Exeter, England – Scientists call for the Indian Ocean\u2019s Saya de Malha, a vast submerged bank hundreds of kilometres off the coast of East Africa, to be protected after the first survey of the remote area documented a diverse range of cetacean species.[1] The research team led by Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter (UK), which included scientists from the Seychelles and Mauritius, documented 12 species including orcas, sperm whales, and spinner, striped and bottlenose dolphins.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cSaya de Malha is a unique area that includes seagrass meadows and coral reefs, and the steeply shelving edges of the bank appear to be very important for cetaceans. Our survey suggests Saya de Malha supports a diverse range of cetacean species and the relatively shallow waters and tropical currents make it a hotspot for biodiversity, but the geography also means that little scientific work has been done here, as ships tend to avoid it.\u201d said Dr Kirsten Thompson of the University of Exeter.<\/p>\n\n
The researchers are calling for the Saya de Malha bank to be designated as either an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) or a Marine Protected Area (MPA). IMMAs are normally designated in regions with extensive research, but Dr Thompson said scientists \u201cjust don\u2019t have the data\u201d on many far-offshore places, including Saya de Malha.<\/p>\n\n
The study was based on visual and acoustic surveys (over a 7,700km area) using the Greenpeace vessel MY Arctic Sunrise, which was involved in a wider project to document marine life in the region during 2021. Analysis of sperm whale calls in the new study showed a \u201cmatch\u201d with a well-studied sperm whale population off the coast of Mauritius, suggesting \u201cpossible connectivity\u201d \u2013 meaning whales may move between these two areas. More research will be needed to confirm this.<\/p>\n\n
In June 2023, the United Nations adopted a treaty that aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the high seas (beyond national waters). The researchers hope this will be used to protect Saya de Malha.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe threats facing our world\u2019s oceans are growing bigger and more urgent day by day. By protecting fragile and important habitats like Saya de Malha \u2013 placing them off-limits to destructive industries \u2013 we can begin to turn this around.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe UN Ocean Treaty gives us a tool to protect the high seas. It should be ratified urgently and then put to use to protect ecologically vital areas like Saya de Malha,\u201d added Chris Thorne, from Greenpeace\u2019s Protect the Oceans campaign.<\/p>\n\n
ENDS<\/p>\n\n
Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n [1] The paper, published in the journal Regional Studies in Marine Science, is entitled: \u201cCetaceans of the Saya de Malha bank region, Indian Ocean: A candidate Important Marine Mammal Area.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n