Caroline Weir commenced her PhD entitled 'Spatio-temporal distribution and ecology of cetaceans and marine turtles in Angola and the southern Gulf of Guinea' in January 2007.  The PhD is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen (UK) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (USA). 

The study aims to characterise the habitat preferences of cetaceans and marine turtles in Angola, according to their spatio-temporal distribution in relation to oceanographic and topographic parameters.  These parameters will be determined using satellite imagery (sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, turbidity and salinity), with water depth and seabed topography mapped from Admiralty Charts and survey data.  A Geographic Information System (GIS) will be used to examine the relationships between cetacean/turtle sightings and environmental features. This information will subsequently be used to assess the status of cetaceans and turtles in Angolan waters in relation to their conservation and management. 

The study will concentrate on the waters off northern Angola between Luanda and Cabinda, since the majority of available platforms of opportunity (seismic survey vessels) operate in this area. However, data will be collected throughout the waters of Angola, Congo and Gabon as the opportunity arises, in order to categorise cetacean and marine turtle occurrence in as many habitat types as possible.  The work is being sponsored by a number of oil companies, presently including BP and their partners in Blocks 18 and 31, and Total and their partners in Block 32.

A further aspect of the PhD is researching the distribution, ecology and habitat preferences of the Atlantic humpback dolphin (Sousa teuszii), which is endemic to West Africa and was only confirmed in Angola as recently as 2004.   The first survey was carried out during January 2008, and the preliminary results are available here.  A second survey is scheduled for June/July 2008..

Please contact Caroline for more information.