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Introduction
Additional affiliations
June 2014 - present
December 2013 - May 2014
February 2012 - November 2013
Publications
Publications (98)
The Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) is facing significant threats in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean, largely due to entanglement in artisanal fishing nets, which makes it the most threatened dolphin species in the region Its conservation calls for a standardised methodology that enables the detection and monitoring of dolphin populati...
Accurate estimations of animal population size are pivotal for implementing management strategies properly. Recapture technique based on sounds as a specimen identification mark has barely been used for marine mammals. However, inferring abundance estimates from acoustic methods could enhance the accuracy and precision of population size assessment...
The acoustic ecology of a previously unexamined dolphin population in the Mediterranean was assessed by investigating how sound emissions and acoustic features are influenced by concurrent conditions. Whistles and click‐trains emission rates were compared among different environmental, social and behavioural conditions. Structural variability of 39...
Icelandic waters are a crucial feeding ground for North Atlantic humpback whales, yet their occurrence in these subarctic waters remains underexplored. This study examined seasonal and diel patterns in humpback whale occurrence off the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, southern Iceland, from June 2018 to May 2019, using automated acoustic detections from...
Back-reef habitats are important and fragile transition zones acting as nurseries for many coral reef fishes. In this framework, Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) can be an important tool to evaluate the diversity and dynamics of sonic fish community. Here, we investigated the diversity, spatial and diel dynamics of fish sounds in back-reef habitat...
The seismic water gun is widely used and plays an important role in seabed imaging acquisition; however, acoustic impacts on marine organisms are currently poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyse the biochemical responses on the peristomial membrane (PM) of the sea urchin, Arbacia lixula, when exposed to water gun shots in open wate...
In the shift toward sustainable energy production, offshore wind power has experienced notable expansion. Several projects to install floating offshore wind farms in European waters, ranging from a few to hundreds of turbines, are currently in the planning stage. The underwater operational sound generated by these floating turbines has the potentia...
Malta’s eastern and southern coasts are affected by aquaculture activities and fishing with FAD (Fishing Aggregating Devices). Both are known to have influences on the environment, habitats and biodiversity, by altering species richness and abundance, and thus having the potential to impact higher trophic level predators, including bottlenose dolph...
Study of bottlenose dolphins in the wild showed strong circadian acoustic activity. Dolphins under human care life are scheduled by fixed time of feeding, training and public exhibitions, making their routine very different from natural conditions with potential effect on their behaviour and welfare state. Our aim is to study the effect of captive-...
Animal songs can change within and between populations as the result of different evolutionary processes. When these processes include cultural transmission, the social learning of information or behaviours from conspecifics, songs can undergo rapid evolutions because cultural novelties can emerge more frequently than genetic mutations. Understandi...
Highlights
• The soundscape is an intrinsic property of an ecosystem and influences the species that live in it.
• Here, we examined the soundscape of a beach where every year the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta lays eggs.
• The aim was to analyze the sounds to which turtles embryos were exposed throughout the development.
• Marine and lan...
The Arctic marine environment is highly affected by global warming with notable changes in habitat conditions, which have great consequences on migrating species. For example, the timing of their migration can be altered leading to changes in their occurrence in suitable areas, which are critical for their survival. In this study, seven years of ac...
Bottlenose dolphins have a complex vocal repertoire that varies depending on behavioral context, social structure, group composition, and anthropogenic pressures. This current study describes the whistle characteristics of bottlenose dolphins for the first time in the South Adriatic Sea while assessing the potential differences between whistle char...
Few information is available on fin marks and movements of Mediterranean bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821), along the Italian coast, although significant photo-identification efforts took place in several areas. In this study, photographic data (833 images) of 370 dolphins collected by different organizations from 2003 to 2018...
Los mamíferos marinos, en particular los cetáceos, dependen del sonido para todos los procesos biológicamente importantes. Los mismos han adaptado tanto su morfología como fisiología para percibir acústicamente su entorno, comunicarse, localizar alimento y protegerse bajo el agua, tanto de manera pasiva como activa. En particular, el delfín nariz d...
