Date: June 15, 2026
Time: 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Location: virtual
Speaker name: Mr. Juan Manuel Salazar Sierra, Senior Marine Megafauna Specialist KBD
Acoustic Baseline of Cetaceans in the NEOM Region: First Integrated Visual–Acoustic Assessment in Northwestern Saudi Arabia
The talk will highlight the value of passive acoustic monitoring as a tool to detect cetaceans and improve our understanding of their occurrence in the NEOM region. By combining acoustic and visual surveys, the study provides the first integrated assessment of cetaceans in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The results confirm the presence of several dolphin species in the area and provide an important first acoustic baseline to support future research, monitoring and conservation in the Saudi Red Sea.