The results of the long-term observation of yelkouan shearwater were recently published by Italian scientists in the journal Acta Adriatica, which is published by our institute.
The yelkouan shearwater (Puffinus yelkouan) is an endemic species in the Mediterranean. In Croatia, it breeds on the offshore islands of the central Adriatic, such as Biševo, Palagruža, Svetac and the entire Lastovo archipelago.
It has long been known that the offshore area of the northern Adriatic represents a very important habitat for the yelkouan shearwater, but research has been very scarce. Italian scientists led by Dr. Silvia Bonizzoni have observed yelkouan shearwater from small boats in a wide area of the open sea between April and October 2018 and 2022.
The paper can read at the following link -> https://acta.izor.hr/ojs/index.php/acta/article/view/1430
This study attempted to decipher the distribution of yelkouan shearwater in the open sea along the Italian coast of the northern Adriatic and to identify the geographical, bathymetric and oceanographic variables most likely to influence the occurrence of this species. Using machine learning methods, the scientists identified chlorophyll concentration, distance from the coast and sea depth as the most important factors for the distribution of the yelkouan shearwater in this area.
Understanding this information can help direct conservation efforts to areas that are critical to the conservation of this vulnerable species.
