SYNFONY 2026 First Survey: An Outstanding Start Across the Mediterranean

From the Strait of Gibraltar to the Adriatic Sea, observers recorded sightings of fin whales, sperm whales, pilot whales, goose-beaked whales, as well as striped, common, bottlenose and Risso's dolphins. Several areas also hosted large numbers of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), sunfish (Mola mola), mobula rays, swordfish, tuna and abundant seabirds, including Scopoli's and Yelkouan shearwaters.

Among the highlights, researchers observed:

• Multiple fin whale sightings across the Western Mediterranean, with particularly high numbers between the Balearic Islands, Sardinia and the Pelagos Sanctuary
• Sperm whales and beaked whales in the Pelagos area and the Spanish migratory corridor.
• Large aggregations of striped dolphins throughout the Mediterranean basin.
• Remarkable sea turtle encounters across several monitoring routes.
• An exceptional sighting of two fin whales in the Adriatic Sea near Abruzzo, a rare and significant observation for the region.

The first survey also provided valuable information on the distribution of marine megafauna, with preliminary observations suggesting that fin whales were concentrated further west than expected in some sectors of the northwestern Mediterranean. These patterns will be further analysed as the survey continues.

The excellent start of SYNFONY 2026 demonstrates the value of coordinated, basin-wide monitoring efforts for improving our understanding of Mediterranean marine biodiversity and supporting effective conservation measures.

The survey continues over the coming weeks, with researchers collecting standardized observations across the Mediterranean to build one of the most comprehensive datasets on marine megafauna distribution in the region.

What is SYNFONY?  SynFONy – A coordinated Mediterranean monitoring effort powered by LIFE CONCEPTU MARIS and FLT Med Net

SynFONy – Synoptic Ferry Observation Network is a new large-scale initiative developed within the After LIFE activities of LIFE CONCEPTU MARIS and built upon the long-term experience of the FLT Med Net (Fixed Line Transect Mediterranean monitoring network)

Since 2007, FLT Med Net has coordinated long-term marine monitoring across the Mediterranean by using ferries as floating laboratories, creating one of the most important basin-scale observation networks for:

• Cetaceans
• Sea turtles
• Floating marine macro litter
• Marine ecosystem conditions.

Through LIFE CONCEPTU MARIS, this approach was further strengthened and expanded by transforming ferries into true floating laboratories, integrating innovative technologies and harmonised monitoring methodologies across the network.

SynFONy now takes this effort one step further. For the first time, all FLT Med Net partners will carry out monitoring activities simultaneously across all active Mediterranean ferry routes, repeating surveys during three consecutive synoptic sessions in summer 2026.

SynFONy 2026 survey sessions:
🔹 21–23 June,
🔹 5–7 July,
🔹 19–21 July.

Whenever possible, SynFONy surveys will be conducted during the period of the ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative (ASI), the large-scale aerial synoptic survey covering the entire Mediterranean, creating, for the first time, the opportunity to compare and integrate the two complementary monitoring approaches: broad Mediterranean snapshots through ASI and long-term fixed-routes monitoring through FLT Med Net across seasons and years.

This unprecedented coordinated effort will strengthen:
 long-term monitoring,
international scientific collaboration,
harmonised Mediterranean-scale data collection,
evidence-based marine conservation and policy.

SynFONy represents the combined strength of the long-term commitment of FLT Med Net and the innovation and legacy fostered through LIFE CONCEPTU MARIS, working together for a better understanding and protection of the Mediterranean Sea