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The main goal of EMPHATIC is to provide tested monitoring tools, employing non-invasive, innovative, and complementary methodologies to assess cetacean distribution, diversity, and health status.
The project EMPHATIC will address challenges in cetacean monitoring, related to distribution range and health; and respond to policy needs by developing relevant indicators of cetacean population status. EMPHATIC combines several emerging research topics, applying non-invasive techniques applicable to live animals: environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess distribution; study of the respiratory tract microbiomes; images collected with drones for photogrammetry to evaluate body condition; and hormone content to derive stress levels.
Under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), European Member States are required to monitor the status of cetacean populations. EMPHATIC brings together six partners from three different countries.