A little more about this project
Cetaceans of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region is a long-term research project aimed at studying the distribution and habitat preference of coastal cetaceans in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR)’s coastal waters.
The current situation:
We all know that Mumbai is one of the busiest harbours in the country. These waters see the constant activity of cargo ships, recreational sailing vessels and intensive fishing. Moreover, these are highly polluted waters with untreated industrial and domestic sewage being led into the sea every day.
We also know that cetaceans like dolphins, specifically the Indo-pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) and the Finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides), are inhabiting these same waters.
How are they adapting to these intense stressors? And how do these activities affect their natural spaces? These are questions none have pursued the answer to - until now.
How CCF is addressing this:
Having commenced in December 2022, this project will continue until June 2024 in a broad scope that is aimed at understanding the behaviour and ecology of various cetacean species, including dolphins and porpoises, and how they utilise Mumbai's waters.
Specifically, this project is all about studying:
Their behaviour
Their distribution around the region
How they interact with humans
How Mumbai's waters are affecting their health, via toxicology reports
Findings, so far:
Coastal Conservation Foundation documented a report called 'Dolphins in the Back Bay', which studied the space-use patterns of the Indo-pacific humpback dolphin in a highly anthropogenic habitat.
Fascinatingly, the report notes that 8 boat surveys resulted in 28 sightings of dolphin groups between Haji Ali Bay and the Back Bay.
Apart from identifying areas as dolphins hotspots that will need further monitoring, the study also found intense gillnet fisheries, large scale infrastructure projects and poor water quality to be the primary anthropogenic stressors that could negatively impact marine biodiversity in the area.
The outcomes of this preliminary work will provide the framework for the long-term monitoring of the spatial distribution and habitat use of cetaceans along coastal Mumbai.
While Coastal Conservation Foundation has received CSR donations to help with most of this project, its toxicology reports have not been funded. Your donations towards this project will fund these studies.