DNA analysis shows "Slovenian" dolphins are somewhat special

Morigenos researchers participated in the most detailed study on genetic structure of dolphins in the Mediterranean Sea to date. It turns out that dolphins off Slovenia, studied by Morigenos over the past 13 years, are genetically divergent from the rest in the Adriatic Sea. 

The study, involving scientists from Italy, Croatia, Greece, Israel, UK and Slovenia, was published last week in the renowned scientific journal Evolutionary Biology. Geneticists and biologists used molecular methods to study genetic relationships among populations of bottlenose dolphins in the Mediterranean, and determine the factors and processes that shape genetic structure and geographic distribution in this species. DNA analysis included 194 tissue samples of bottlenose dolphins, collected between 1992 and 2011 in the Adriatic, Tyrrhenian, Ionian, Aegean and Levantine Seas, including samples from Slovenia. The study, led by scientists from the University of Florence (Italy) and the University of Lincoln (UK), represents the most comprehensive and detailed study of its kind in the Mediterranean.

Results suggest that bottlenose dolphins colonised the Mediterranean after the last Ice Age, about 18,000 years ago – the analysis of genetic material enabled the researchers to determine the approximate evolutionary timeline. The study was also the first to demonstrate the presence of a "pelagic" or "offshore" form of bottlenose dolphins in the Mediterranean, apart from the already known "coastal" form.

Apart from providing important insights into the evolution and distribution of dolphins in the Mediterranean, information on genetic population structure is also vital for effective conservation. For Slovenia, the most interesting result is the fact that dolphins in Slovenia and the Gulf of Trieste appear to be genetically different from other local populations in the Adriatic Sea. This alone demonstrates the importance of protecting and conserving this dolphin population.

The study received a considerable media coverage, including Science Daily, Discovery News, Nature World News, Fox News, Live Science and others.

The paper is available here: Scientific publications

DNK analiza pokazala, da so "slovenski" delfini posebni

Raziskovalci društva Morigenos so sodelovali v doslej najbolj podrobni raziskavi genetske strukture delfinov v Sredozemlju. Kaže, da se delfini iz slovenskega morja, ki jih že 13 let preučuje Morigenos – slovensko društvo za morske sesalce, genetsko najbolj razlikujejo od vseh ostalih v Jadranskem morju. 

Raziskava, v kateri so poleg slovenskih sodelovali še znanstveniki iz Italije, Hrvaške, Grčije, Izraela in Velike Britanije, je bila pretekli teden objavljena v vplivni znanstveni reviji Evolutionary Biology (Evolucijska biologija). Genetiki in biologi so z uporabo molekularnih metod ugotavljali sorodstvene povezave med populacijami velikih pliskavk v Sredozemlju ter dejavnike in procese, ki vplivajo na genetsko strukturo in geografsko razširjenost. V analizo DNK je bilo vključenih 194 vzorcev tkiv velikih pliskavk, zbranih med leti 1992 in 2011 v Jadranskem, Tirenskem, Jonskem, Egejskem in Levantskem morju, med drugim tudi tisti iz Slovenije. Gre za doslej najobsežnejšo in podrobno raziskavo te vrste v Sredozemlju, pod vodstvom znanstvenikov Univerze v Firencah (Italija) in Univerze Lincoln (Velika Britanija).

Rezultati so pokazali, da so velike pliskavke območje Sredozemlja naselile po zadnji ledeni dobi, pred približno 18.000 leti. Znanstveniki so namreč z analizo genetskega materiala lahko določili približno evolucijsko časovnico. Omenjena raziskava je prav tako prvič pokazala, da je v Sredozemlju poleg "obalnega" prisoten tudi t.i. "pelaški" ali "odprtomorski" tip velike pliskavke, kar se doslej ni vedelo. 

Poleg tega, da je raziskava pomembna za razumevanje evolucije in današnje razporeditve delfinov v Sredozemlju, so podatki o genetski populacijski strukturi ključnega pomena tudi za učinkovito varstvo vrst. Za Slovenijo so najbolj zanimivi izsledki, ki kažejo, da so delfini Slovenije in Tržaškega zaliva edinstveni v primerjavi z ostalimi lokalnimi populacijami v Jadranskem morju, prav te vzorce pa je prispevalo društvo Morigenos. Že s tega vidika je populacijo ob slovenski obali izredno pomembno ohranjati.

O raziskavi so obsežno poročali tuji mediji, med drugim Science Daily, Discovery News, Nature World News, Fox News, Live Science in drugi.

