valuable framework for evaluating the social impact of CS initiatives in conservation contexts.

Dataset Information

First Description of the Underwater Sounds in the Mediterranean Monk Seal Monachus monachus in Greece: Towards Establishing a Vocal Repertoire.

Publications

First Description of the Underwater Sounds in the Mediterranean Monk Seal <i>Monachus monachus</i> in Greece: Towards Establishing a Vocal Repertoire.

Similar Datasets

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