Photographic Capture-Recapture Analysis Reveals a Large Population of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) With Low Site Fidelity off the North West Cape, Western Australia

Little is known about the ecology of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) inhabiting the coastal waters of tropical north-western Australia. We used photo-identification data collected between 2013 and 2015, site fidelity indexes and capture-recapture models to estimate the abundance...

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Main Authors: Rebecca Haughey, Tim Hunt, Daniella Hanf, Robert William Rankin, Guido J. Parra
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-01-01
Series:Frontiers in Marine Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00781/full
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spelling doaj-99cc54121ebb4908baf9c8cd05b016c12020-11-25T01:59:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452020-01-01610.3389/fmars.2019.00781490189Photographic Capture-Recapture Analysis Reveals a Large Population of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) With Low Site Fidelity off the North West Cape, Western AustraliaRebecca Haughey0Tim Hunt1Daniella Hanf2Daniella Hanf3Robert William Rankin4Guido J. Parra5Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaCetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaCetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaStenella Marine & Social Science, Perth, WA, AustraliaThomson Reuters, Toronto, ON, CanadaCetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaLittle is known about the ecology of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) inhabiting the coastal waters of tropical north-western Australia. We used photo-identification data collected between 2013 and 2015, site fidelity indexes and capture-recapture models to estimate the abundance and site fidelity patterns of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (T. aduncus) inhabiting the coastal waters off the North West Cape (NWC), Western Australia. A standardized site fidelity index (SSFI) indicated low site fidelity (SSFI = 0.019) at the population level to the 130 km2 study area. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) of individual re-sight rates classified 58% of individuals as “non-residents.” Open POPAN modeling estimated a super-population size of 311 (95% CI: 249–373) individuals over the study period. A maximum likelihood transient model which considers both resident and non-resident individuals in a population, estimated a resident population of 141 (95% CI: 121–161) individuals and a super-population of 370 (95% CI: 333–407) individuals. These models indicate that a large population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins of relatively high density (an average of 2.4–2.8 bottlenose dolphins per km2) inhabits the waters off the NWC. The large number of both resident and non-resident bottlenose dolphins found throughout the coastal waters off the NWC suggest this area, as well as neighboring waters outside our study area, are of high importance to this species.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00781/fullabundancesite fidelityNingaloo ReefExmouth GulfIndo-Pacific bottlenose dolphinsTursiops aduncus
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Rebecca Haughey
Tim Hunt
Daniella Hanf
Daniella Hanf
Robert William Rankin
Guido J. Parra
spellingShingle Rebecca Haughey
Tim Hunt
Daniella Hanf
Daniella Hanf
Robert William Rankin
Guido J. Parra
Photographic Capture-Recapture Analysis Reveals a Large Population of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) With Low Site Fidelity off the North West Cape, Western Australia
Frontiers in Marine Science
abundance
site fidelity
Ningaloo Reef
Exmouth Gulf
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins
Tursiops aduncus
author_facet Rebecca Haughey
Tim Hunt
Daniella Hanf
Daniella Hanf
Robert William Rankin
Guido J. Parra
author_sort Rebecca Haughey
title Photographic Capture-Recapture Analysis Reveals a Large Population of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) With Low Site Fidelity off the North West Cape, Western Australia
title_short Photographic Capture-Recapture Analysis Reveals a Large Population of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) With Low Site Fidelity off the North West Cape, Western Australia
title_full Photographic Capture-Recapture Analysis Reveals a Large Population of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) With Low Site Fidelity off the North West Cape, Western Australia
title_fullStr Photographic Capture-Recapture Analysis Reveals a Large Population of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) With Low Site Fidelity off the North West Cape, Western Australia
title_full_unstemmed Photographic Capture-Recapture Analysis Reveals a Large Population of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) With Low Site Fidelity off the North West Cape, Western Australia
title_sort photographic capture-recapture analysis reveals a large population of indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins (tursiops aduncus) with low site fidelity off the north west cape, western australia
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Marine Science
issn 2296-7745
publishDate 2020-01-01
description Little is known about the ecology of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) inhabiting the coastal waters of tropical north-western Australia. We used photo-identification data collected between 2013 and 2015, site fidelity indexes and capture-recapture models to estimate the abundance and site fidelity patterns of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (T. aduncus) inhabiting the coastal waters off the North West Cape (NWC), Western Australia. A standardized site fidelity index (SSFI) indicated low site fidelity (SSFI = 0.019) at the population level to the 130 km2 study area. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) of individual re-sight rates classified 58% of individuals as “non-residents.” Open POPAN modeling estimated a super-population size of 311 (95% CI: 249–373) individuals over the study period. A maximum likelihood transient model which considers both resident and non-resident individuals in a population, estimated a resident population of 141 (95% CI: 121–161) individuals and a super-population of 370 (95% CI: 333–407) individuals. These models indicate that a large population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins of relatively high density (an average of 2.4–2.8 bottlenose dolphins per km2) inhabits the waters off the NWC. The large number of both resident and non-resident bottlenose dolphins found throughout the coastal waters off the NWC suggest this area, as well as neighboring waters outside our study area, are of high importance to this species.
topic abundance
site fidelity
Ningaloo Reef
Exmouth Gulf
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins
Tursiops aduncus
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmars.2019.00781/full
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