Mechanisms driving song learning and conformity are still poorly known yet fundamental to understand the behavioural ecology of animals. Broadening the taxonomic range of these studies and interpreting song variation under the scope of cultural evolution will increase our knowledge on vocal learning strategies. Here, we analysed changes in fin whal...
Crustacean sounds are the main contributor to shallow water soundscape biophonic components. Here, we investigate the sound production of Cyrtograpsus angulatus, one of the most important intertidal decapods of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Underwater audio and video were recorded during encounters among male pairs. Two kinds of experimental set...
Sociality and ecological drivers that can influence individual association patterns are infrequently considered in wildlife management, although they are essential aspects affecting animals’ responses to both human-related pressures and conservation strategies. In common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), sex-specific social dynamics and int...
Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) is the most affected dolphin species in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. It is classified as Vulnerable A3D by IUCN and SAREM (national level) and only in northern coast of Argentina (Buenos Aires Province) around 400 dolphins are entangled every year in coastal gillnets.
However, until now little is kno...
Acoustic sequences are commonly observed in many animal taxa. The vast vocal repertoire of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) also includes sequences of multi-unit rhythmic signals called bray-call which are still poorly documented, both functionally and geographically. This study aimed to (1) describe, classify, and characterize serie...
The patterns of movement of the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758)) in the Mediterranean Sea are still a matter of debate. Feeding aggregations are well known in the Corso-Liguro-Provençal Basin from July to September, but little is known for the autumn and winter seasons. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) was implemented in the Ligu...
ABSTRACT: Sound is the most effective means of communication in marine and freshwater ecosystems. However, no data about acoustic emissions from non-malacostracan crustaceans are currently available, so their ability to produce sounds is unknown. For the first time, this study investigates the sound produced by two tadpole shrimp species, Triops ca...
Background
Prioritizing groupings of organisms or ‘units’ below the species level is a critical issue for conservation purposes. Several techniques encompassing different time-frames, from genetics to ecological markers, have been considered to evaluate existing biological diversity at a sufficient temporal resolution to define conservation units....
Acoustical geographic variation is common in widely distributed species and it is already described for several taxa, at various scales. In cetaceans, intraspecific variation in acoustic repertoires has been linked to ecological factors, geographical barriers, and social processes. For the common bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ), studies o...
1. Dolphins interact with many types of fishing gear, causing damage to fishing activities and in some cases facing harm and becoming entangled as bycatch.
2. In this study, the behaviour of bottlenose dolphins during their interaction with set nets, equipped with and without interactive pingers, was investigated. Acoustic monitoring of the nets w...
Periodic assessments of population status and trends to detect natural influences and human effects on coastal dolphin are often limited by lack of baseline information. Here, we investigated for the first time the site-fidelity patterns and estimated the population size of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at the Tiber River estuary (centra...
The evaluation of acoustic temporal rhythms in wide-ranging cetaceans can reveal patterns in animal spatial presence and the occurrence of periodical phenomena. Here, we aimed at assessing the temporal patterns of dolphin's acoustic presence in a shallow-water area in the Sicily Strait (Mediterranean Sea). Whistles were collected continuously for 1...
Many gregarious species require complex patterns of communication for maintaining coordinated behaviors, articulated social structure and group cohesion. In mammal species, social complexity has been considered the driving force for the development of advanced acoustic communication systems. Striped dolphins are highly social, showing large group s...
Understanding spatio-temporal patterns of top predators can be crucial for evaluating key habitats, assessing the effects of anthropogenic activity and consequently applying suitable management policies. Here, we characterized dolphins acoustic occurrence and interactions with boat presence and noise in the waters of the Sicily Strait. A hydrophone...
Abstract In this study we analysed the acoustic properties and presence of haddock calls in the Arctic fjord Kongsfjorden (79° N–12° E, Svalbard Islands, Norway) in one year. Data were collected with three autonomous acoustic recorders located in the inner, middle, and outer parts of the fjord. The fjord is characterized by a gradient of oceanograp...
The soundscape features of the marine environment provide crucial information about ecosystem health for many species, and they are defined by the local biological, geophysical, and anthropogenic components. In this study, we investigated the soundscape at green turtle neritic foraging habitats in Fiji, South Pacific, with the aims of characterizin...
