Value of offshore molecular surveillance over monk seal
occurrence
Although recognized as the most endangered pinniped species worldwide,
the status of the Mediterranean monk seal population is currently
considered “data-deficient” as, so far, its study has been focused on
resting/reproductive coastal areas, where paradoxically the research is
necessarily limited by the concern of disturbing such a vulnerable
species, thus the adoption of camera traps. Yet, beside the
above-mentioned constraints, limiting the study of the monk seal to its
coastal occurrence would inevitably limit and bias our knowledge of the
species, as it brings insights on limited aspects of its life cycle. The
possibility to monitor the species in offshore waters opens the prospect
to fill the knowledge gaps about still uninvestigated facets of the
biology of this threatened species, such as feeding habits, movements
during non-reproductive season, species boundaries etc.