There is a place in Tyrrhenian Sea That few know but which has become, in the silence of its depths, an oasis for the cetaceans of the Mediterranean. Is called Canyon of capreraextends off the north-eastern coast of Sardinia and has just been recognized by the scientific community as a marine biodiversity hotspot, thanks to a ten-year study conducted by Sea Me Sardinia And One Ocean Foundationrecently published on Plos One magazine.
The work, the result of over 200 missions at sea distributed over 9 years, has documented with scientific rigor the stable presence of 8 species of cetaceansincluding Zifio (Ziphius Cavirostris), sperm whale (Physeter Macrocephalus) and common whale (Balaenoptera Physalus). Over 30,000 kilometers of navigation to understand and testify that this corner of Tyrrhenian Sea over 1000 meters deep is much more than a stretch of sea: it is a vital habitat.
A biological refuge in the heart of the Tyrrhenian Sea
“It was a long job,” he said Luca Bittaupresident and founder of Sea Me Sardinia, in an interview with The Sardinian Union“And now it is online and open-accesses, for the desire to share the data and publish them. And it was also the will of One Ocean Foundation, which gave us the opportunity and the push to put all these data in a scientific article to the system”.
Caprera canyon is not a simple migratory route. The researchers observed socialization, nutrition and care behaviors, so much so that Identify the area as Nurseryfood area and refuge for threatened species. In particular, the rare zifio showed here “one of the highest meeting rates ever recorded in the Mediterranean”, underlines Bittau.
A rich, but vulnerable area
The wealth of biodiversity, however, does not protect itself. Despite the scientific evidence, Caprera canyon. Still, there is no shortage of threats: maritime traffic, noise pollution, industrial fishing And climate change They alter the balance of the marine ecosystem more and more deeply.
“The canyon is a fragile area,” reiterates Bittau. “For this reason, the publication will help support the designation of the Caprera canyon as Imma (Important Marine Mammal Area) and, by 2030, as Protected marine area“.
It is a lucid appeal, supported by concrete data and tests. It is not just a matter of conservation, but of responsibility. The Mediterranean is one of the most anthropized seas in the world and every still intact stretch must be considered as a collective, non -renewable good.
Science as a basis for a political choice
The work of the researchers of Sea Me Sardinia and One Ocean Foundation offers an accurate photograph of what happens in depth and, together, also a solid scientific basis for urgent political decisions. The identification of areas such as Caprera canyon as Imma is the first step to get one binding legal statuslike that of the protected marine area, which would guarantee clear limits to traffic, fishing and industrial activities.
The canyon of Caprera, for its position, its geomorphological characteristics and its ecological productivity, represents, it is good to remember it, one of the few habitats left where large cetaceans can still find shelter.
This ten -year study is also proof that long -term monitoring is essential to truly understand natural processes. But nothing would have been possible without the dedication of a team of biologists, technicians and volunteers who challenged the weather, the effort and budget limits to guarantee rigorous data collection.
And it is also a personal story, made of choice, patience and respect. “We started from a passion and an urgency,” says the researchers. Today that passion has produced a result that speaks not only to experts, but to anyone who loves the sea and Sardinia.
