Founded in 1986, the Tethys Research Institute is a private non-profit organization specialised in cetacean research. Exclusively based on autonomous fundraising, Tethys has generated one of the largest datasets on Mediterranean cetaceans and about 300 scientific contributions.
Back in 1991, Tethys first conceived and proposed the creation of the Pelagos Sanctuary, based on extensive information collected in the field. Data collected by Tethys since 1990 in the Corso-Ligurian-Provençal basin contributed to showing that fin whales are endemic in the Mediterranean.
Tethys has conducted longitudinal studies on fin whales and several other cetacean species in the Corso-Ligurian-Provencal basin, on common bottlenose dolphins in the Adriatic Sea, and on short-beaked common dolphins and common bottlenose dolphins in the Ionian Sea. Tethys has also done research on cetaceans in the Messina Strait and in several other Mediterranean and Atlantic areas.
Research methods used by Tethys include the use of remote sensing and telemetry data, the combined use of laser range-finding binoculars and GPS to passively track and record the horizontal movements of whales, population studies, bioacoustic research, photo-identification and behavioural sampling, remote biopsy sampling for genetic and toxicological analyses, and historical research. Tethys owns photographic archives exceeding 150,000 cetacean images, that have resulted in the identification of over 1,300 individuals of seven Mediterranean species. This expertise has granted to Tethys a role as regional coordinator in the former EC-funded project “Europhlukes”.
Tethys aims to protect the Mediterranean biodiversity by promoting the adoption of a precautionary approach for the management of natural resources. Public awareness and conservation activities, coupled with education and capacity building, find their strength in a solid scientific background. The activities conducted by Tethys seek to prevent the decline of marine species and to encourage a sustainable use of the marine environment, particularly where habitat degradation makes it necessary.
With a core of about 40 collaborators (largely marine biology professionals and students) and a membership averaging 300/year, the Tethys Research Institute has involved in its campaigns thousands of people from all over the world, and has developed a network that is constantly growing.
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Tethys is partner to UNEP's Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS) |
Policy on cetacean biopsy sampling
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Italian
Curriculum 1986-2006
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Tethys 
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