A major focus of the project will be on the systematic study of marine mammals in the area. Greek waters host 8 cetacean species with different conservation status due to intensive human activities such as habitat loss, bycatch, underwater noise and other disturbances. These species are the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), the short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), the Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus), the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and the Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris).

Our aim is to estimate the abundance of dolphins inhabiting the waters surrounding the area of West Kassandreia (eastern part of Thermaikos Gulf) using the photo-identification method, as well as to study their behaviour and try to understand how they interact with the possible threats they face. This is a continuation of the previous Thermaikos Dolphin Project, which was carried out between 2021 and 2023 and allowed us to create the catalogues of the short-beaked common dolphin, the stripped dolphin and the common bottlenose dolphin in Thermaikos Gulf.

In this continuation of the  project, iSea will update and expand the existing catalogues by increasing the frequency of surveys.