scholarly journals Long-term dietary segregation of common dolphins Delphinus delphis in the Bay of Biscay, determined using cadmium as an ecological tracer

2005 ◽  
Vol 305 ◽  
pp. 275-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Lahaye ◽  
P Bustamante ◽  
J Spitz ◽  
W Dabin ◽  
K Das ◽  
...  
2017 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 1187-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arianna Cecchetti ◽  
Karen A. Stockin ◽  
Jonathan Gordon ◽  
José M.N. Azevedo

Short-term measures of behavioural responses of cetaceans to tourism operations have been used in many studies to interpret and understand potential long-term impacts of biological importance. The short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is the species most frequently observed in the Azores and constitutes an important component of the marine mammal tourism industry in this region. This study investigated the potential effects of tour boats on the behaviour of common dolphins off São Miguel, Azores, with particular focus on the changes in activity budget and the time required to resume activities after a tour boat interaction. Behavioural data were collected from land using a group focal-follow methodology. Markov chains were applied to analyse control and interaction sequences and to assess behavioural transition probabilities in both scenarios. In the presence of tour boats, dolphins significantly reduced the time spent foraging and increased the time engaged in other high energy activities. Dolphins also took significantly longer to resume feeding after an interaction occurred. The average bout length varied significantly between control and interaction scenarios, with foraging bouts being shorter during tour boats interactions. The results presented have management implications since feeding is a biologically critical activity. Disruption of foraging behaviour could lead to a decrease in energy intake for this population. With cetacean tourism likely to increase in the future, a precautionary approach to issuing new licences is advisable and any expansion would warrant an appropriate monitoring programme.


2013 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 452-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Spitz ◽  
T. Chouvelon ◽  
M. Cardinaud ◽  
C. Kostecki ◽  
P. Lorance

Abstract Spitz, J., Chouvelon, T., Cardinaud, M., Kostecki, C., and Lorance, P. 2013. Prey preferences of adult sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax in the northeastern Atlantic: implications for bycatch of common dolphin Delphinus delphis – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 452–461. In the northeastern Atlantic, adult sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is one of largest fish living on the shelf, and this species has important commercial value. However, pelagic trawl fisheries that target sea bass have negative operational interactions with common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Our goal was to determine the diet of adult sea bass in the Bay of Biscay from stomach-content and stable-isotope analyses, and explore the dietary overlap between sea bass and common dolphins. We found that sea bass primarily target small pelagic fish, most notably mackerel (Scomber scombrus), scads (Trachurus spp.), anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), and sardine (Sardina pilchardus). These four species also dominated the diets of common dolphins. This overlap in feeding preferences could increase the risk of dolphins being caught by trawl fisheries while feeding among sea bass, and may be an underlying mechanism to explain the high rate of common dolphin bycatch observed in the pelagic trawl fishery for sea bass in the Bay of Biscay. Understanding the foraging ecology and trophic interactions of predator species is an essential step for identifying and resolving management issues in the northeastern Atlantic and other marine ecosystems.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 160478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Mason ◽  
Chandra Salgado Kent ◽  
David Donnelly ◽  
Jeffrey Weir ◽  
Kerstin Bilgmann

Short-beaked common dolphins ( Delphinus delphis ) are typically considered highly mobile, offshore delphinids. This study assessed the residency of a small community of short-beaked common dolphins in the shallow, urbanized Port Phillip Bay, south-eastern Australia. The ability to identify common dolphins by their dorsal fin markings and coloration using photo-identification was also investigated. Systematic and non-systematic boat surveys were undertaken between 2007 and 2014. Results showed that 13 adult common dolphins and their offspring inhabit Port Phillip Bay, of which 10 adults exhibit residency to the bay. The majority of these adults are reproductively active females, suggesting that female philopatry may occur in the community. Systematic surveys conducted between 2012 and 2014 revealed that the dolphins were found in a median water depth of 16 m and median distance of 2.2 km from the coast. The shallow, urbanized habitat of this resident common dolphin community is atypical for this species. As a result, these common dolphins face threats usually associated with inshore bottlenose dolphin communities. We suggest that the Port Phillip Bay common dolphin community is considered and managed separate to those outside the embayment and offshore to ensure the community's long-term viability and residency in the bay.


Author(s):  
Liliana Olaya-Ponzone ◽  
Rocío Espada ◽  
Estefanía Martín Moreno ◽  
Isabel Cárdenas Marcial ◽  
José C. García-Gómez

AbstractThis study focuses on the dolphins populating the water between Gibraltar and Algeciras in the south Iberian Peninsula, an area subjected to pressure due to high human activity. The area is considered an important feeding and breeding ground for common dolphins (Delphinus delphis). Due to the degree of residence of some specimens, and the large gap in knowledge about the evolution of wounds in D. delphis specimens with lacerations, this work sought to perform the following analyses: identify lacerated individuals; characterize sequences of ‘before – during – after’ with respect to the occurrence of lacerations; and associate the type of injury with its severity. This work will inform future studies by expanding a database on injured individuals and contribute to periodical monitoring of specimens that frequent these geographic areas. Between 2013 and 2017, we were able to track the healing process of five injured individuals of common dolphins from a whale-watching platform thanks to photo identification. The animals exhibited fresh external wounds from different sources. In the majority of individuals, the wound-healing processes lasted 3–21 weeks. The frequency with which sightings are made and knowledge about the local population will help track injured animals, follow their wound evolution, and document their survival rates. The documented injuries inflicted by human interactions described in this paper may include fishing interactions and propeller strikes, probably as a consequence of the high intensity of recreational fishing and whale-watching activities in the area.


2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 605-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Cesar de Oliveira Santos ◽  
Giovanna Corrêa e Figueiredo ◽  
Marie-Francoise Van Bressem

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of cetaceans in the waters surrounding the Marine Protected Area (MPA) known as “Parque Estadual Marinho da Laje de Santos (PEMLS)”, placed in coastal waters at the southeastern coast of Brazil. Boat-based surveys were conducted once a month from June 2013 to June 2015. A specific transect was followed to cover the area of the quoted MPA, as well as its borders. A total of 24 boat-surveys rendered 18 sightings of cetacean groups of the following species: Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) (12), rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) (2), common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) (1), Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edeni) (2) and common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) (1). Sightings of S. frontalis, the commonest sighted species, was positively correlated with water depth (Mantel test; r = 0.8072; p < 0.05). Photoidentified individuals moved back and forth to inner and outer areas of the MPA, remaining in the area throughout the 2-year survey. “Paisley” cutaneous marks of unknown origin were reported in two common dolphins for the first time in local waters. As the PEMLS has been used as an important spot for SCUBA divers, it is recommended that cetacean sightings could still be gathered in a future partnership, as well as using the acoustics tool to detect their presence when researchers are not in the field.


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