The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) is the rarest pinniped species in the world, with fewer than 1,000 individuals remaining. Visual monitoring is challenging due to their small population size, vast habitat range, and inaccessible haul-out sites. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) offers a valuable alternative, enabling continuous data collection in remote locations, regardless of weather or daylight. Using acoustic recordings collected in the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago, Greece, this study (1) analyzes temporal patterns and vocalization rates of monk seals, (2) develops new acoustic detectors for specific vocalizations, and (3) tests a novel multi-step acoustic detection framework.
Findings confirm that Mediterranean monk seals vocalize underwater outside of breeding season, with daily vocal peaks at 13:00 and seasonal peaks in November, December and March – coinciding with pupping and weaning. Although individual detectors lacked high precision, their combined use in a detection framework identified the four most common vocalizations. Encounter-level precision improved when “noisy” files were filtered using root mean square amplitude values. With improved detectors, this model could expedite the manual review of acoustic data. This study lays essential groundwork for a long-term PAM program, providing insight into vocal behavior and habitat use to inform and implement effective conservation strategies.
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