One of the routes most studied by the new LIFE Conceptu Maris project, in which Triton Research is a partner, is undoubtedly the one connecting the two largest Italian islands, the Sardinia Channel. The biologists Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area, who have been exploring this route connecting Palermo and Cagliari since 2013, will be in charge of this area. Young specimens of Caretta caretta have been spotted and their movements studied, leading to an understanding of the important role that surface currents play in their movements and identifying the reason for the unusual concentration of plastic waste in that area.

Citizen science projects have therefore been organised to benefit from the help of citizens in identifying the various cetaceans and turtles and the threats these species might face.

The procedures applied in these waters will also be expanded in the coming years to the recently declared marine protected area between the Balearic archipelago and the Spanish mainland. This area is indeed crucial, as its waters are frequented by all the target species studied in the project. For more than 25 years, the University of Valencia has been studying cetaceans and turtles in this stretch, also known as the ‘cetacean migration corridor‘.

Scholars from the Spanish university monitor the ferries and collect samples for DNA analysis, a method considered innovative and non-invasive for obtaining information on the genetics and distribution of species. This May marks World Turtle Day, an important event during which we try to make people more aware of the importance of these animals. To better monitor the species, Spanish researchers have focused their work on the Valencia-Balearic and Barcelona-Tangiers routes.

If you want to learn more about the project, visit the website LIFE CONCEPTU MARIS 

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