The project needs a commitment of at least 30 days. Participants will assist researchers while working on board dedicated research vessels. Interns will be involved 5/6 days a week, 6-8 (up to 10-12 in case of fieldwork) hours/day (depending on fieldwork or office work), and also during the weekend if the weather is favourable. The programme is highly flexible and with possible last-minute changes due to the changeable weather. The programme is not scheduled in advance, and the activities for the next day are often communicated in the evening (before 21:30). The coordinators make every possible effort to switch between field and office work during the week, but this is not always possible due to the weather constraints. It can happen, for example, to go to the field 4 days a week or the opposite, to stay in the office for a whole week.
During their free time, interns will have the opportunity to experience all sorts of activities: swimming, diving, hiking, exploring historical sites, visiting museums, and sailing. This program and project are the only ones carried on all year round, during all seasons, to collect data not only in summer but also in fall and winter, while no other boats are going out.
A volunteer is very important because, thanks to them, we can go out on the zodiac and collect different kinds of data.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Our Team
Research and other activities will be conducted by a qualified team, which has
more than 15 years of experience in marine fauna research all around the world.
Research coordinators will oversee fieldwork and general project coordination,
while intern coordinators or research assistants will help in all aspects of the
project and coordination of the activity, housekeeping and interns’
responsibilities.
RESEARCH PROJECT
Project Background
In the Ligurian Sea, bottlenose dolphins have been extensively studied only in the
Eastern area, between Genoa and La Spezia, which represents, for a series of
features of the seafloor, a perfect habitat for this species.
On the contrary, in the Western part, no research organisation or scientific
foundation has conducted studies focused only on bottlenose dolphins because,
due to the morphology of the sea bottom, sightings have always been more
sporadic than on the opposite side. The continental shelf is very narrow and short
and high depths (around 2000 m) are reached close to the coast. This makes the
area suitable for other cetacean species but not ideal for bottlenose dolphins,
which tend to remain in coastal waters.
Since April 2018, the beginning of our project, we have been demonstrating that
this species is regularly present all year round, also in this part of the basin with a
high occurrence and great numbers. The project is structured on an annual basis,
to obtain data not only on the distribution during the Summer but also changes
during the different seasons. Data from this study are being used to create a
baseline for a long-term project, monitoring bottlenose dolphins in this part of
the Ligurian Sea, and information needed to suggest and create conservation plans for
their protection.
Marine Birds and Other Fauna Research Project
During our surveys, we collect data on the presence of other cetacean species and
on several species of marine birds, fish and sea turtles that can be sighted. Our
database of marine fauna provides interesting information about the seasonal
presence of Mediterranean shearwaters (Puffinus yelkouan), Scopoli’s
shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea), Northern gannets (Morus bassanus),
Sandwich terns (Thalasseus sandvicensis), sunfish (Mola mola), among others. Since 2021, the Ligurian region has been interested in a new phenomenon: the nesting of loggerhead sea turtles. Although still considered sporadic, we already see a rapid increase in these events. In 2024, for the first time, we had 3 nests in our study area and 6 in 2025. For this reason, we started a pilot project in Imperia where interns will conduct early morning beach surveys to look for nesting attempts from sea turtles that occurred at night (theory on track recognition will be provided beforehand).
Research Topics
- Groups and social structure analysis: to study the interactions and associations between individuals
- Abundance: estimation of the local population size
- Distribution, occurrence and movements to understand if the animals
perform movements and migrations, even seasonal, towards the
neighbouring areas.
- Identification of hot spots or areas with greater importance.
- Identification of the main threats which dolphins may incur and therefore the
creation of management and conservation plans for their protection.
- Interaction with fisheries
- Habitat modelling
- Skin lesion
- Distribution and occurrence of seabirds, with a focus on seasonal variability.
