Marine Biology Careership - Italy

For those wishing to jumpstart or further a career in marine biology, or for more casual conservationists keen to enjoy Italy's 'dolce vita' while contributing to important ecological research, this placement on the Italian island of Ischia is for you. You will specifically investigate declining dolphin populations in the Italian Mediterranean with a local NGO, living aboard a historical cutter ship of 18 m and contributing to ongoing academic research and conservation initiatives.

The presence of common dolphin population off the island of Ischia, Italy, has been consistently documented since 1997. This short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis is a small cetacean species with a wide distribution. Literature, photographic documentation, and osteological collections indicate that the common dolphin used to be common - thence its name - throughout the Mediterranean Sea, however the species has experienced a dramatic decline in numbers during the last few decades, and has almost completely disappeared from large portions of its former range including the northern Adriatic Sea and the Ligurian Sea. In 2003 the Mediterranean common dolphin 'subpopulation' was listed as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. A number of interacting factors may have played a role in the decline of common dolphins in the Mediterranean, ranging from natural fluctuations to the impact of human activities. Some of the human-induced threats - based on the available evidence - are most likely to be implicated in the species' decline. These include factors as diverse as prey depletion, contamination by xenobiotics, direct killing, fishery bycatch and global climate change. Other potential threats to Mediterranean common dolphins include disturbance by recreational vessel traffic, noise from shipping, mineral prospecting (seismic) and military sonar, and oil pollution.

The research is conducted in collaboration with: ASMS Ocean Care (Swiss coalition for marine mammals), Humane Society, OceanoMare, RSPCA (Royal Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals, University of Naples (Geology Department), Zoological Station A. Dohrn.