September 2025 – Morigenos

Monthly Archives: September 2025

25-09-2025

Morigenos at Famnit (University of Primorska): the importance of studying whales and dolphins

Morigenos at Famnit (University of Primorska): the importance of studying whales and dolphins

On Thursday, 18 September 2025, the president of Morigenos, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tilen Genov, gave a lecture at the Biology-Psychology Student Conference at Famnit – the Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies of the University of Primorska.

In his talk “Dolphins of Slovenia, Africa and globally: the importance of studying whales and dolphins”, he took the audience on a journey into the world of these remarkable marine mammals – from the northern Adriatic to West Africa. He highlighted the vital role whales and dolphins play as indicators of ocean health and as symbols of biodiversity conservation. While some species are abundant and widespread, others are rare, endangered, or even on the brink of extinction. Their study therefore reveals much more than just the mysteries of their lives – it tells the story of changes in the oceans and of our impact on them.

Through examples from his own research, Dr. Genov also showed why the protection of whales and dolphins is essential not only for the preservation of marine ecosystems, but also for mitigating climate change.

We are grateful to the organizers for the invitation and for the opportunity to share the importance of marine research and conservation with the conference participants.

22-09-2025

Two-day training for monitoring dolphins, turtles and seals in adriatic sea

Two-day training for monitoring dolphins, turtles and seals in adriatic sea

On Tuesday and Wednesday, September 16 and 17, Morigenos hosted a two-day training titled “Monitoring of marine sentinel species and human activities interaction in the Adriatic Sea”, which was organized in collaboration with our partners from the SAMESEA project.

During lectures prepared by marine mammal and sea turtle experts from Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Greece, stakeholders were acquainted with the biology of the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), as well as various methods of monitoring these three sentinel species within the Adriatic and Ionian seas. During practical demonstrations the participants could try their hands at rescuing stranded dolphins and sea turtles, and gained hands-on experience at monitoring dolphins from land using binoculars.

The event was attended by representatives from the municipality of Piran , Strunjan Landscape Park, YouSea Institute and NOMED. The lectures and practical demonstrations were prepared by Morigenos, CoNISMa, Montenegro Dolphin research, Blue World Institute, VEFUNIZG and Archipelagos. Many thanks to all the participants and organizers for their collaboration and pleasant company.

16-09-2025

New Research by Morigenos Reveals Distinct Feeding Habits Among Northern Adriatic Dolphins

New Research by Morigenos Reveals Distinct Feeding Habits Among Northern Adriatic Dolphins

Dolphins in the northern Adriatic Sea don’t all eat the same food. For over 20 years, Morigenos has studied the population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Gulf of Trieste and surrounding waters. Previous research showed that these dolphins form distinct social groups, each with unique behaviours and habitat use. Now, new research led by Morigenos, in collaboration with the University of St Andrews (UK) and the University of Barcelona (Spain), shows that these differences extend to their diet as well.

Published in the renowned journal Science of the Total Environment, the study revealed that bottlenose dolphins in the northern Adriatic Sea display distinct feeding habits, even within the same population. Dolphin social groups occupy different ecological niches, with their own dietary preferences and feeding strategies. These findings suggest that both social and ecological factors shape feeding habits in this population.

“This study shows that dolphins in the same population can behave very differently when it comes to feeding,” said Dr. Tilen Genov of Morigenos, who led the study. “Recognizing these differences is crucial for understanding the impact of human activities on dolphins, and vice-versa, including potential effects on fishing.”

Contrary to popular belief, not all dolphins interact with fisheries in the same way. Some fishermen assume that dolphins always reduce catches or damage nets, but decades of observation reveal substantial variation in behaviour among different individuals or social groups.

Surprisingly, no clear link was found between dietary patterns and levels of harmful pollutants in dolphin tissues. This challenges assumptions that feeding habits alone dictate contaminant exposure and highlights the need to consider more complex ecological factors.

The research underscores the importance of conserving not only species and genetic diversity, but also behavioral diversity. By understanding these subtle distinctions in marine food webs, humanity can make more informed decisions to protect marine ecosystems.

The article is freely available HERE.