ANOMALIES IN FIN WHALE DISTRIBUTION IN THE PELAGOS SANCTUARY

The Pelagos Sanctuary is the only pelagic marine protected area in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. This area has been established in 2002 for the protection of marine mammals inhabiting the area and their habitat. Here 8 cetacean species are regularly found; among these 7 odontocetes and 1 mysticete: the fin whale, the species target of our study. the aim of this study is to investigate anomalies in specie distribution pattern and correlate them with anomalies occurring in species habitat. Our dataset span from 2004 to 2020 We have first analysed environmental parameters directly connected with the spring phytoplankton bloom occurring in the area, such as sea surface chlorophyll concentration and Sea Surface Temperature; Secondly, we analysed fin whale distribution pattern; Finally, we investigate possible correlations.