Harbour porpoises have become rare - and are very sensitive to noise. This is why it is mainly sailors who occasionally spot one of these small whales. If possible, each of these sightings should be reported with a precise position in order to help protect the species. This should now be easier: The German Oceanographic Museum has developed a new app, "OstSeeTiere", which can be used to easily report sightings of harbour porpoises as well as harbour seals and grey seals via smartphone.
The "OstSeeTiere" app is intuitive to use: it automatically determines the position via GPS tracking, the user selects which animal and how many they have seen and can optionally add further information such as wind speed and sea state. Dead animals can and should also be reported via the app so that they can be recovered and examined quickly. A photo can also be added.
The reports from water sports enthusiasts enable the distribution areas of marine mammals to be analysed more precisely and measures to protect the endangered animals to be better coordinated. This is supported by the German Oceanographic Museum project based in Stralsund by the Baltic Sea Research Foundation.
Sightings can also be made as usual by telephone (03831/2650-3333), fax (03831/2650-309), e-mail (sichtungen@meeresmuseum.de) and via the Website be reported.
