Have you seen a shark, a turtle, a whale and other cetaceans or perhaps, although quite unlikely, a monk seal?
You have not had your chance yet, but you love the Med and keen to know about the encounters other people had these last few months?
You landed in the right place. For Mediterranean Observatory is not a new association but quite simply a bridge between two worlds - those of marine science and of sea-lovers.

By gathering sightings from the public - yachtsmen, divers, fishermen, sailors - of key species (sharks, cetaceans, turtles and monk seals) and relaying them to the researchers, Mediterranean Observatory fills the role of the "missing link" between ordinary people (fishermen, sailors, divers, marine enthusiasts in general) and scientists.

Four scientific papers have been published based on the sightings you submitted through this on-going campaign.
Be the eyes and ears of marine science research! We all have the opportunity to contribute to the big puzzle of the Mediterranean sea!
Once again: if you have seen somthing, let us know. If you haven't seen anything so interesing (yet), have a look at what others saw. And keep your eyes peeled in your next summer holidays!

GOALS
- Collect information on sightings and captures in the Med, and forward them to researchers
- Raise public awareness on the problems marine creatures face, with special emphasis on sharks, cetaceans, monk seals and turtles)
- Work towards shifting people's perception of sharks, from men-eaters to key elements of the marine environment.

ACTIONS
- Articles published in Italy in the summers of 1998-2002 on general interest and marine magazines like: il Venerdì di Repubblica, Airone, Nautica, il Subacqueo, Mondo Sommerso, Aqua, Sub, PescaSub, Pesca in Mare, il giornale dell'Enpa (Ente Nazionale per la Protezione Animali)
- In the UK: newspapers (The Independent), TV (BBC 2) and radio (BBC Radio 5 Live)
- Sighting form distributed to diving centers, scuba shops, Port authorities
- Information material distributed to media after the most significant sightings.
Even the "mythical" BBC's Natural History Unit got interested in Mediterranean Observatory. In 1998 they produced a 3-minute documentary for the TV (The Animal Zone) and two half-hour special transmission on the radio. In 2000 RAI's Linea Blu dedicated part of the show to this campaign. Eleonora de Sabata and Mediterranean Observatory were called in as advisors for "Prowling Sharks in the Mediterranean", a Discovery Channel-Gedeon co-production documentary.

top

WHY SPECIFICALLY THESE ANIMALS?
Because they are apex predators, and on their... fins lies the weight of the well-being of the marune ecosystem.
Because many (whales, sperm whales and loggerhead turtles, just to name a few) form Mediterranean populations which have no contact at all with Atlantic counterparts - and are therefore more vulnerable.
And more: their protection can be assured only by protection of their environment, so the positive consequences will fall down on all the animals that live in the seas too.
And last, but not least... it is certainly much easier to receive sightings of these animals more than the equally rare and endagered whelk Patella ferruginea!!
top


WHAT CAN YOU DO?
So if you had the chance of seeing or, best of all, you have taken a picture of sharks, whales and big cetaceans, turtles or even monk seals in the Mediterranean...
- Download and fill the sighting forms
- Add any photo or video you have. Images are the irrefutable proof of what you saw and may contains details (like scars or colour patterns) that researchers may find very interesting.
- Send everything to:
Eleonora de Sabata - Osservatorio Mediterraneo
via Ruggero Fauro 82, 00197 Roma
fax 06-233.229.073 email: oss.mediterraneo@tiscali.it
top


MEANWHILE THANKS TO..
A big "thank-you" to all of you who sent photos, information, ideas. And thanks to the various researchers who helped to put in perspective and tried to explain the significance of these animals' presenencein our seas
ANIS - Associazione Nazionale Istruttori Subacquei, Riccardo Andreoli, Marco Affronte, Luciano Basile, Andrea Belluscio, il Betulla, Vinicio Biagi, Giampaolo Bianchi, Irene Bianchi, Marco Boscolo, Capitaneria di Porto di Piombino, Carmen Cascio Ingurgio, Stefano Catalano, il rais Gioacchino Cataldo e la ciurma della tonnara di Favignana, Centro Sub Costiera Amalfitana, Centro sub Figarolo, Centro Sub Portorotondo, Giuliano Chiocca, Simona Clò, Diving World Ustica, il Prof. Francesco Costa, Costa Viola Diving Center, Claudio Della Seta, Equipe Sub, Ian Fergusson, Alberto Fini, Massimo Grassadonia, Giuseppe Guarrasi, Harry Hausl, Oloturia sub di Gianmichele Iaria, Isla Diving di Ornella Girosi, Giuliano Greco, Sacha e la ciurma della tonnara di Carloforte; Jerome Julienne, Marcello La Bua, Cap. Filippo La Ciura, Antonio Lunanuova, Giulia Mo, Fabio Mondellini, Mediterraneosub, Sofia Menconero, Maurizio Miliani, Nitto Mineo, Angelo Miragliuolo, Jimmi Montanti, Tomasino Muntoni e No Limits Diving Center Mediterraneo, Barbara Mussi, Stefano Navarrini, Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, Roberto Pachì, Eugenio Paladino,Fabio Pascoli e la Scuola Immersioni Mestre, Tiziano Pegorer, Salvatore Platania, Alberto Romeo, Mario Romor, Scilla Diving, Fabrizio Serena, Nicolò Sparta, Franco Stener, Elio Susini, Egidio Trainito, Marco Traversa, Giusi Utano, Marino Vacchi, Ivan Vicari, Roger Zentilin...
And apologies to all of you whom I failed to mention here.

top