Register      Login
Marine and Freshwater Research Marine and Freshwater Research Society
Advances in the aquatic sciences
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > MF > MF08109
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 59(11)

Abundance, site fidelity and range patterns of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in two Australian subtropical estuaries

Christine A. Fury A B and Peter L. Harrison A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Southern Cross University Whale Research Centre, School of Environmental Science and Management, Southern Cross University, PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: cfury@scu.edu.au

Marine and Freshwater Research 59(11) 1015-1027 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF08109
Submitted: 4 April 2008  Accepted: 1 September 2008   Published: 27 November 2008

Abstract

Bottlenose dolphins are widely studied in marine habitats, but information on estuarine populations is very limited. The present study provides the first published data on bottlenose dolphins in Australian estuaries. Abundance estimates, site fidelity and individual ranging patterns were examined over a 3-year period for Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) inhabiting the Clarence River (CR) and Richmond River (RR) estuaries in northern New South Wales, Australia. Mark–recapture analyses estimated 71 (62–81 95% CI) dolphins utilised the CR whereas 34 (19–49 95% CI) used the RR. Differences in site fidelity were observed between the estuaries, with 60% and 37% of identified dolphins determined as residents, 26% and 21% as occasional visitors and 14% and 42% as transients for the CR and RR respectively. Resource partitioning was apparent in both estuaries with the mean distance resident dolphins were found upstream from the river mouth being greater than occasional visitors and transients. The Clarence River sustains a larger, predominantly resident dolphin community compared with the Richmond River, which supports a relatively small dolphin community with lower site fidelity. Management of future increased anthropogenic disturbances is needed to ensure the long-term survival of these dolphin populations.

Additional keywords: closed population, estuary, population size, ranging patterns, residency patterns.


Acknowledgements

We thank Marjolijn van Stokkom, Kelly Toms, Paul Kelly, Daniele Cagnazzi, Kim Stewart, Kate Sprogis and Nicole Patten for assistance with field work, Greg Luker for GIS advice and Lyndon Brooks for statistical advice. We also thank Professor Andrew Boulton, Associate Professor Manuel dos Santos, Dr Simon Ingram and an anonymous reviewer for invaluable comments on the manuscript. This study was funded by Australian Geographic, Angourie Rainforest Resort, Project Aware and Southern Cross University Whale Research Centre. Field work was done under permit from the New South Wales Parks and Wildlife Service and ethics approval from Southern Cross University (NPWS S10404 and SCU no. 05/15).


References

Allen, M. C. , and Read, A. J. (2000). Habitat selection of foraging bottlenose dolphins in relation to boat density near Clearwater, Florida. Marine Mammal Science 16, 815–824.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Augusto J. F., Lopes P. R., and dos Santos M. E. (2008). Composition and group structure of a small endangered resident population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). In ‘Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society. Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands, 10–12 March 2008’.

Bearzi, G. , Notarbartolo di Sciari, G. , and Politi, E. (1997). Social ecology of bottlenose dolphins in the Kvarneric (Northern Adriatic Sea). Marine Mammal Science 13, 650–668.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Bryden M., Marsh H., and Shaughnessy P. (1998). ‘Dugongs, Whales, Dolphins And Seals: A Guide To The Sea Mammals Of Australasia.’ (Allen & Unwin: Sydney.)

Charlton, K. , Taylor, A. C. , and McKechnie, S. W. (2006). A note on divergent mtDNA lineages of “bottlenose” dolphins from coastal waters of southern Australia. The Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 8, 173–179.
Connor R. C., Wells R., Mann J., and Read A. J. (2000). The bottlenose dolphin: social relationships in a fission-fusion society. In ‘Cetacean Societies: Field Studies Of Dolphins And Whales’. (Eds J. Mann, R. C. Connor, P. L. Tyack and H. Whitehead.) pp. 91–126. (University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL.)