Coastal lagoons are valuable sources of ecosystem services and important for regional development plans. Human pressure threats these areas, so increasing knowledge about coastal lagoons is essential to enhance their protection. Here we investigated the temporal and spatial patterns of the soundscape in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Buenos Aires...
Coastal lagoons are valuable sources of ecosystem services and important for regional development plans. Human pressure threats these areas, so increasing knowledge about coastal lagoons is essential to enhance their protection. Here we investigated the temporal and spatial patterns of the soundscape in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Buenos Aires...
Underwater sounds generated by anthropogenic activity can cause behavior changes, temporary loss of hearing, damage to parts of the body, or death in a number of marine organisms and can also affect healing and survival. In this study, the authors examined the effects of high-frequency acoustic stimulations on a number of biochemical parameters in...
Species distribution models (SDMs) provide a useful analytical framework to study the environmental and anthropogenic factors that influence species distribution patterns, returning information that can help to define their geographical ranges and clarify which areas constitute important/sensitive habitat for their survival. For cetaceans, it has b...
Underwater airgun impulses can generate both acute effects, such as temporary/permanent threshold shift in marine mammals hearing, and behavioral reactions. Dolphins are able to adjust their communication signals in relation to fluctuating noise from natural or anthropogenic sources; however, little is known about the variation of communication sig...
Communication in Porpoises (Cetacea: Phocoenidae) has been little studied. They usually produce narrow band high frequency clicks for echolocation, which have likely evolved to take advantage of a window of low ambient noise, and/or of the reduced hearing sensitivity of killer whales at these high frequencies (100+ kHz). Evidences for clicks emitte...
Bottlenose dolphins produce varied types of sound, including clicks, whistles, and bursts. We know that dolphins in nature have more click production at night during feeding activities and a peak occur at crepuscular/dawn hours, but dolphins in captivity are involved in several training/feeding sessions per day that are diurnal. To better understan...
1. The short‐beaked common dolphin is a highly vocal species, with a wide distribution
in all oceans, including the Mediterranean and the Black Seas. In the Mediterranean
Sea, the short‐beaked common dolphin inhabits both pelagic and neritic waters.
2. Osteological collections and the literature show that short‐beaked common
dolphins were widesprea...
When implementing conservation strategies involving passive acoustic monitoring, an accurate description of signal properties is crucial, especially when studying threatened and elusive vocalizing species. Misrepresentation of detected sounds can result in information loss or misclassification of species, thus compromising the management process.
D...
Signature whistles are stereotyped and individually distinctive acoustic signals used as individual recognition calls, for maintaining group cohesion and during stressful situations. Here, it’s proved the occurrence of stereotyped whistles and how it changes, by an isolated adult female of short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) kept in reh...
The study was conducted in the framework of the Italian-Argentinian scientific cooperation (project CAIMAR JL-2017-2020-funded by CNR and BOSS funded by Italian Ministry of Foreign Affair-MAECI) and aimed to investigate the temporal and spatial patterns of the soundscape in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (Buenos Aires, Argentina). It is an importa...
ABSTRACT
Signature whistles are stereotyped and individually distinctive acoustic signals used as individual recognition calls, for maintaining group cohesion and during stressful situations. Here, it’s proved the occurrence of signature whistles and how it change, by an isolated adult female of short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) kept...
Circadian and seasonal rhythms in the vocalizations of a species are crucial for improving conservation by understanding the spatial and temporal occurrence of species and their behavioral activity. For dolphins, several studies of temporal trends were based on impulsive sounds, while whistles were rarely used. Our results demonstrated that whistle...
Sources Airguns and Waterguns are used in seismic exploration the marine seafloor for different purposes such as oil and gas search, or geological-geodynamic reconstruction. In this technique a bubble of compressed air is produced with a consequently production of loud sound wave penetrating the ocean floor.
In this study we evaluate the biochemic...
