We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
First Documented Uses of Caves along the Coast of Albania by Mediterranean Monk Seals (Monachus monachus, Hermann 1779): Ecological and Conservation Inferences.
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers documented the first confirmed use of Albanian coastal caves as habitat by Mediterranean monk seals, a critically endangered species. This is a wildlife ecology study reporting new habitat data for monk seals and has no direct connection to microplastic research.
Information on the habitat use of the Mediterranean monk seal () along the coast of Albania (Adriatic and Ionian Sea) has so far been limited to vague and generalised data. A survey conducted in the National Marine Park Karaburun-Sazan in the summer of 2019 identified two marine caves with morphological characteristics best suited for use by such species. The two caves were subsequently equipped with infrared camera traps in 2020. The recovery of a scat in one of the caves during the 2019 survey and the photographic material obtained confirmed the use of the cave. This research provides the first documentation of marine cave habitat use by the Mediterranean monk seal in Albania. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of specimens frequenting the area could not be performed due to the limited data obtained on seal presence along the Albanian coasts. Nevertheless, the retrieved information is relevant for Albania and for the species conservation. The collected scat was analysed for trophic and anthropogenic contamination data. Three species (gilthead sea bream, European sea bass, and garfish), as well as four anthropogenic items (including a piece of nylon net), were identified. The inferences resulting from the analyses of the data presented in this study provided additional information on the ecology of the species and its conservation priorities, which need to be contextualized at the Adriatic-Ionian regional scale.
More Papers Like This
Assessing microplastic exposure of the Critically Endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) on a remote oceanic island
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers assessed microplastic exposure in the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal using scat analysis and found microplastics in 100% of samples, suggesting high pollution levels in the Madeira archipelago's coastal food web.
Assessing microplastic pollution in Mediterranean marine caves: a proposal for a methodological approach from sampling to analysis
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in Mediterranean marine caves — biodiversity hotspots protected under EU legislation — proposing a standardized methodological approach covering sampling design, extraction, and identification. The study provides the first framework tailored to these structurally complex habitats and demonstrates that microplastic contamination is present even in these protected environments.
Monk seal faeces as a non-invasive technique to monitor the incidence of ingested microplastics and potential presence of plastic additives
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used a non-invasive technique to collect and analyze monk seal fecal samples for microplastic contamination, marking the first time this approach has been used for this endangered species. They found microplastic particles in the samples along with plastic additives and biomarkers indicating dietary exposure. The method offers a practical way to monitor microplastic ingestion in protected marine mammals without disturbing the animals.
First record of microplastic in the environmental matrices of a Mediterranean marine cave (Bue Marino, Sardinia, Italy)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers documented the first occurrence of microplastics — primarily PVC and polyethylene fragments and fibers — in the water, sediment, and benthic foraminifera of a Mediterranean marine cave in Sardinia, suggesting the particles entered predominantly from the sea rather than from the cave's freshwater system.
Microplastic pollution in different environmental matrices of Tyrrhenian Sea' marine caves
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated microplastic pollution across multiple matrices including water, sediment, and biota within Tyrrhenian Sea marine caves, quantifying anthropogenic pressures in this previously unstudied habitat and providing data to inform conservation and protection of these biodiversity hotspot environments.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.