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SC/69B/SM/13
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Resource ID
22173
Access
Open
Document Number
SC/69B/SM/13
Full Title
Ti Whale An Nou : Preliminary results from standardized cetacean monitoring in the highly geopolitically complex Lesser Antilles demonstrating the need for harmonized marine governance.
Author
Bernus Jeffrey , Mac Donald Stacey And The Ccs Team
Authors Summary
The Caribbean Cetacean Society coordinated the "Ti Whale An Nou? Program, a multifaceted initiative aimed at fostering regional cooperation, conducting research, promoting education, and advancing conservation efforts across the entire Caribbean region.
This pioneering initiative seeks to comprehensively study all cetacean species inhabiting the diverse islands, employing a yearly long-term monitoring strategy. This approach is uniquely suited to the complex marine environment of the Caribbean, renowned as one of the most complex marine area in the worlds due to its myriad islands with different regulation, language, culture.
Through the "Ti Whale An Nou? Program, over 26 scientific expeditions with standardized protocols, have been undertaken, covering nearly all islands of the lesser Antilles multiple times annually. These exhaustive efforts represent a significant step toward addressing critical knowledge gaps.
Preliminary findings help to better understand the species diversity, with 22 distinct species already identified, alongside their group size and the frequency of sightings.
This paper delves into the resident and cross-boundary movement patterns of the initial five species under study, shedding light on distribution models and identifying risk areas for ship collisions.
The discoveries underscore the indispensable role of collaboration and the harmonization of ocean governance frameworks in safeguarding cetacean populations, underlining the urgent necessity for sustained local engagement with the program. The continuation of these surveys promises not only to deepen our comprehension of cetacean ecology but also to yield invaluable data, including population estimates derived from photo identification, further species movement patterns, distribution models, and refined threat analyses crucial for crafting informed conservation
Publisher
IWC
Publication Year
2024
Abstract
The Caribbean serves as a critical habitat for cetaceans, amidst its intricate geopolitical landscape characterized by numerous islands, diverse regulations, and cultures, posing significant challenges for conservation and management efforts. Since 2021, the Caribbean Cetacean Society has led the "Ti Whale An Nou? Program, a multifaceted initiative aimed at fostering regional cooperation, conducting research, promoting education, and advancing conservation endeavors across the region. Through this program, over 26 scientific expeditions employing standardized protocols have been conducted, spanning nearly all islands of the lesser Antilles, multiple times annually. These extensive efforts have begun to address critical knowledge gaps. Preliminary results help to better understand the species diversity with 22 species already identified, their group size, the distribution patterns, habitat utilization, movement behaviors of 5 species, and prevalent threats within the Caribbean region through scars analysis and regional database. The findings foster the vital role of collaboration and the harmonization of ocean governance frameworks in safeguarding cetacean populations, emphasizing the urgent need for long-term local engagement with the program. Continuing these surveys will not only enhance the understanding of cetacean ecology but also yield invaluable data, including population estimates derived from photo ID, other species movement patterns and distribution model or more defined threat analysis, essential for informed conservation strategies.