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On the other hand, the need for a more comprehensive understanding of spatial distribution, abundance, site fidelity and habitat use of G. griseus in the North-eastern Central Mediterranean Sea is scarce and limited to just one recorded sighting 28 and stranding data retrieved from the MEDACES database ( ) and the Italian Stranding Network ( ) 10. As a matter of fact, information on the presence of G. griseus and its distribution has been mainly centred around the Western Mediterranean Sea 7, 9, 16, 17 and the easternmost part of the Mediterranean basin, as well as in the Greek and Turkish Aegean and Cypriot waters 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, whereas it is lacking in large areas of the Central-eastern regions 10. To date, the knowledge regarding the presence of G. Despite it also being considered a regular inhabitant of the Mediterranean Sea 12, 13, 14, the Risso’s dolphin remains one of the least-known cetacean species in the basin, with its status is ranked as Data Deficient by the IUCN Red List 15. The Risso’s dolphin Grampus griseus (Cuvier, 1812) 1 is a small Odontocetes distributed from the tropics throughout the temperate regions in both hemispheres 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, living in the deep waters of the continental slope and outer shelf, especially those areas with a steep bottom topography 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Our data and analysis results corroborate the hypothesis of a resident Risso’s dolphin population in the Gulf of Taranto, showing site fidelity in a relatively restricted area characterized by a steep slope to around 800 m in depth, north of the Taranto Valley canyon system. This effort establishes the baseline for future large-scale studies, essential to providing further information on the distribution of G.
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This approach provides the capability to collect and analyse significant amounts of data acquired over wide areas and extended periods of time. It contains a collection of sighting data and geo-referred photos of Grampus griseus, acquired from 2013 to 2016 in the Gulf of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea, North-eastern Central Mediterranean Sea), and the first automated tool for Smart Photo Identification of the Risso’s dolphin ( SPIR). In this paper, a synergy between bio-ecological analysis and innovative strategies has been applied to construct a digital platform, DolFin. Estimates of its abundance are available in a few regions, details of its distribution are lacking, and its status in the Mediterranean Sea is ranked as Data Deficient by the IUCN Red List. The Risso’s dolphin is a widely distributed species, found in deep temperate and tropical waters.