The marine environment is more and more subjected to pressures and impacts due to human activity. The cetaceans are top food chain predators, therefore they constitute an important element of the marine ecosystem, whose conservation is fundamental and essential. Besides their biological importance, the cetaceans have in islands communities an economical and cultural importance, where the Whale Watching activity prevails.

Physeter macrocephalus

In general, the good conservation state of the marine environment in the Macaronesian archipelagos implies a strong attention in order to promptly detect negative impacts that could be inflicted to cetaceans and to the marine environment. Therefore, it is important the development of studies, monitoring and environmental education, which can contribute to detection, assessment and impacts correction.

The EMECETUS Project defined a group of activities in order to monitor cetaceans populations and the environmental parameters according to which they are structured.

Therefore, activities such as nautical and aerial surveys, analyses of stranded cetaceans, observation and monitorization of the Whale Watching activity and compilation of oceanographic data will be performed. These results added to results from previous projects will be included in a SIG data base to Madeira and Canary archipelagos. 

The importance of cetaceans overcomes their biological value, representing for their islands communities an economical and cultural value, potential or already installed namely in the Whale Watching activity. Hence, it is fundamental to assure long-term stability in the activity. 

Additionally, in order to succeed in the conservation and management efforts it is necessary to mobilize and educate the society in this matter. Therefore, it is important to develop environmental education actions designed for this purpose.

Inherent to this project is also to provide the necessary equipment for an educational space in the Madeira Whale Museum and invigorate the educational kit in the Canary Islands Cetaceans Museum. These spaces will be developed so that, in an interactive and didactic way, the Madeira marine environment can be promoted, focusing cetaceans and thus educating the population for its preservation.