About This Project

Over years, I have built a collection of cetacean fecal samples. While the majority of these samples are from sperm whales, the collection also includes pilot whales and Risso’s dolphins. I am currently using DNA metabarcoding to study the diet of these cetaceans in the Azores and provides insights into deep-ocean cephalopod ecology. Further genetic analysis on these samples can allow to explore new avenues and assess population structure.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

This research focuses on sperm whales and the deep-ocean cephalopods, both of which play critical roles in marine ecosystems. The Azores archipelago, rich in marine biodiversity, serves as a key area for cephalopods, essential prey for sperm whales. Historically, extensive whale hunting has impacted the region, but the shift toward whale watching has opened new research opportunities.

This PhD project, now in its final year, has developed novel methodologies for non-invasive sampling (feces collection) to study sperm whales and their prey. Incorporating citizen science, it leverages local activity and modern molecular techniques to explore deep-ocean ecology in a sustainable manner. The project has already yielded preliminary results, with plans to expand to complementary DNA metabarcoding and microbiota-based health assessments. This research offers valuable insights into the deep-ocean ecosystem and the conservation of sperm whales.

What is the significance of this project?

Cetaceans are long-life species often located at the top of the food chain and highly mobile. As such, they are considered as sentinels’ species, indicative of the quality of the marine environment (Moore, 2004 https://doi.org/10.1644/07-MAMM-S-312R1.1). Our work has demonstrated the potential of citizen science and genetic non-invasive techniques for long-term monitoring of wildlife. The assessment of the sperm whales' diet provides the possibility to identify potential threats and is crucial to protect them. Moreover, despite their pivotal role in the world oceans and their role as our ocean health indicator, data on cephalopod distribution and relative abundance are particularly scarce, lacking for most species that inhabit the deep sea. By collecting ecological data over a wide oceanic area and across multiple years, the present study contributes to the field.

What are the goals of the project?

The main objective of this study is to study the diet of sperm whales and increase knowledge about oceanic cephalopod ecology in the Azores;

- A first specific aim is to increase the knowledge about oceanic cephalopod ecology, by analysis of species occurrence as a function of time, location and oceanographic variables, and with the collection of taxonomically relevant information

- The second specific aim is to study the diet and feeding behaviour of teuthophagous cetaceans, namely Physeteridae (the sperm whale), and to their social structure based on population genetic.

- Our final goal is to assess how the unstable population dynamics of cephalopods impact higher trophic levels of the ocean ecosystem, particularly cetaceans. Such knowledge would provide the possibility to rapidly identify potential threats to top predators arising from marine anthropogenic activities in a specific area, and to produce informed ecosystem management decisions.