Your Eyes, Your Data

CITIZENS HELP SCIENTISTS GAIN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CETACEANS IN THE ARABIAN GULF

FEATURE BRYANA COPE & ADA NATOLI, UAE DOLPHIN PROJECT & ZAYED UNIVERSITY

In a world highly reliant on technology and social media to constantly be connected to each other, citizen science is thriving. With public engagement the same technology has proven extremely effective to connect citizens to scientists. This allows for data to be gathered on the natural world, including endangered species that would otherwise be difficult to collect.

Humpback Dolphins sighted in-3between the Burj Al Arab and the Palm Jumeriah in November 2014. Photos by Ada Natoli.

The relationship is simple: many eyes mean many sightings, which when properly reported, translates to more data for scientists. For big marine species this is crucial as the sea is vast and the chance to encounter these animals is generally slim, especially for rare species. Additionally, dedicated surveys are expensive, time consuming, and obtaining the necessary funding is usually a struggle.

Here in the UAE, citizen science efforts are proving to be a highly successful tool in aiding scientific research of cetaceans. In a newly published paper in marine mammal science, ‘Citizen Science Data of Cetaceans in the Arabian/Persian Gulf: Occurrence and Habitat Preferences of the Three Most Reported Species (Natoli et al. 2021)’, the importance of citizen science is showcased like never before in the region. This study represents the first long-term citizen science survey involving data collection of cetaceans in the UAE and the Arabian Gulf.

Humpback Dolphins sighted on November 2013 in front of the Burj Al Arab, Dubai. Photo by Ada Natoli.

Following a public awareness campaign run by the UAE Dolphin Project Initiative since 2012, thanks to the support of many stakeholders, Dr Ada Natoli and colleagues were able to gather over 1,200 reports from the public of whale and dolphin sightings crossing the UAE waters and neighbouring countries. This allowed scientists to gain a better understanding of the species occurrence, and for the most common ones, how they utilise these waters and are related to one another. It also allowed for some significant discoveries for species considered rare. Overall, 12 species were reported from the public across the UAE Indian Ocean and the Gulf waters, including Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus), Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris), False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens), Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis tropicalis), Bryde’s Whale (Balaenoptera edeni) and Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus).

Bottlenose Dolphins sighted just in front of Atlantis the Palm, Dubai in April 2014. Photo by Ada Natoli.

Several Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) sightings were reported and proved that this species, although rare, is likely regular in the Gulf. They also allowed scientists to confirm that this species migrates across the Northern Indian Ocean. Amazingly, the photographic material shared by the public enabled scientists to recognise individuals first recorded in Abu Dhabi waters in 2008, then in Sri Lanka in 2015 and back again in UAE waters in 2019. This suggests that specific pods may utilise the Gulf waters regularly over the years.

Finless porpoise sighting during the 2021 survey, just off Jumeriah Beach, Dubai. Photo by Ada Natoli.

An astonishing sighting of a Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother and calf in front of Kite Beach, Dubai was also reported by the public in 2017.This is the first record of living individuals of this species in the Gulf and supports the theory proposed by scientists, that the Gulf is part of their regular homerange. It is also the first record of a mother and a calf of this species in the whole northern Indian Ocean, sparkling hope on this species’ possible recovery. The Arabian Sea Humpback Whale is in fact the only Humpback Whale population in the world that does not migrate and mix with the other populations. Its population is estimated to only have about 100 individuals left due to extensive whaling that occurred in the past century, and it is considered Endangered according to the IUCN Red List.

The public sightings have also made it possible to identify the species that most commonly utilise the UAE coastal waters, and which one is more at risk. Three species regularly occur in UAE coastal waters: a porpoise, the Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides), and two dolphin species: the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), and the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin (Sousa plumbea).

Mother and calf Humpback Whale in front of Kite Beach, Dubai, reported by the public on October 2017.

