Winter Campaign

As a result of the Twinning between the Ventotene and S. Stefano Islands MPA and the Neptune Kingdom MPA, also aimed at protecting the underwater canyon of Cuma, a critical habitat of several cetacean species and, in particular, sperm whale, a joint winter monitoring between the two Marine Protected Areas was carried out in winter 2021-2022.

Visual and acoustic surveys were conducted both in the waters surrounding the MPAs and within the Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) Waters of Ischia and Ventotene, corresponding precisely to the canyon of Cuma.
The results of the joint winter monitoring were interesting, both for the numerous sperm whale sightings and the abundance of acoustic detections of delphinids, which are always present in the studied area.

For this reason and to ensure the continuity of the winter surveys, the joint campaign will restart these days to explore, aboard Jean Gab, our laboratory sailing ship, the waters of the MPAs during the winter period.