Chapter 27
Assessment of Cetacean Population Abundance
at the Romanian Black Sea Coast in 2013
George T ¸ iganov, Cristian-Sorin Danilov, Magda Ioana Nenciu,
Eugen Anton, and Aurel Na ˘stase
Abstract The aim of this study was to describe the marine mammal sighting and
abundance related to the distribution in front of the Romanian Black Sea coast, for
the year 2013. The assessment of cetacean populations, according to the working
methodology used regionally and internationally, imposed the necessity of observations both on shore (seashore, port protection dikes etc.) and at sea, on board
vessels and boats. In order to obtain data and information on the population status of
marine mammals from the Romanian Black Sea coast, a monitoring plan was
drawn-up, aiming at increasing the knowledge of the abundance of cetaceans in
the Black Sea, towards the sustainable protection and conservation of the sensitive
habitats and species.
Keywords Black Sea • Strandings • Marine mammals • Abundance
27.1 Aims and Backround
Black Sea cetaceans play a major role in the ecological balance of the marine
ecosystem, being top predators (Radu et al. 2012). Due to this position in the food
chain, they are very sensitive to ecological conditions and in direct competition
with anthropogenic activities (Radu and Anton 2014).
The current delicate state of the Black Sea cetacean populations, represented
by the three species: common dolphin - Delphinus delphis ponticus, bottlenose
dolphin - Tursiops truncatus ponticus and harbor porpoise - Phocoena phocoena
relicta, has required research aiming at obtaining information on the populations
existing in the coastal and offshore zone, and several studies have been
G. T ¸ iganov (*) • A. Na ˘stase
DDNIRD – Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, 165 Babadag
Street, Tulcea, Romania
e-mail: gtiganov@alpha.rmri.ro; george.tiganov@ddni.ro
C.-S. Danilov • M.I. Nenciu • E. Anton
NIMRD – National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa“, 300
Mamaia Blvd, Constanta, Romania
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
C.W. Finkl, C. Makowski (eds.), Diversity in Coastal Marine Sciences, Coastal
Research Library 23, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-57577-3_27
473
Assessment of Cetacean Population Abundance
at the Romanian Black Sea Coast in 2013
George T ¸ iganov, Cristian-Sorin Danilov, Magda Ioana Nenciu,
Eugen Anton, and Aurel Na ˘stase
Abstract The aim of this study was to describe the marine mammal sighting and
abundance related to the distribution in front of the Romanian Black Sea coast, for
the year 2013. The assessment of cetacean populations, according to the working
methodology used regionally and internationally, imposed the necessity of observations both on shore (seashore, port protection dikes etc.) and at sea, on board
vessels and boats. In order to obtain data and information on the population status of
marine mammals from the Romanian Black Sea coast, a monitoring plan was
drawn-up, aiming at increasing the knowledge of the abundance of cetaceans in
the Black Sea, towards the sustainable protection and conservation of the sensitive
habitats and species.
Keywords Black Sea • Strandings • Marine mammals • Abundance
27.1 Aims and Backround
Black Sea cetaceans play a major role in the ecological balance of the marine
ecosystem, being top predators (Radu et al. 2012). Due to this position in the food
chain, they are very sensitive to ecological conditions and in direct competition
with anthropogenic activities (Radu and Anton 2014).
The current delicate state of the Black Sea cetacean populations, represented
by the three species: common dolphin - Delphinus delphis ponticus, bottlenose
dolphin - Tursiops truncatus ponticus and harbor porpoise - Phocoena phocoena
relicta, has required research aiming at obtaining information on the populations
existing in the coastal and offshore zone, and several studies have been
G. T ¸ iganov (*) • A. Na ˘stase
DDNIRD – Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development, 165 Babadag
Street, Tulcea, Romania
e-mail: gtiganov@alpha.rmri.ro; george.tiganov@ddni.ro
C.-S. Danilov • M.I. Nenciu • E. Anton
NIMRD – National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa“, 300
Mamaia Blvd, Constanta, Romania
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
C.W. Finkl, C. Makowski (eds.), Diversity in Coastal Marine Sciences, Coastal
Research Library 23, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-57577-3_27
473