The SAMBAH (Static Acoustic Monitoring of the Baltic Sea Harbour Porpoise) research programme has enabled pinpointing of the harbour porpoise habitat in the Baltic Sea.

For two years, the Marine Station of the University of Gdańsk’s Institute of Oceanography together with the Maritime Branch of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management − National Research Institute in Gdynia have been running the programme in the Polish area of the Baltic Sea. Since 2009, Grupa LOTOS has been supporting the efforts for the protection of the most endangered sea fauna species in the Baltic Sea, with particular attention paid to harbour porpoises.

The research has shown that porpoises are largely present throughout the Baltic Sea, their habitat reaching as far as the Åland Islands. According to the most recent data, the South-west territorial waters of Denmark, the South coast of Sweden, and the German coast are home to the largest groups of porpoises. They can also be found along most of the Polish coastline.

“In the SAMBAH project we have employed a new method of constant monitoring by means of stationary C-POD detectors (porpoise sound detectors). We have covered a large area of the Baltic Sea and monitored it continuously for two years,” said Iwona Pawliczka, PhD, from the Marine Station of the University of Gdańsk’s Institute of Oceanography, the coordinator of the Polish part of the SAMBAH project. “The porpoise sound records we have analysed helped us identify the territorial waters where the largest number of sounds were recorded.”

Our next goal is to develop a model of seasonal changes in porpoise occurrences, based on which it will be possible to identify the areas particularly important for the species and determine parts at higher risk of conflict with human sea activities. This knowledge is necessary for creating and updating action plans for the local protection of the species.

Grupa LOTOS, together with the Foundation for the Development of the University of Gdańsk and the Marine Station in Hel, operates the Baltic Sea’s Wildlife Protection Programme.

“We are glad that our help in providing additional research equipment has contributed to such interesting results,” said Jowita Twardowska, Communication & CSR Director at Grupa LOTOS. “Our participation in the Baltic Sea’s Wildlife Protection Programme is one of the priorities in our Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy. In addition to protection of endangered species, the Programme also teaches and promotes knowledge of the Baltic Sea’s biodiversity.”

The protected Baltic Sea harbour porpoises are in danger of extinction. They live very secretive lives and shy away from boats, so it is difficult to watch them and conduct research on them. Harbour porpoises are one of the world’s smallest and shortest-lived cetaceans, and the only ones that permanently inhabit the Baltic Sea.

Communication Office, Grupa LOTOS S.A., ul. Elbląska 135, 80-718 Gdańsk, Poland, tel. (+48) 58 308 87 31, (+48) 58 308 83 88, e-mail: media@grupalotos.pl