Cetacean sightings in Ghana and Ivorycoast

Marijke de Boer

doi:10.3389/fmars.2016.00178

Cetacean sightings in Ghana and Ivorycoast

Citation

De Boer MN, Saulino JT, Van Waerebeek K and Aarts G. 2016. Under Pressure: Cetaceans and Fisheries Co-occurrence off the Coasts of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire (Gulf of Guinea). Frontiers in Marine Science. 3:178. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00178 accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-04-17.

Description

Original provider: Marijke de Boer Dataset credits: Marijke N. de Boer Abstract: Within the Gulf of Guinea the information on the cetacean abundance and distribution is scarce. A cetacean survey took place during geophysical surveys (2013–2014) along the coasts of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Due to large group-sizes, melon-headed whales were the most abundant (0.34 animals km−1) followed by Fraser’s dolphins and short-finned pilot whales. Range state records were confirmed for melon-headed whale and Fraser’s dolphin in Ivoirian waters and ten further species represented first at-sea sightings. Fraser’s dolphins, melon-headed whales, pantropical spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and pilot whales were recorded in areas with the highest fishing densities. Melon-headed whales, pilot whales, and rough-toothed dolphins were observed in vicinity of trawlers; bottlenose dolphins, pantropical spotted dolphins, and pilot whales in vicinity of canoes. The poor knowledge on population trends of cetaceans in this unique upwelling region, together with a high demand for cetacean products for human consumption (as “marine bushmeat”) may lead to a potential decline of some species that may go unnoticed. These new insights can provide a foundation for the urgently required risk assessments of cetacean mortality in fisheries within the northern Gulf of Guinea. Purpose: The objective of this study was to gather new information on the poorly monitored local cetacean populations in order to understand the threat posed by interactions with fisheries either due to unintended bycatch (entanglement) or direct capture. The information presented provides a valuable insight into the occurrence, relative abundance, and at-sea distribution of cetaceans and an indication as to which cetacean species appear to be under the greatest fishing pressure. As such, these findings provide new directions for future assessments of fishing pressure on cetaceans through incidental catches and directed takes. Supplemental information: Information regarding location of fishing vessels is available upon request

Purpose

The objective of this study was to gather new information on the poorly monitored local cetacean populations in order to understand the threat posed by interactions with fisheries either due to unintended bycatch (entanglement) or direct capture. The information presented provides a valuable insight into the occurrence, relative abundance, and at-sea distribution of cetaceans and an indication as to which cetacean species appear to be under the greatest fishing pressure. As such, these findings provide new directions for future assessments of fishing pressure on cetaceans through incidental catches and directed takes.

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).

Balaenoptera
common name: baleen whales rank: genus
Tursiops truncatus
common name: Common Bottlenose Dolphin rank: species
Balaenoptera
common name: baleen whales rank: genus
Balaenoptera brydei
common name: Bryde's whale rank: species
Stenella clymene
common name: Clymene Dolphin rank: species
Delphinus
common name: common dolphins rank: genus
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Lagenodelphis hosei
common name: Fraser's Dolphin rank: species
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Delphinus
common name: common dolphins rank: genus
Peponocephala electra
common name: Melon-headed Whale rank: species
Stenella attenuata
common name: Pantropical Spotted Dolphin rank: species
Steno bredanensis
common name: Rough-toothed Dolphin rank: species
Globicephala macrorhynchus
common name: Short-finned Pilot Whale rank: species
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Physeter macrocephalus
common name: Sperm Whale rank: species
Stenella
common name: spinner dolphins rank: genus
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Stenella longirostris
common name: Spinner Dolphin rank: species
Stenella
common name: spinner dolphins rank: genus
Delphinidae
common name: dolphins rank: family
Cetacea
common name: cetaceans rank: order

Geographic Coverages

Ghana,Ivorycoast

Bibliographic Citations

Contacts

Marijke de Boer
originator
position: Primary contact
Wageningen Marine Research, University of Wageningen
email: marijkedeboer@hotmail.com

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

Marijke de Boer
owner
position: Primary contact
Wageningen Marine Research, University of Wageningen
email: marijkedeboer@hotmail.com

Marijke de Boer
administrative point of contact
position: Primary contact
Wageningen Marine Research, University of Wageningen
email: marijkedeboer@hotmail.com