1. The striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba ) is one of the most abundant cetaceans of the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, it is ranked as ‘Vulnerable’ by IUCN Red List experts.
2. To implement conservation strategies within the Mediterranean Sea, it is crucial to understand how striped dolphins are distributed at different geographical scales. The present study investigates its distribution within the EU Adriatic and Ionian Sea Region.
3. To model striped dolphin distribution, topographic (distance from shore, depth and slope) and oceanographic variables (sea surface temperature and phytoplankton concentration) were employed, and species distribution models (SDMs) were developed using Maxent software. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to improve the information supplied by the SDMs, allowing the description of response curves to striped dolphin occurrences.
4. Statistical analysis shows that striped dolphins are not evenly distributed within the investigated area. The higher encounter rates observed in the Gulf of Taranto and the Gulf of Corinth confirm that both sub‐regions are crucial for its conservation. Furthermore, SDMs also indicate suitable areas in the offshore waters of the Adriatic Sea, along the continental slope of the north‐eastern Ionian Sea and over its continental shelf. Within the EU Adriatic and Ionian Sea Region, striped dolphins prefer areas at a greater distance from shore, with steeper slopes, deeper waters, and higher sea surface temperature. The topographic variables are the most explicative factors for both modelling approaches.
5. The analysis of striped dolphin SDMs allows the identification of important areas for conservation and highlights zones where appropriate mitigation strategies could reduce the impact of human activities on this Vulnerable species. Further analysis of SDMs for different periods of the year, as well as a genetic study, could highlight seasonal movements across and within sub‐regions.

中文翻译：

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地中海中东部地中海亚得里亚海和爱奥尼亚海地区内不同地理尺度上的条纹海豚（Stenella coeruleoalba）的空间分布模型

1. 条纹海豚（Stenella coeruleoalba）是地中海最丰富的鲸类动物之一。然而，它被自然保护联盟红色名录专家列为“弱势群体”。
2. 为了在地中海内实施保护战略，了解条纹海​​豚如何在不同地理尺度上分布至关重要。本研究调查了其在欧盟亚得里亚海和爱奥尼亚海地区的分布。
3. 为了模拟条纹海豚的分布，采用了地形（距海岸，深度和坡度的距离）和海洋变量（海表温度和浮游植物浓度），并使用Maxent软件开发了物种分布模型（SDM）。使用通用加性模型（GAM）来改进SDM提供的信息，从而可以描述对条纹海豚发生情况的响应曲线。
4. 统计分析表明，条纹海豚在调查区域内分布不均。在塔兰托湾和科林斯湾的观察到较高的遭遇率，证实这两个次区域对其保护至关重要。此外，SDM还指示了亚得里亚海近海，爱奥尼亚海东北部的大陆坡及其大陆架上的合适区域。在欧盟亚得里亚海和爱奥尼亚海地区，条带海豚更喜欢离海岸较远，坡度更陡，水深更深，海面温度更高的地区。对于这两种建模方法，地形变量是最明确的因素。
5. 对条纹海豚SDM的分析可以确定重要的保护区域，并突出显示适当的缓解策略可以减少人类活动对该脆弱物种的影响的区域。对一年中不同时期的SDM进​​行进一步分析以及进行一项遗传研究，可能会突出显示该区域内和区域内的季节性变化。