CEMMA launches the TurGaSur project with the support of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition -through the Biodiversity Foundation-, which aims to contribute to the conservation of the bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) through the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network and social participation

The TurGaSur project will be executed between December 2018 and October 2019. Its main objective is to contribute to the conservation of the bottlenose dolphins through the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network and the social participation of sea users.

The following secondary objectives were established:

•  Improve the knowledge about the social structure and habitat use of the management unit Tursiops truncatus - South Galicia.

•  Evaluate and promote the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network as important elements for the conservation of the management unit Tursiops truncatus - South Galicia.

•  To promote social participation as a fundamental tool for the conservation of protected areas and threatened species, through divulgation and social participation in scientific sampling surveys.

Within the TurGaSur project, various actions will be carried out, among which the following should be highlighted:

- Realization of scientific photo-identification surveys of bottlenose dolphins in Rede Natura 2000 areas of the Ría de Vigo and nearby waters, including the Maritime Terrestrial National Park of Atlantic Islands of Galicia.

- Collection, cataloging and revision of the photographic file of the previous photoidentified bottlenose dolphins.

- Collection and cataloging of the bottlenose dolphin sightings.

- Preparation and distribution of the photo identification catalog of the bottlenose dolphins, and the manual of good practices for recreational boats.

- Determination of the social structure, use of the habitat and degree of residence of the bottlenose dolphins.

- Evaluation of Natura 2000 areas as elements for the conservation of bottlenose dolphins.

- Social participation: environmental volunteering and sightings reports.

DOWNLOAD RESULTS

In these links you can download the bottlenose dolphin photo-id catalogue from southern Galicia (Rías Baixas), that includes a manual of good navigation practices.

TurGaSur catalogue -Low resolution pdf (15 Mb)

TurGaSur catalogue -High resolution pdf (136 Mb)

62.8% of the amount of the project comes from the grant and aid program of 2018 from the Biodiversity Foundation for the realization of activities on land, marine and coastal biodiversity, and promotion of environmental information. The remaining amount (37.2%) is contributed directly by CEMMA.