A Week at Sea for Science: Citizen Science in the Pelagos Sanctuary

Tethys Research Institute has been researching the marine mammals of the Mediterranean for 40 years. For OceanCare, it is one of our key strategic partner organisations, with which we have been working closely for over two decades. The organisation has built up one of the most significant datasets on the presence of whales and dolphins in the region and documents eight regularly occurring species within the Pelagos Sanctuary, which covers an area of around 87,500 square kilometres. This long-term data is invaluable. It helps to develop conservation measures, identify threats and provide a scientific basis for policy decisions. This research is also made possible by citizen science: people from diverse backgrounds and with varying levels of prior knowledge take part in expeditions, assist with data collection and thereby make a direct contribution to the protection of the oceans.

OceanCare and Tethys are linked by a long-standing partnership and a shared vision. Marine mammals need our protection, and effective marine conservation requires sound science. It is equally important to incorporate scientific findings into political processes and to derive concrete conservation measures from them that make a real difference to marine life.

A floating home

After travelling by train via Milan and Genoa, we arrive in Liguria to join the Cetacean Sanctuary Research project. For the next few days, a sailing ship will be our home.

At first, the cabins and storage space seem small. Up to eleven amateur researchers will be living on board during the expedition, sharing five cabins with four scientists and the skipper. Yet after just a few hours, everything seems to have found its place.

Right from the start, I notice how consistently sustainability is practised. Rubbish is sorted, water is topped up from the ship’s tank into personal water bottles, and resources are used mindfully. Many things that seem self-evident on land take on a new meaning at sea.

The people on board could hardly be more different. People from Austria, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the United Kingdom, the USA and Switzerland come together here. The youngest participant is a minor; others are in the prime of their working lives, whilst others are already enjoying their retirement. Their professional backgrounds range from marine biology and nature conservation to the pharmaceutical industry and numerous other fields.

What unites us all is a fascination with the sea and a desire to learn and make a tangible contribution to its protection. Right from the very first briefing, the head of research makes one thing clear: we are not passengers. We are a crew.

It’s wonderful to see just how quickly strangers become a community. Living in close quarters, making observations together, sharing meals and the shared enthusiasm for every sighting create a special bond in no time at all. When it’s a crew member’s birthday on board, the crew secretly whips up a tiramisu as a surprise. We celebrate together. A small but special moment that shows that citizen science thrives not only on data and research, but also on humanity, community and memories that last long after the journey is over.

Hands-on citizen science

Everyone takes on a role. There are kitchen and cleaning duties, safety briefings and clear procedures. Above all, however, the participants are actively involved in the research. They take turns on watch at the lookout, document sightings, help with data collection and learn how researchers identify and track marine mammals. The research is not carried out for the participants, but with them.

Over dinner together, the research leader talks about the challenges facing the Pelagos Sanctuary. Shipping routes have recently changed again; more traffic is heading towards Genoa, and pressure on parts of the Sanctuary has increased once more. Collisions with whales, underwater noise and other disturbances pose major challenges.

With impressive passion, she explains connections that go far beyond biological facts. In every sentence, one senses decades of experience and, at the same time, enthusiasm that comes straight from the heart.

The first sperm whale

The next morning, the engine starts up. We have to set off quickly; bad weather is forecast for the afternoon. The crew is excited and full of anticipation. I’m given the honour of taking the first watch on the lookout. The sound of the waves, the salty air, the movement of the ship: what a privilege!

Before long, we spot a group of around twenty striped dolphins. Our task: to keep an eye out for calves and document our observations.

Whilst we are observing the animals, we suddenly hear characteristic clicking sounds through the hydrophone. A sperm whale. All eyes turn to the sea. The researchers explain to us how dive times can be estimated, how the animals navigate, and roughly when we can expect them to resurface. Then it happens. A blow.

A short while later, the back of a massive sperm whale appears on the surface. The researchers from the recognise him immediately: Bric, a male of around 30 years of age. “We recognised Bric by the white spots on his back below his dorsal fin and by the scratches. We first spotted him in 2011,” one of the researchers explains. Based on the characteristic clicking sounds recorded by the hydrophone, they estimate his length at approximately 13 metres.

After a dive to depths of up to 1,000 metres, he rests at the surface for a few minutes before disappearing back into the depths with his mighty fluke and characteristic trumpeting sound. What an encounter!

When the sea sets the rules

Not every day brings sightings. On some days, wind and high waves prevent research. Seasickness becomes a topic of conversation. Yoghurt and cow’s milk are removed from the breakfast buffet as a precaution. Safety always comes first.

We visit Bordighera and learn more about the marine mammals living in the Pelagos Sanctuary. The famous jacaranda trees and the vibrant bougainvillea blossoms characterise the landscape of the Ligurian coast. It is also impressive to see how Tethys shares its knowledge with the local community. Education and raising awareness are central to the conservation effort.

On another stormy day, our route takes us into the Valle Argentina. Passing through Badalucco and Montalto, we reach the Fiume Argentina, whose valley lay below sea level millions of years ago. Amidst steep rock faces, clear water and lush vegetation, it becomes evident just how closely land and sea are geologically linked. Even these hours away from research offer valuable insights into the region’s natural history and allow us to view the landscape surrounding the Pelagos Sanctuary with fresh eyes.

A mystery on the high seas

On the final day of the expedition, another special moment awaits us. We encounter a fin whale, the second-largest animal species on our planet. We follow the animal several times as it surfaces. Then a huge cargo ship approaches.

Suddenly, the encounter turns into a nail-biting moment. Everyone watches the situation with bated breath. Will there be a dangerous close encounter? Memories of the many documented events of ship collisions with large whales in the Mediterranean immediately come to mind. It appears that no collision took place. We were able to spot the whale again after the ship had passed by.

Yet the moment makes it clear just how real this danger is and why protective measures to prevent collisions are so important. It is precisely such findings that, thanks to long-term research, are incorporated into concrete conservation projects, international agreements and policy solutions. This is a striking illustration of how closely science, nature conservation and policymaking are intertwined.

Later, we spot more striped dolphins, including a mother with her calf. An exhilarating end to an extraordinary week.

Science needs people

As we pack our things on Sunday, two feelings remain above all: gratitude and hope.

Gratitude for the extraordinarily dedicated team at Tethys, who work with professionalism, warmth and passion. Gratitude for the encounters with a sperm whale, a fin whale and dozens of striped dolphins. But also gratitude for the people on board, who have grown into a close-knit community within just a few days and have shaped this journey with their curiosity, openness and enthusiasm.

And hope. Because this week has shown that marine conservation is not an abstract idea. It is brought about by people who take responsibility, share knowledge and act together. Citizen science makes exactly that possible. Without the commitment of volunteers, many expeditions, data collection projects and long-term observations on this scale would not be possible. You don’t need to have studied marine biology to want to protect marine mammals. All it takes is time, attention and enthusiasm.

Sometimes marine conservation begins with an observation from the lookout on a research vessel. And sometimes it is precisely this observation that changes the way we see the world.

Close collaboration between Tethys & OceanCare

Tethys and OceanCare are working closely together to reduce the risk of ship-whale collisions and underwater noise in the Pelagos Whale Sanctuary. Together, we form part of the newly established Pelagos Consortium, which aims to incorporate the latest scientific findings into policymaking and to secure measurable conservation measures.

Elsewhere, in the Ionian Sea in Greece, OceanCare has been supporting Tethys’ Ionian Dolphin Project (IDP) for over 20 years in the research and conservation of bottlenose dolphins and common dolphins in three Natura 2000 sites in the Ionian Sea. You can get involved in this research too.