First Documented Uses of Caves along the Coast of Albania by Mediterranean Monk Seals (Monachus monachus, Hermann 1779): Ecological and Conservation Inferences.

ABSTRACT: Information on the habitat use of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) along the coast of Albania (Adriatic and Ionian Sea) has so far been limited to vague and generalised data. A survey conducted in the National Marine Park Karaburun-Sazan in the summer of 2019 identified two marine caves with morphological characteristics best suited for use by such species. The two caves were subsequently equipped with infrared camera traps in 2020. The recovery of a scat in one of the caves during the 2019 survey and the photographic material obtained confirmed the use of the cave. This research provides the first documentation of marine cave habitat use by the Mediterranean monk seal in Albania. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of specimens frequenting the area could not be p

SUBMITTER: Bundone L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9559276 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature