The estimated current population of Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) worldwide is 600-700, approximately 100 of which live on the Turkish coast. Efforts to conserve this vulnerable species is important for its entire global population.
The Mediterranean monk seal faces many threats to its existence, including habitat damage, intervention to coastal caves in which it lives, accidentally getting caught in fishing equipment, deliberate killing, contagious diseases, excessive and illegal fishing, and sea pollution. The outside effects that coastal caves are subjected to in particular often lead to the monk seal abandoning its habitat and sometimes its offspring. Such effects are caused by excess pressure exerted by humans, urban development, touristic cave excursions, and underwater cave diving.
The MCS runs various projects to alleviate these threats and their effects on the species. One such measure is the round-the-clock monitoring of coastal caves with camera systems and camera traps along the approximately 710 kilometers long coastline stretching from Gökova Bay to Kaş-Kekova.
The tracking system allows the MCS to monitor which caves are visited by Mediterranean seals for breeding and/or recuperation purposes, as well as the timing and frequency of these visits and the profiling of individuals. Thanks to these methods, we can ascertain where and how often the species encounter threats while inside the caves, determine the effects of these threats, and plan conservation efforts accordingly.
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