- Sea turtle monitoring and nest management (not guaranteed)
Methods and data collection
The project is a long-term coastal project. Data are collected during dedicated
boat-based surveys conducted from a 5.2 m zodiac equipped with a 40 hp
outboard engine, based in the port of Imperia, with 4/5 crew members. Surveys
are carried out in favourable weather-marine conditions (Beaufort ≤3) around 10
times a month. The main effort is focused on collecting images, which will be used
to identify the sighted animals, through the technique of photo-identification.
Environmental conditions, marine traffic, geographical locations and dolphins'
behavioural data are among the data collected at sea. Data are also collected during land-based surveys or along the beach (in summer for turtle tracks and nests)
The study area and the Pelagos Sanctuary
The study area, which extends from Capo Noli to the France border, from the
coast to the bathymetric of 500m in depth, is located in the Ligurian Sea, a basin
that shows very particular features, especially in its Western par,t where it reaches
remarkable depths very close to the shore.
In western Liguria, the continental shelf, which by definition extends from the
shore to 200m deep, is little expanded and in a few nautical miles, the bottom
reaches more than 2500 meters in depth. The continental slope is crossed by
many submarine canyons in the area. Other important oceanographic and climate
parameters contribute to make this area unique for marine life.
Thanks to all these features, the Ligurian basin is considered to have the highest
presence of cetaceans in the whole Mediterranean Sea. For this reason, in 1999,
the governments of Italy, France and the Principality of Monaco signed an
agreement that sanctions the establishment of a marine protected area, called
the International Pelagos Sanctuary.
The area, which extends for 96,000Km² houses regularly 8 cetacean species: fin
whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, pilot whale, common
dolphin, Risso’s dolphin and Cuvier’s beaked whale. Mobula rays, sea turtles and
several marine bird species are regularly present too.
Programme and schedule
Participants will assist researchers while working on board dedicated research vessels. Interns will be involved 5/6 days a week, 6-8 (up to 10-12 in case of fieldwork) hours/day (depending on fieldwork or office work), and also during the weekend if the weather is favourable. The programme is highly flexible and with possible last-minute changes due to the changeable weather. The programme is not scheduled in advance, and the activities for the next day are often communicated in the evening (before 21:30). The coordinators make every possible effort to switch between field and office work during the week, but this is not always possible due to the weather constraints. It can happen, for example, to go to the field 4 days a week or the opposite, to stay in the office for a whole week. *The month of September has a different programme. See below for details
Fieldwork
● BOAT-BASED SURVEYS: Interns will help and participate in collecting different kinds of data and actively searching for animals. Usually, a survey lasts 5 to 8 hours (rarely up to 12), and it requires the use of binoculars for most of its duration. To facilitate the search of wildlife, it is required to stand while using binoculars. Fieldwork will help participants gain first-hand experience in collecting data on free-ranging cetaceans and improve skills in cetacean boat-based surveys. Surveys are weather-dependent, and a monthly number is impossible to know in advance.
- BOAT MAINTENANCE: Interns will regularly help with refuelling. They will also help with the maintenance, cleaning and reorganising of the zodiac during the month.
- LAND-BASED SURVEYS: only in Winter, Spring and Autumn. It consists of the collection of environmental data, marine traffic, and dolphin presence from two different strategic points in Imperia.
- OPPORTUNISTIC SURVEYS: occasionally. Other boats might be used as platforms for opportunistic sightings of bottlenose dolphins. Data on all the other animals spotted are recorded too.
- SEA TURTLES BEACH MONITORING (end of June- possible start of August) and NEST MONITORING (August): Since 2021, the Ligurian region has been interested in a new phenomenon: the nesting of loggerhead sea turtles. Although still considered sporadic, we already see a rapid increase in these events. In 2024, for the first time, we had 3 nests in our study area and 6 in 2025. For this reason, we started a pilot project in Imperia where interns will conduct early morning beach surveys to look for nesting attempts from sea turtles that occurred at night (theory on track recognition will be provided beforehand). Surveys will be quite short - 30 minutes maximum - but will require the interns to wake up before dawn (in summer, 5.30 am) to patrol the beaches before any activity of sand raking from the beach owner is carried out. Possible involvement in determining whether loggerhead nests are located within the study area. Towards the last days of incubation and during hatching, interns may spend the night at the nest for monitoring and patrolling purposes. Moreover, considering the number of people visiting the nesting site, interns may be involved in outreach activities with tourists and visitors. In this case, office shifts will be temporarily stopped to increase monitoring effort at the nest site.