In this study, underwater noise from a full-scale wave energy converter system (ISWEC), installed on the coast of Pantelleria Island (central Mediterranean Sea), was characterized. The noise was measured using an autonomous acoustic recorder anchored to the sea bottom 40 m from the ISWEC hull. Acoustic monitoring continued for 15 months, starting 7...
In this study, we used long-term passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) to improve knowledge about the use and spatiotemporal distribution of Erignathus barbatus vocalisations. Two autonomous passive acoustic recorders were deployed between August 2014 and July 2015 in the inner and outer parts of the Kongsfjorden (Svalbard Islands, Norway) resulting in...
ABSTRACT
Signature whistles are stereotyped and individually distinctive acoustic signals used as individual recognition calls, for maintaining group cohesion and during stressful situations. Here, it’s proved the occurrence of stereotyped whistles and how it changes, by an isolated adult female of short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) ke...
Anthropogenic noise is considered one of most widespread pollutant in marine environment. The noise produced by anthropogenic activities is increasing at global scale due to commercial shipping, seismic surveys, sonar, recreational traffic and mineral extraction activities from ocean depths (Deep Sea Mining-DSM). These noises is known to have an im...
Some aquatic mammals appear to care for their dead, whereas others abandon their live offspring when conditions are unfavourable. This incredible variety in behaviours suggests the importance of comparing and contrasting mechanisms driving death-related behaviours among these species. We reviewed 106 cases of aquatic mammals (81 cetaceans and 25 no...
Soundscapes are strongly linked with the physical structure and biological features of the habitats and their study can reveal ecological processes of the underwater environment. Objective of this study is to characterize two Mediterranean habitats, the Posidonia oceanica meadow and the sandy bottom, and demonstrate their acoustic diversification ba...
In this study the description of underwater vocal repertoire of bearded seal in Svalbard (Norway) was extended. Two autonomous passive acoustic recorders were deployed for one year (August 2014–July 2015) in the inner and outer parts of the Kongsfjorden, and 1728 h were recorded and 17 220 vocalizations were found. Nine different vocalization class...
Noise pollution is one of the major alarming threats for marine animals in the Sicily Channel: little is still known about the effects of noise on small cetaceans living here, so the aim of this work was to monitor the presence of bottlenose dolphins (T. truncatus) and their interaction with naval traffic in this area. Acoustic data were collected...
We live in the era of the fourth industrial revolution, where everything - from small objects to entire factories - is smart and connected, and we are also strongly accustomed to comforts and services, but emergent questions are arising. What are the consequences of human activities on terrestrial and aquatic/marine systems? And how does the loss o...
The EMSO Research Infrastructure operates multidisciplinary seafloor-cabled observatories in a deep-sea area offshore Eastern Sicily (2100 m of depth). In a data-lacking zone, Passive Acoustic Monitoring activities revealed new information on cetacean bioacoustics over multiple ecological scales. Expert operators investigated the presence of cetace...
Dolphins emit short ultrasonic pulses (clicks) to acquire information about the surrounding environment, prey and habitat features. We investigated Delphinidae activity over multiple temporal scales through the detection of their echolocation clicks, using long-term Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM). The Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare operat...
Since 2005 a cabled deep-sea infrastructure is operative at 2100 m water depth, 25 km off the port of Catania (Sicily). The infrastructure, under continuous improvement, is the first operative cabled node of the EMSO-ERIC, hosting several multidisciplinary observatories built in collaboration by INFN, INGV, CNR, CIBRA, and other scientific partners...
CONISMA, CNR and CIRCE, involved Italian research units (RUs) working on
cetaceans to join a National Network answering the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)
requirements by sharing monitoring data. Data obtained during the 2016 monitoring campaigns by 13
RUs are presented here.
Unsupervised analyses of nonhuman vocal repertoires are important not only because they allow decoding species-specific displays, but also to understand the evolution of communication signals, which need objective quantitative investigations. We recorded more than 1000 vocalizations emitted by captive gray-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix cinerea). P...
An understanding of the population dynamics and social organization of cetaceans is essential to manage the influence of anthropogenic activities. In this study, the population size, site fidelity and social interactions of bottlenose dolphins in the Strait of Sicily (Italy) were investigated to provide recommendations for their conservation. Mark-...