A remote part of the Indian Ocean is a hotspot for whales and dolphins, prompting researchers to call for a new protected area.
A remote part of the Indian Ocean is a hotspot for whales and dolphins, prompting researchers to call for a new protected area.
Scientists surveyed the waters around Saya de Malha, a vast submerged bank hundreds of kilometres off the coast of East Africa.
Cetaceans (whales and dolphins) had not been surveyed there before – but the team found 12 species, including orcas and sperm whales, and spinner, striped and bottlenose dolphins.
The researchers suggest the Saya de Malha bank area should be designated as either an Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) or a Marine Protected Area (MPA).
Read more at University of Exeter
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