Fieldwork can be scheduled at any hour; it can start at sunrise or end at sunset. Surveys are weather-dependent- dependent and our plans can change often even during one single day. Extreme flexibility is therefore an essential prerequisite. Remember that, even though the sighting probability in the Pelagos Sanctuary is very high, the chances of observing marine wildlife at sea are always unpredictable and not always guaranteed. Boat-based surveys and the use of binoculars at sea might cause seasickness.
Office work
Office work includes transcription of data, data entry on laptop (transcription on Excel forms of all the data collected on the field), photo-id analysis and matching (main activity, organise and analyse the pictures of previous sightings of bottlenose dolphins, organise in subfolders and then match all the individuals with our catalogue of dorsal fins), QGIS analysis (generally not in Summer, organise the dataset to map on GIS sightings points and tracks).
Classwork duties last no longer than 6 hours a day. During the month, lessons about different topics of marine mammals and marine fauna (Biology, ecology, research techniques used in this topic, conservation…) will be given by the coordinators to the interns.
At the end of the internship, each intern is required to prepare a short presentation (around 10-12 minutes) about one of the topics of interest
Be aware that in case of bad weather, the fieldwork will not take place, in
alternative it will be possible to spend more time doing classwork and/or our
Biologists will suggest other activities in the surroundings.
*Month of September: possible programme change.
In the event of sea turtle nesting, September typically marks the peak hatching period. This requires continuous 24/7 nest monitoring throughout the expected hatching window.
Given the growing number of nests in our study area, the programme may shift its primary focus toward turtle monitoring. In this case, only boat surveys (weather permitting and with the previously mentioned flexibility) and a few training sessions will be conducted. Most nights will be dedicated to round-the-clock nest watch, including overnight stays near the nests, close observation of the hatching process and data collection during hatching. Daytime hours will generally be free for rest.
Office activities may be cancelled or reduced to a minimum, depending on the number of active nests. If no nesting occurs, the programme will proceed as originally planned.
Benefits
Participants will assist and help researchers working in the field. This is a great
opportunity to get involved in cetacean research, enjoy marine biodiversity while
gaining fieldwork and lab experience, travelling, and explore the beautiful Liguria
region and help support cetacean research and conservation. At the end of your
internship, you will:
- Learn different methods for studying marine mammals in the wild and gain
practical experience in cetacean field research.
- Have a deeper understanding of cetaceans, seabirds and sea turtles ecology, biology, behaviour and physiology.
- Be able to recognise several cetaceans, birds, reptiles and fish species of
the Mediterranean environment.
- Have a good understanding of standard procedures in fieldwork data
collection and further possible analyses that can be developed
Physical Demands
Participants must be of good health, be able to stand several hours on a boat (up to 10-12) and under the sun or harsh weather, have good physical fitness, be able to lift/carry 15 kg, be able to walk without difficulty, be comfortable on boats in nearshore/offshore waters, be able to swim and work in harsh weather conditions at times.
Boat-based surveys and the use of binoculars at sea might cause
seasickness.
Before fieldwork, a briefing about tasks and safety rules will be provided to the interns. Interns must bear in mind that, throughout the month, both during office and field-based activity, they will be working as part of a team and in nearby/small spaces. Project participants must inform our Team of any possible physical/psychological issues that might interfere with these activities during the selection process, or before their arrival if the condition occurred after the selection.
Data Policy
All data, pictures and videos taken during our activities (Delfini del Ponente
Research Project and whale watching tours) are property of Delfini del
Ponente. It is not possible to take pictures and/or videos during our fieldwork
without a DDP member's permission!
