For those wishing to jumpstart or further a career in marine biology, or for more casual conservationists keen to enjoy Italy’s ‘dolce vita’ while contributing to ecological research, this one-week Marine Biology Course on the Italian island of Ischia is for you. You will specifically investigate declining cetacean populations in the Italian Mediterranean with a local non-profit, living aboard a historical cutter ship of 18 m and contributing to ongoing academic research and conservation initiatives.

The waters off the Island of Ischia offer a unique opportunity to study cetaceans. Since 1991, seven different Mediterranean cetacean species have been recorded.

The presence of several species gives the project a unique occasion to study and compare the behavioral ecology of the animals. The project’s principal goal is to protect whales’ and dolphins’ habitats, corrupted and threatened by human activities.

Cetacean threats in the Mediterranean include prey depletion, contamination by xenobiotics, bycatch, marine traffic, and underwater noise caused by shipping, mineral prospecting (seismic), and military sonar.

Thanks to the amount of collected and published data, in 2017, the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force recognized the coastal waters of Ischia and Ventotene as Important Marine Mammals Area (IMMA), with common dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, and fin whale as key species.
The Archipelagos Pontino and Campano were also identified as IMMA, with sperm whales as qualifying species.

The research is conducted in collaboration with: CIBRA, MPA “Regno di Nettuno”, MPA Isole di Ventotene e S. Stefano.

Any economic support for the project comes exclusively from participants in the summer courses, private sponsors, and foundations. Thanks to the participation of volunteers who choose to spend their holidays collaborating on the project, it has been possible to go on in our effort until today.