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DIVING DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR OF A REHABILITATED MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL ( MONACHUS MONACHUS )
Author(s) -
Dendrinos Panagiotis,
Karamanlidis Alexandros A.,
Androukaki Evgenia,
McConnell Bernie J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
marine mammal science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.723
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1748-7692
pISSN - 0824-0469
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2007.00115.x
Subject(s) - endangered species , harbor seal , geography , fishery , shore , mediterranean climate , critically endangered , ecology , predator , biology , predation , archaeology , phoca , habitat
Among the priority actions identified for saving the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal are gaining basic biological information on movements and behavior, and rescuing and rehabilitating wounded, stranded, and orphaned pups. On 22 May 2004 a rehabilitated monk seal juvenile was fitted with a satellite tag, released in the National Marine Park of Alonnisos, Northern Sporades, Greece, and monitored for 167 d. Postrelease, the seal remained close to the islands of the park and within the 200‐m isobath. Throughout the monitoring period, the seal reduced time hauled out, while 95‐percentile dive duration and depth gradually increased. The overall maximum depth of 123 m recorded in this study is the greatest depth ever recorded for the species. These results confirm the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program carried out on the particular animal and provide additional support for the continuation of the rehabilitation program as a conservation measure for the species. We demonstrate that satellite tracking of rehabilitated seals is a valuable research and conservation tool, even for a species that commonly uses shoreline caves for resting, molting, and parturition.