The project aims to unify the photographic identification catalogues of cetaceans made by different entities, in order to have a unified tool to improve the management of their populations.

The project aims to unify the photographic identification catalogues of cetaceans made by different entities, in order to have a unified tool to improve the management of their populations.

CIRCE, ANSE, Alnilam and EBD-CSIC are the entities that have produced these photographic catalogues, which allow the study of population aspects of bottlenose dolphins, killer whales and pilot whales, such as the definition of their social structure and their survival rate in the Mediterranean waters of the peninsula and in the Gulf of Cadiz.

The specific objectives include:

• To unify and analyse the cetacean catalogues of Andalusia and Murcia, which are owned by several organisations (ANSE, Alnilam, EBD-CSIC and CIRCE).
• Define management units based on the study of the social structure and spatial modelling of cetaceans.
• To estimate the survival rates of bottlenose dolphins, killer whales and pilot whales.

Within the framework of the activity, a first meeting will be held to publicize the project to entities that have photographic catalogs of cetaceans and establish a common methodology.

The catalogues of the four entities will be adapted and updated, and those relating to the bottlenose dolphin, pilot whale and killer whale will be unified. As for these species, their social structure and survival rate over the last five years will be studied. A web portal will finally host the unified catalog of cetaceans.