What can dolphins tell us: Tracking ocean changes through marine life

Ms Michela Aquilina will present insights from DOLPHIN-CLIMASENT, a project focused on using bottlenose dolphins as bioindicators to assess the impact of climate change and human-induced pressures in Maltese waters. This research introduces Malta’s national dolphin photo-identification catalogue, based on over eight years of photographic data. Through systematic sea-based surveys, individual dolphins are identified by dorsal fin and body markings, enabling long-term tracking of population dynamics, site fidelity, and health.

A central part of the research involves non-invasive skin mark analysis, a method used to detect injuries, lesions, and stress indicators potentially linked to environmental changes, such as warming seas, pollution, and aquaculture interactions. Additionally, existing acoustic data from the DELFISHPAM project is integrated to correlate vocal activity with spatial and behavioural trends.

By combining visual and acoustic monitoring, this work provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the resilience of Malta’s dolphin populations to climate-related stressors. The findings contribute to marine spatial planning, responsible eco-tourism practices, and the advancement of ethical wildlife monitoring methods within small island contexts.