Monk Seal: Two Sightings in a Few Days

Over the past week, the monk seal, one of the species most at risk of extinction and strictly protected under the Habitats Directive, has been sighted in the waters between the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area and the Site of Community Interest of the Island of Capri.

ISPRA and the AMP Punta Campanella have started a collaboration to monitor their presence through non-invasive techniques, starting with environmental DNA analysis. The main cause of the reduction in the monk seal population is attributed to voluntary killing by humans and accidental capture with some fishing gear. But also to the repeated disturbance due to excessive human proximity to the places where they rest or where they reproduce and care for their young along the coast, which pushes the animals to abandon the most suitable sites. Understanding which sites they frequent most is of crucial importance to implement conservation actions and ensure the survival of the species.