Insurance
Participants are required to carry health insurance valid in the European
Union. Remember to check if your insurance covers medical expenses in a
foreign country. It is the intern’s choice to decide what to cover, we suggest
purchasing insurance that includes medical and emergency travel expenses,
luggage and personal effects, money, personal accidents, personal liability,
cancellation and curtailment, rescue and assistance, hijack and travel delay.
During the Association activities, volunteers are covered also by Delfini del
Ponente Insurance.
LOCATION
Liguria region
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy; its main city is Genoa. Some of
the main attractions of the region are the typical landscape with hills joining the
sea, typical villages, beaches and stunning cuisine. It is bordered by France
(Provence- Alpes-Côte d'Azur) to the west, Piedmont to the north, and Emilia
Romagna and Tuscany to the east. It lies on the Ligurian Sea.
The narrow strip of land is bordered by the sea, the Alps and the Apennines
mountains. The ring of hills lying immediately beyond the coast together with
the sea account for a mild climate year-round. Average winter temperatures are
7 to 10 °C and summer temperatures are 25 to 30 °C.
Many tourists visit the region every year, with a peak during the summer
months but several are attracted by the great climate year-round and enjoy
coastal walks, hiking, climbing, diving, and inland villages.
City of Imperia
Imperia is a coastal city in the Western part of Liguria.
Imperia is well known for the cultivation of flowers and olives and is a popular
summer destination for visitors. It is a strategic place to visit the traditional
villages in the surroundings (Cervo, Dolcedo, Dolceacqua, etc). Imperia consists
of the two historical districts of Porto Maurizio and Oneglia, which lie on either
side of the River Impero that gives its name to the city.
- Porto Maurizio is located in the western part of the city and
stretches along the coastline. It is characterised by the historical
village located on a hill, with its beautiful and colourful buildings and
the typical narrow streets named ‘carrugi’.
- Oneglia is the economic centre of the city and has a very nice
harbour and several beaches.
The climate of Imperia is Mediterranean, with mild and relatively rainy Winters,
and warm and Sunny Summers.
It is important to note that the wind blows quite frequently, while the rains in the
Riviera di Ponente are quite infrequent, and follow the Mediterranean pattern
they are more abundant in Autumn and Winter, and have a minimum in Summer,
when it rains very rarely.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
✔ Language in Imperia: Italian. English will be the language spoken
while working.
✔ Local currency: European euro.
✔ Time zone: GMT+1/UTC. In summer, continental Europe adopts
Daylight Saving Time (from the end of March to the end of October)
and is one hour ahead.
✔ Medical care: In Imperia, there is the Hospital. Non-Italian citizens
must make sure they have valid health insurance for Italy.
✔ Travelling/Passport EU citizens only require a valid identity card to
enter Italy. Citizens from Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei,
Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong
Kong, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Macao, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland,
USA, Uruguay and Venezuela can stay in Italy for up to 90 days
without a visa, provided they have a valid passport. Citizens of
countries not listed above will likely require a tourist visa to stay in
Italy and should check with a travel or visa agency for specific visa and
entry requirements. The purpose of your visit is for vacation, holiday
or travel.
✔ Italian law and rules: the use and carriage of drugs is illegal and will
lead to severe punishment.
WHAT TO BRING
✔ ESSENTIAL ITEMS
- Passport and/or Visa
- European Health Insurance Card/Health insurance
certificate for non-European
✔ CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR
- Clothing suitable for navigation: rainpants, long-sleeved shirts,
sweatshirts, warm underclothes (be aware that Winter temperature at
sea can be very cold).
- Rain and Windproof jacket
- Warm beanie and gloves
- Comfortable waterproof shoes for boat (with rubber soles)
- Sunglasses, sun cream
- Be aware that in every season some warmer clothes are necessary,
especially for early morning and evening surveys
✔ PERSONAL SUPPLIES
-
- Bath and beach towels
- Pillowcase, bed sheets, bedspread or sleeping bag (some warm
blankets are available in the house)
- Personal toiletries
- Medicines
- Laptop
