Cuvier’s Beaked Whales (Ziphius cavirostris) in
the Ligurian Sea
Physical Habitat Description
Angela D'Amico1,4, Frederic Mineur1, Alberto Alvarez 1, Cristina Mori1,
Michela
Podesta 2, Nicola Portunato1, Marco Ballardini3, Barbara Nani3
1
1
2
3
4
SACLANT Undersea Research Centre
Viale San Bartolomeo 400
19138 La Spezia, Italy
Museo di Storia Naturale
Corso Venezia 55
20121 Milano, Italy
bluWest
Via Scarincio 12
18100 Imperia, Italy
SPAWARSYSCEN D713
53560 Hull Steet
San Diego, CA 92152-5001
Sirena Sea Trials
Objectives
• Develop integrated database of environmental
parameters and marine mammal populations
• Develop techniques which enable detection,
classification, and tracking of marine mammals
Regional surveys
44.5
44.4
44.3
23-May
5
23-May
6
8
44.2
22-May
12
14
44.1
20
44
15-May
43.8
15-May
24-May 25-May 27-May
16
15
18
18-May
24
23
15-May 16-May 18-May 18-May
29
30
31
43.9
17-May
34
17-May
4
24-May 25-May
25-May
10
11
9
24-May
22-May
16-May
25
26
Corsaro, bluWest
Imperia, Italy
1
2
22
27-May 27-May
21
26-May
26-May
27
26-May
33
14-May
43.7
43.6
8.2
8.4
8.6
8.8
9
9.2
Zifio ‘01 - May 2001
Sirena ‘99
Sirena ‘00
Sirena ‘01
Sirena ‘02
3 - 13 Aug
21 Aug - 8 Sept
20 Sept - 7 Oct
1-24 July
Sirena Measurements
Oceanographic/biologic/acoustic observations
NATO research vessel, NRV Alliance
Italian Navy’s Hydrographic Office
research vessel, Nave Magnaghi
Remote sensing
Italian Navy Sea
King Helicopter
Istituto Centrale per
la Ricerca Applicata
al Mare, Bestiaccia
Italian Navy 30o Aerostormo
(ELMAS) marine patrol aircraft
Visual Monitoring
Sirena ’01
Sub-surface circulation
Section 1
Sirena ’01
Geostrophic currents at 50m
Sirena ’01
Temperature at 50m
Counter clockwise current causes
doming of cold water in basin center
Western Corsica
Current
Ligurian Current
Levantine Intermediate Water
Sirena ’01
Vertical salinity distribution
along section 1
Seasonal/Yearly Variability
Ligurian Sea
Early Aug 1999
Early Sep 2000
Late Sep 2001
• Upwelling of cold water in basin center is visible on satellite images
• Region of upwelling has high biologic productivity
Genoa Canyon
Bathymetry of the canyon area
(200m contour lines shown).
Slope gradient within the canyon
(0, 200, 1000, 2000m contours shown).
Steep submarine canyon exists in NW portion of basin
Ziphius cavirostris in Genoa Canyon
Sightings of Ziphius cavirostris
during Sirena trials
1983
1989
19571934
1900 1964
1925
1963
1961
1996
1963
1987 1997
19921963
1956
1963
Historic strandings Ziphius cavirostris
Regional sightings of Ziphius cavirostris
• Sirena sea trial data indicate presence of Ziphius cavirostris in
canyon region, not in basin center
• Sighting data base indicates that all sighting were made in
water depths over 1000m
• Stranding data indicates presence of Ziphius cavirostris in this
region since 1900
Sirena ’01
Suspended Particulate Matter
Sediment flow along surface and bottom of steep
canyon walls
• Not present in wider canyon region
• SPM layer may have higher organic content
•
0
0
-100
-100
-200
-200
-300
-300
-400
-400
-500
-500
-600
-600
-700
-700
-800
-800
-900
-900
-1000
(a)
(b)
0
-100
-200
0
0
-100
-100
-200
-200
-300
-300
-400
-400
-500
-500
-300
-400
(c)
-500
-600
-700
-800
-900
Canyon Circulation
Zifio ‘01
Geostrophic velocities at 50 m depth
Interaction between Ligurian current and steep canyon
walls form regional circulation pattern
Conclusions
Stranding and sighting data suggest Ziphius cavirostris
exhibit site fidelity in the Genoa Canyon
• Ziphius cavirostris have been sighted on the surface only
in water depths greater than 1000m
• Canyon environments form traps for suspended
particulate matter containing high biomass
• Canyon region has regional circulation pattern resulting
from interaction between the Ligurian Current and the steep
canyon bathymetry
•Combination of these factors may form a preferential
habitat, providing food for the species upon which Ziphius
cavirostris prey
•Futher detailed measurenments of prey field required
•
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all participants from the NRV Alliance, CRV Manning; ITN Magnaghi,
Corsaro, Bestiaccia. Special thanks to ADM D. Nascetti, CDR S. Monti, the Italian Marina Militare and
to their Istituto Idrografico della Marina Office and R. Gisiner, the Office of Naval Research. The
SOLMAR project acknowledges the participation of V. Teloni, M. Quero, W. Zimmer, P. Tyack, G.
Pavan, J. Bondaryk, D. Barbour, F. DeStrobel, A. Strulese. Additionally, the authors would like to
acknowledge all personnel from the following organizations who participated in the data collection
effort, without them the success of the Sirena sea trials would not be possible;
SACLANTCEN, Acquario di Genova, Aquastudio, BAE Systems, Biscay Dolphin Research
Programme (A. Williams for the coordination of the visual survey during Sirena ’99 and ’00) , Centre
d’Etudes Biologiques de Chize, Centre de Recherche sur les Mammiferes Marins, Groupe de
Recherche sure les Cetaces, Centro di Bioacustica, Università di Pavia, Centro Studi Cetacei,
Defense Establishment Research Agency, Istituto Centrale per la Ricerca Applicata al Mare, Istituto
per lo Studio dell’Oceanografica Fisica, Istituto per lo Studio della Dinamica delle grandi Masse,
Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano, Office of Naval Research (R. Gisiner for supporting
researchers to participate in the Sirena cruises), Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Tethys
Research Institute, University of Genoa, University of North Carolina, University of Siena, Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institute, WWF Liguria.