Članek je dostopen tukaj: Znanstvene objave

Morigenos documents the northern gannet, a rare seabird for Slovenia

Morigenos team ventured into marine ornithology. A short scientific paper, authored by Tilen Genov and Aljaž Malek from Morigenos, was just published in Acrocephalus, a scientific ornithological journal published by DOPPS - BirdLIfe Slovenia. It reports new and unique records of the northern gannets (Morus bassanus), an incredibly interesting an charismatic seabird that happens to be very rare in Slovenia. To date, it has only been recorded here 3 times, but never properly photographed. Morigenos team recorded two sightings during the summer of 2014 and managed to obtain the first close-up photographs for this species in Slovenia. The northern gannet is widespread in the North Atlantic and the North Sea, and a small part of the population enters the western Mediterranean during winter. It is much rarer in the eastern Mediterranean, while its status in the Adriatic Sea remains unclear. These new records have a particular relevance for Slovenia, because they are the 4th and 5th records for this species in Slovenia and the first records to be photographically documented with high quality photographs. Moreover, this represents the first case involving multiple individuals and adult gannets in Slovenia. Gannets are mainly known for their beautiful coloration and their distinctive plummeting into the sea during hunting. 

The paper can be found here: Genov & Malek 2014

Photo: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

V društvu Morigenos dokumentirali strmoglavca, redko vrsto morske ptice

V društvu Morigenos smo se vrgli v morsko ornitologijo. V znanstveni ornitološki reviji Acrocephalus, ki jo izdaja Društvo za opazovanje in proučevanje ptic Slovenije (DOPPS), je namreč izšel kratki znanstveni članek, ki sta ga pripravila Tilen Genov in Aljaž Malek iz društva Morigenos. Gre za nove in edinstvene podatke o pojavljanju strmoglavca (Morus bassanus), izredno markantne in zanimive morske ptice, ki pa je v Sloveniji zelo redka. Doslej je bila tu zabeležena le trikrat, vendar opažanja doslej niso bila zanesljivo podkrepljena s fotografijami. V društvu Morigenos smo v poletju 2014 to vrsto zabeležili dvakrat in jo prvič v Sloveniji uspeli tudi ustrezno fotografirati. Strmoglavec je razširjen v Severnem Atlantiku in Severnem morju, predvsem pozimi pa del populacije vstopa tudi v zahodno Sredozemlje. V vzhodnem Sredozemlju je občutno redkejši, njegov status v Jadranskem morju pa ni povsem razjasnjen. Naši novi podatki imajo za Slovenijo velik pomen, saj gre šele za 4. in 5. opažanje te vrste pri nas ter za prvi opažanji, dokumentirani s kvalitetnimi fotografijami. Prav tako je pri nas to prvi primer opažanja več osebkov ter odraslih strmoglavcev. Strmoglavci so znani predvsem po svoji čudoviti obarvanosti ter značilnemu strmoglavljanju v morje med lovom.

Članek najdete tukaj: Genov & Malek 2014 

Foto: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

MARLISCO – DEFISHGEAR National forum on marine litter

On 4th of February 2015 Regional Development Centre Koper (partner of MARLISCO project) and National institute of Chemistry (lead partner of DEFISHGEAR project) organized a national forum on marine litter in Strunjan, Slovenia. 

The objectives of the forum were to highlight the issue of marine litter in Slovenia, include various stakeholders and propose solutions to reduce the impact of marine litter on the environment and the society. Stakeholders from different sectors connected with the sea and marine litter attended the event. This included Morigenos, as marine litter is posing a serious threat to all marine mammals, including dolphins. Morigenos president Tilen Genov was invited as one of the panel experts.

The outcome of the forum will be presented to stakeholders on local and national level and will contribute to effective measures for solving this problem.   

MARLISCO – DEFISHGEAR nacionalni forum o morskih odpadkih

V organizaciji Regionalnega razvojnega centra Koper (partner projekta MARLISCO) in Kemijskega inštituta (vodilni partner projekta DEFISHGEAR) je 4. februarja 2015 v Strunjanu potekal nacionalni forum o morskih odpadkih. 

Namen foruma je bil osvetliti problematiko, pritegniti k razpravi najrazličnejše interesne skupine in predlagati rešitve za zmanjšanje vpliva morskih odpadkov na okolje in družbo. Dogodka so se udeležili predstavniki različnih sektorjev, povezanih z morjem, med njimi tudi društva Morigenos, saj morski odpadki predstavljajo resno grožnjo vsem morskim sesalcem, tudi delfinom. Predsednik društva Tilen Genov je prisostvoval kot eden izmed vabljenih panelnih strokovnjakov. 

Organizatorji foruma bodo zbrane predloge ukrepov predstavili akterjem na državni in lokalni ravni, kar bo pripomoglo k učinkovitejšemu ukrepanju za reševanje tega problema.