Karkinit and Dzharylhach Gulfs IMMA

Criterion A – Species or Population Vulnerability

The Dzharylhach (Carılğaç) and Karkinit Gulfs in the north-western Black Sea are important seasonal habitat (all seasons except winter) for the three threatened Black Sea cetacean subspecies, the Endangered harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena relicta) and bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus ponticus) and the Vulnerable common dolphin (Delphinus delphis ponticus) (Birkun, 2002, 2012; Mikhalev, 2005, 2008; Birkun and Frantzis, 2008; Birkun et al., 2014). Moreover, the deeper south-western part of the area is inhabited by all three cetacean species during winter seasons as well (Agafonov et al., 1982). The harbour porpoise is particularly vulnerable in this area due to extensive bycatch in fishing gears in the Karkinit Gulf during its reproduction season in spring and summer (Pavel Gol’din, personal communication), and therefore it needs special protection in its breeding areas (Birkun, 2006a).

Criterion B: Distribution and Abundance

Sub-criterion B2: Aggregations

Cetaceans occur in the northern part of the IMMA area during the warm season and in the southern part of the area year-round (Bel’kovich, 1978, 1987; Birkun, 2006b; Gol’din et al., 2017). This is an area where during the warm season locally distributed groups of the Black Sea bottlenose dolphins and the Black Sea common dolphins have been recorded and there have been numerous photo identification recaptures of known individuals over at least 5 years, (Gladilina et al., unpubl.). The abundance of the local coastal population of bottlenose dolphins near the Dzharylhach Island is about 50 individuals; the group includes a few stable pairs and alliances of individuals, at least 12 individuals were resighted in 2016-2019 (Gladilina et al., 2017a). A few individuals show distinctive hunting, beaching and play behaviour (Gol’din et al., 2017). The abundance of common dolphins in the Dzharylhach Gulf is about 200 individuals, and at least 7 individuals were resighted between 2016 and 2019 years (Gladilina et al., 2017a,b; Gol’din et al. 2017; Gladilina et al., 2020; Gladilina et al., unpubl.). The density of the harbour porpoises in the Dzharylhach Gulf in summer reaches 1.5 specimens per square kilometre which is the highest density throughout the northern Black Sea and among the highest in the entire Black Sea (Gladilina et al., 2017a).

Criterion C: Key Life Cycle Activities

Sub-criterion C1: Reproductive Areas

The IMMA area is an important reproductive area for bottlenose dolphins and common dolphins with calves during the warm season. The bottlenose dolphins and common dolphins were observed with calves of all age categories (newborns, calves) and juveniles. During the 2016, 2017 summer seasons 27% groups of the bottlenose dolphins and 30% groups of the common dolphins were observed with calves and juveniles (Gladilina et al., 2017a; Gol’din et al., 2017; Gladilina, 2018). Also, mating behaviour was recorded for bottlenose dolphins in shallow waters near the Dzharylhach Island (Gladilina and Gol’din, personal communication).

Sub-criterion C2: Feeding Areas

This area has a high concentration of migratory fish, e.g. horse mackerel and sand smelt that are important prey species for common dolphins and harbour porpoises, mullets, garfish, an important prey of bottlenose dolphins. The main behavioural type observed for all cetaceans in the area was foraging (Bel’kovich, 1978, 1987; Gol’din et al., 2017; Gladilina, 2018). Sand smelts (Atherina sp.), the horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus) and the garfish (Belone belone) were directly identified as prey objects of the common dolphins during boat surveys in the Dzharylhach Gulf in summer 2016 and 2017 (Gol’din et al., 2017). Different mullets (Mugilidae) are very important feeding objects for bottlenose dolphins according to the boats surveys and coastal observations from different years (Bel’kovich, 1978, 1987; Birkun, 2006b; Gol’din et al., 2017).