Thanks to the high number of sightings reported, scientists have been able to correlate the presence of each species to marine environmental variables (water temperature, silicate, calcite, pH, distance from coast, bathymetry, chlorophyll) and conduct what is called an “ecological niche modelling” analysis. The environmental variables are basically proxies for the real biological determinants of species habitat use. As apex predators, dolphin’s habitat preferences are effectively related to those of its preferred prey. The results suggest that while the finless porpoise may sit in a different niche, as its diet requirements appear to be different from the other two species (their presence is correlated to a different set of variables than the other two), the bottlenose and humpback dolphins may compete for the same food resources, but they separate by different patterns of spatial use. Humpback Dolphins are strictly confined to waters in close proximity to shore, particularly to areas with complex networks of inland channels with shallow waters, whereas the Bottlenose Dolphin utilises a broader range of space, including waters around offshore islands.

These results ring an alarm bell. Humpback Dolphins have the narrowest area of suitable habitat, and it overlaps with areas heavily utilised by humans, like the near shore waters of the main cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This makes this species at a high risk of disappearance, especially considering the relatively small population estimates reported by other studies. The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) estimated a population of 701 Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (95% CI [473,845]), this may be the biggest population of Humpback Dolphins estimated so far, however the number of individuals is still very low to ensure long term viability, particularly if their preferred habitat is heavily impacted by human activity, such as land reclamation and disturbance. According to the IUCN Red List, the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin is considered Endangered across all its range, this species is urgently in need of dedicated conservation measures to ensure its survival.

SO, WHAT’S NEXT?

Mother and calf Humpback Whale in front of Kite Beach, Dubai, reported by the public on October 2017.

Since 2019, thanks to the sightings reported by the public, a large portion of the UAE coastal waters are now internationally recognised as Important Marine Mammal Areas (www. marinemammalhabitat.org/immas/). This is a great achievement as it is a formal recognition of their presence that cannot be oversighted during decision making processes. In the UAE, marine mammals are protected under federal law (No. 23, Article 28, 1999) which states “it is impermissible to catch whales, sea cows, and other sea mammals of all species and size”. The results obtained in this study are a crucial step forward in guiding the formulation of conservation measures, that will be critical for the protection of these important marine species and the designation of future dedicated MPAs.

Further research is needed to better define each species’ major threats and to be able to specifically act upon them in order to minimise the impact on their survival. Especially for the Finless Porpoise, more data is needed to better estimate their status in the region, as so little is known about this elusive species worldwide.

A pod of Killer Whales was sighted and reported in 2019 in the waters around Moon Island. Two individuals, a male and a female had already been sighted in Abu Dhabi waters in 2008. Photo by Ghait Al Khaja

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

The Report a Sighting Initiative is still on and we depend on you!

The UAE Dolphin Project is continuously accepting reports of any cetacean species spotted within the Arabian Gulf and Arabian Sea. If you or someone you know frequently goes out and enjoys these waters, please be on the lookout for these species. All we require is the date and approximate time and location (if GPS coordinates are not available, a description of where you are will suffice) and if you can, the approximate size of the group you saw. If you are able to capture any photos or videos, that would help us tremendously.

Please Email any reports to: sighting@uaedolphinproject.org Or WhatsApp to: +971 566 717 164

For more information on how to report, or how to volunteer, please visit: www.uaedolphinproject.org.

Check out our Species ID Booklet here: https://bit.ly/3cujk44

Humpback Dolphin sighted in December 2013 just offshore Dubai. Photo by Ada Natoli

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This would have never been possible without the support of many stakeholders. We would like to thank Superprogetti for the IT support; Dubai Municipality, ITP Publishing, Emirates Diving Association, Dubai Marina Yacht Club, Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas, BAKE Saadiyat Public Beach, Dubai Natural History Group, and Emirates Natural History Group for supporting the UAE Dolphin Project Initiative awareness campaign; George Casson, Peter Neilson, Gareth MacGellon, and everyone that reported sightings through the UAE Dolphin Project Initiative channels; Ayse Demirer, and all the volunteers that dedicated their time to work on the ‘Report a Sighting’ campaign.

Thank you again to everyone that reported sightings and has supported the ‘Report a Sighting Campaign’. Together we can make a difference for the whales and dolphins of the Arabian Gulf!