A new research project with the participation of the CMCC Foundation aims at improving the conservation status of species of cetaceans and pelagic sea turtles in the Mediterranean sea, increasingly under pressure.

The Mediterranean Sea is undergoing serious changes due to growing pressures due to human activities. Cetaceans and pelagic sea turtles are among the most charismatic species of our Seas and crucial bioindicators of marine health conditions, since their wellbeing reflects integrity of both low and high ranks of the food web. However, there is a data deficiency for most taxa, which is mainly due to the fact that CEPTU species spend the majority of their life in remote offshore areas that are the most difficult to monitor because of their extent.

The project CONCEPTU Maris – CONservation of CEtaceans and Pelagic sea TUrtles in Med: Managing Actions for their Recovery In Sustainability, funded by the European LIFE programme and started on January 10, 2022, aims to improve the conservation status of Mediterranean cetaceans and pelagic sea turtles, by contributing to fill the information gaps in offshore areas, setting an internationally agreed multidisciplinary approach for the surveillance of species and the assessment of maritime traffic and marine litter impact.

The CMCC Foundation is working on the project together with ten other high-qualified scientific institutions, coordinated by ISPRA – Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research.

For more information, see the project description on the ISPRA website or on the LIFE programme website.