IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), the only resident pinniped species in the Mediterranean Sea, stands as one of the most endangered marine mammals on Earth. The growing interest in the species and its preservation has led in recent years to an intensification of the research, management and conservation initiatives. This guide offers a standardised approach for monitoring, data collection, and response to various scenarios in alignment with the conservation priorities for the Mediterranean monk seal.

This report gives an overview of the status of Mediterranean cetaceans (whales and dolphins), informed by IUCN Red List assessments undertaken between 2018 and  2022. Compared to the first review by IUCN, published in 2012, these recent assessments provide better information on the status of resident Mediterranean  subpopulations, thanks to improved regional monitoring. A total of 24 cetacean species have been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea, of which 10 are considered to be resident.

Being defined as the “combined works of nature and of man”, cultural landscapes focus on sustainable land-use techniques, where the local population take into consideration the limits of the natural environment. They constitute a traditional form of land-use that are beneficial for the biological diversity and the cultural diversity for human well-being. They constitute an important landscape in the Mediterranean region, but have long been studied both by social  and natural scientists from different perspectives.

Marine invasive species can have a disastrous impact on biodiversity, ecosystems, fisheries, human health, tourism and coastal development, and they can be extremely difficult and costly to control.