Atlantic Research Coalition
An exciting international partnership has been established in 2001 in
an effort to provide vital pan-European monitoring data on some of the
world’s most important and threatened waters for whales and dolphins
(cetaceans) and seabirds. 
The
partnership known as the Atlantic Research Coalition (ARC)
brings together scientists from eight conservation research groups operating
out of Ireland, the UK and Spain - AMBAR (Sociedad para el Estudio
y la Conservacion de la Fauna Marina), Marinelife/Biscay Dolphin Research
Programme (BDRP), the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), the Plymouth
to Santander Marine Survey (PSMS), Organisation Cetacea (ORCA), University
of Aberdeen, Sea Trust and the Rugvin Foundation.
These research groups have been independently carrying out systematic surveys (using similar methods) from commercial ferries in the ‘Atlantic Arc’ waters between France, Ireland, Spain and the UK, since the early 1990’s. Dave Curtis, Director of the PSMS, describes, ‘our surveys in these closely linked waters, have revealed a staggering diversity of whales and dolphins, with more than 20 species recorded, from Harbour Porpoises, Europe’s smallest cetacean, to Blue Whales, the largest creature ever to have lived on earth’. Pablo Cermeno of Spanish Group AMBAR went on to say, ‘these waters are also one of the best locations in the world for regular sightings of rare Beaked Whales - the most elusive and least studied of all whales.’
By
grouping together, the ARC researchers hope to generate a larger and more
powerful body of information with which to highlight the recently discovered
global conservation importance of these waters for whales and dolphins.
As Andy Williams, previous Research Director of BDRP highlights, ‘the
ARC coalition will provide the first ever comprehensive assessment of
visible marine wildlife in the region, enabling the identification of
biodiversity hotspots and providing vital data, which will aid in the
assessment of future changes and conservation threats.’
Dave Wall of IWDG further explains, ‘conservation threats are all too apparent, and include over-fishing leading to depletion of food sources, the incidental capture (‘by-catch’) of dolphins in fishing nets, seismic and military testing, collisions and noise disturbance from ships, oil and other pollution’.
Looking
at just one issue, Dr Tom Brereton, ARC Coordinator highlights: ‘the
Erica oil spill off the Brittany coast in 1999, was estimated to have
killed up to 300 000 seabirds, and may have had an equally devastating
impact on cetaceans. The impacts on dolphins were largely unknown, due
to a lack of monitoring data, and consequently the possible impacts on
these beautiful and threatened animals was largely ignored’.
As ARC Coordinator Dr Tom Brereton concludes, ‘the establishment of ARC aims to fill this knowledge gap and provide early warnings to the general public and policy makers on changes in marine biodiversity and on activities which are having a damaging impact on the marine environment.’
For more information about ARC please contact:
Dr Tom Brereton, ARC Coordinator
Email: tom.brereton@biscay-dolphin.org.uk
Tel: +44(0)1305 848447
Group Contacts
AMBAR: Pablo Cermeno
Email: pcermeno@yahoo.com
Tel: Bilbao 617 626869
BDRP: Dr Tom Brereton, Research Director
Email: tom.brereton@biscay-dolphin.org.uk
Tel: +44(0)1305 848447
IWDG: Dave Wall, Project Director - IWDG Ferry Surveys
Email: ferrysurvey@eircom.net
Tel: + 353 87 2977931
PSMS: Dave Curtis, Survey Manager
Email: david.curtis@virgin.net
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Copyright of Marinelife 2007