Community structure and abundance of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in coastal waters of the northeast Gulf of Mexico

Reny Tyson

doi:10.15468/y79rdp

Community structure and abundance of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in coastal waters of the northeast Gulf of Mexico

Citation

Tyson, R. 2014. Community structure and abundance of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in coastal waters of the northeast Gulf of Mexico. Data downloaded from OBIS-SEAMAP (http://seamap.env.duke.edu/dataset/571) on yyyy-mm-dd. https://doi.org/10.15468/y79rdp accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-01.

Description

Original provider: Reny Tyson, Duke University, and Brian Balmer, Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory Dataset credits: Reny Tyson, Duke University Brian Balmer, Chicago Zoological Society, c/o Mote Marine Laboratory Abstract: We examined bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus community structure and abundance in the northeast Gulf of Mexico coastal waters stretching from St. Vincent Sound to Alligator Harbor, Florida, USA. Photographic-identification surveys were conducted between May 2004 and October 2006 to gain an understanding of dolphin distribution in this region. Dolphins were distributed year-round throughout the region; however, individual sighting records indicate that 2 parapatric dolphin communities exist. We conducted mark-recapture surveys using photographic-identification techniques to estimate the abundance of dolphins inhabiting the 2 areas these communities reside in: St. Vincent Sound/Apalachicola Bay, western; and St. George Sound/Alligator Harbor, eastern. Sighting records of individual dolphins from 2004 to 2008 support the existence of 2 communities in these areas; only 3.5% of distinctive dolphins photographed were seen in both western and eastern areas. The 2 communities differ in their structure: the eastern area supports a more transient population with 45.7% of distinctive dolphins photo graphed only once compared with 28.3% in the west. Independent estimates of abundance (N, 95% CI = [low, high]) were calculated using the Chapman modification of the Lincoln-Petersen method for June 2007 and for January and February 2008 for the eastern area (242 [141−343], 395 [273−516]) and for the western survey area (197 [130−264], 111 [71−150]), respectively. Our results serve as a baseline that can be used by the US National Marine Fisheries Service to manage bottlenose dolphins in this region. Purpose: not provided Supplemental information: [2015-03-24] A few records had a wrong animal count of zero. The value is replaced with a blank representing species presence only.

Purpose

not provided

Sampling Description

Study Extent

NA

Sampling

NA

Method steps

NA

Additional info

marine, harvested by iOBIS

Taxonomic Coverages

Scientific names are based on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).

Tursiops truncatus
common name: Common Bottlenose Dolphin rank: species

Geographic Coverages

Gulf of Mexico,Apalachicola Bay,St. George Sound,Alligator Harbor

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Reny Tyson
originator
position: Primary contact
Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
email: rtysonmoore@mote.org

OBIS-SEAMAP
metadata author
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu

OBIS-SEAMAP
distributor
Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
A328 LSRC building
Durham
27708
NC
US
email: seamap-contact@duke.edu
homepage: http://seamap.env.duke.edu

Reny Tyson
owner
position: Primary contact
Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
email: rtysonmoore@mote.org

Reny Tyson
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
email: rtysonmoore@mote.org