Welcome to the Arion project website!
The main objective is the improvement of the conservation status of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), that is listed in the Annex II of Habitat directive, being the coastal species amongst Mediterranean cetaceans most exposed to threats due to human activity and resource exploitation. The goal fulfils also the Italian National Priorities, in particular the SAP 1.C as indicated by the Italian Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare.
The threats for Bottlenose dolphin are listed in Simmonds M., Nunny L. 2002. Cetacean habitat loss and degradation in the Mediterranean Sea, (report to the ACCOBAMS Secretariat, Monaco, February 2002, Section 7, 23 p.): the project specifically addresses the following threat: "boat traffic, including leisure craft that can lead to collisions and noise pollution". In the same report the areas with high level of tourism activity and fishing are pointed out as the areas where effective conservation actions are needed.