Constantine, R. (2001). Increased avoidance of swimmers by wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) due to long-term exposure to swim-with-dolphin tourism. Marine Mammal Science 17, 689–702.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Hooge P. N., and Eichenlaub B. (2000). Animal movement extension to ArcView. Alaska Science Center – Biological Science Office, US Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK.

Hossain, S. , Eyre, B. D. , and McConchie, D. (2001). Suspended sediment transport dynamics in the sub-tropical micro-tidal Richmond River estuary, Australia. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 52, 529–541.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Ryan D. A., Heap A. D., Radke L., and Heggie D. T. (2003). Conceptual models of Australia’s estuaries and coastal waterways: applications for coastal resource management. Record 2003/09, Geoscience Australia, Canberra.

Seaman, D. E. , and Powell, R. A. (1996). An evaluation of the accuracy of kernel density estimators for home range analysis. Ecology 77, 2075–2085.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Shane S. H. (1990). The behaviour and ecology of the bottlenose dolphin at Sanibels Island Florida. In ‘The Bottlenose Dolphin’. (Eds S. Leatherwood and R. R. Reeves.) pp. 245–261. (Academic Press: San Diego, CA.)

Shane, S. H. , Wells, R. S. , and Würsig, B. (1986). Ecology, behaviour and social organization of the bottlenose dolphin: a review. Marine Mammal Science 2, 34–63.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Transport and Population Data Centre (2004). New South Wales state and regional population projections 2001–2051. Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources, Sydney.

Vidal, O. (1993). Aquatic mammal conservation in Latin America: problems and perspectives. Conservation Biology 7, 788–795.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Walsh S., Copeland C., and Westlake M. (2004). Major fish kills in the northern rivers of NSW in 2001: causes, impacts & responses. Report 68, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Ballina.

Wang, J. Y. , Chou, L. S. , and White, B. N. (1999). Mitochondrial DNA analysis of sympatric morphotypes of bottlenose dolphins (genus: Tursiops) in Chinese waters. Molecular Ecology 8, 1603–1612.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | Wells R. S. (1991). The role of long term study in understanding the social structure of a bottlenose dolphin community. In ‘Dolphin Societies: Discoveries And Puzzles’. (Eds K. Pryor and K. S. Norris.) pp. 199–225. (University of California Press: Berkeley, LA.)

Wells, R. , and Scott, M. D. (1990). Estimating bottlenose dolphin population parameters from individual identification and capture–release techniques. Report of the International Whaling Commission. Special Issue 12, 407–415.
Wells R., Scott M. D., and Irvine A. B. (1987). The social structure of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins. In ‘Current Mammology’. (Ed. H. H. Genoways.) pp. 247–305. (Plenum Press: New York.)

Wells, R. S. , Tornero, V. , Borrell, A. , Aguilar, A. , and Rowles, T. , et al. (2005). Integrating life-history and reproductive success data to examine potential relationships with organochlorine compounds for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Sarasota Bay, Florida. The Science of the Total Environment 349, 106–119.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | CAS | PubMed | White G. C. (2007). Program MARK. Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO.

Williams, J. A. , Dawson, S. M. , and Slooten, E. (1993). The abundance and distribution of bottlenosed dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. Canadian Journal of Zoology 71, 2080–2088.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | Würsig B., and Jefferson T. A. (1990). Methods of photo-identification for small cetaceans. In ‘Individual Recognition of Cetaceans: Use of Photo-identification and Other Techniques to Estimate Population Parameters’. (Eds P. S. Hammond, S. A. Mizroch and G. P. Donavan.) pp. 43–52. Reports of the International Whaling Commission; Special Issue 12. (International Whaling Commission: Cambridge, UK.)

Würsig, B. , and Würsig, M. (1979). Behavior and ecology of the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, in the South Atlantic. Fishery Bulletin 77, 399–412.


Zolman, E. (2002). Residence patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Stono River estuary, Charleston County, South Carolina, U.S.A. Marine Mammal Science 18, 879–892.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |