Value of offshore molecular surveillance over monk seal occurrence
Although recognized as the most endangered pinniped species worldwide, the status of the Mediterranean monk seal population is currently considered “data-deficient” as, so far, its study has been focused on resting/reproductive coastal areas, where paradoxically the research is necessarily limited by the concern of disturbing such a vulnerable species, thus the adoption of camera traps. Yet, beside the above-mentioned constraints, limiting the study of the monk seal to its coastal occurrence would inevitably limit and bias our knowledge of the species, as it brings insights on limited aspects of its life cycle. The possibility to monitor the species in offshore waters opens the prospect to fill the knowledge gaps about still uninvestigated facets of the biology of this threatened species, such as feeding habits, movements during non-reproductive season, species boundaries etc.