There is no information on the local dolphin population. It is fundamental to gain some baseline information about the status of the dolphin population in the Gulf. This will enable to provide precise and clear information to
the scientific and governmental community, and have a solid ground for raising awareness among the public. The research part of this project focuses on the coastal waters along the Dubai coastline.
The targets are to assess:
- the species’ occurrence,
- the frequency of each species,
- estimate their population size and
- their habitat use in the above area.
Although dolphins and whales can be elusive species to study, nowadays there are relatively simple, well-established research techniques, such as transect surveys and photoidentification, that allow researches to gather useful information in a relative short time.
These are the basic information needed to progress towards the protection of the species and in general the local marine environment.
