67355
Patterns of association and distribution of estuarine-resident common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in North Carolina, USA.
Estuarine-resident common bottlenose dolphins in North Carolina
Document
Published / External
67350
Patterns of association and distribution of estuarine-resident common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in North Carolina, USA from Jan 8,2018 to Jan 26, 2018
Data Set
Completed
2022-08-15
The social structure of estuarine-resident bottlenose dolphins is complex and varied. Residing in habitats often utilized for resource exploitation, dolphins are at risk due to anthropogenic pressures while still federally protected. Effective conservation is predicated upon accurate abundance estimates. In North Carolina, two estuarine-resident stocks (demographically independent groups) of common bottlenose dolphin have been designated using spatiotemporal criteria. Both stocks are subjected to bycatch in fishing gear. The southern North Carolina estuarine stock was estimated at <200 individuals from surveys in 2006, which is outdated per US guidelines. Thus, we conducted a new capture-mark-recapture survey in 2018, identifying 547 distinct individuals, about three times higher than the prior abundance estimate. We compared those individuals to our long-term photo-identification catalog (1995-2018, n=2,423 individuals), matching 228 individuals. Of those 228, 65 were also included in the 2013 abundance estimate for the northern North Carolina estuarine stock. Using sighting histories for all individuals in the long-term catalog, we conducted a social network analysis, which is independent of a priori stock assignments. The three primary clusters identified were inconsistent with current stock designations and not defined by spatiotemporal distribution. All three clusters had sighting histories in the estuary and on the coast, however, that with the highest within-cluster associations appeared to use estuarine waters more often. The within-cluster association strength was low for one cluster, possibly due to only part of that cluster inhabiting the southern North Carolina estuarine system. Between-cluster differences occurred in infestation rates by the pseudostalked barnacle, Xenobalanus globicipitis, but that did not predict clusters. We suggest the need to re-evaluate the stock structure of estuarine-resident common bottlenose dolphins in North Carolina and currently have insufficient information to assign an abundance estimate to a currently designated stock.
Citation: Hohn AA, Gorgone AM, Byrd BL, Shertzer KW, Eguchi T (2022) Patterns of association and distribution of estuarine-resident common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in North Carolina, USA. PLoS ONE 17(8): e0270057. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270057
10.1371/journal.pone.0270057
2022-08-15
Journal article
Acrobat Portable Document Format
Published
Author
2022
Person
Hohn, Aleta
aleta.hohn@noaa.gov
101 Pivers Island Road
Beaufort
NC
28156
252-728-8797
252-728-8784
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=wd1SXSQAAAAJ
Aleta Hohn Google Scholar Page
Online Resource
Co-Author
2022
Person
Eguchi, Tomo
Tomo.Eguchi@noaa.gov
8901 La Jolla Shores Dr
La Jolla
CA
92037
USA
(858) 546-5615
(858) 546-7003
M-F 8:00 - 16:30
Co-Author
2022
Person
Gorgone, Antoinette M
annie.gorgone@noaa.gov
101 Pivers Island Road
Beaufort
NC
28516-9722
(252) 728-8601
(252) 728-8784
Co-Author
2022
Person
Byrd, Barbie
barbie.byrd@ncdenr.gov
252-726-7021
Co-Author
2022
Person
Shertzer, Kyle
kyle.shertzer@noaa.gov
101 Pivers Island Rd
Beaufort
NC
28516
252-728-8607
252-728-8784
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270057
Access to Article via its doi
Online Resource
Hohn AA, Gorgone AM, Byrd BL, Shertzer KW, Eguchi T (2022) Patterns of association and distribution of estuarine-resident common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in North Carolina, USA. PLoS ONE 17(8): e0270057.
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2022-06-09
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2022-06-09
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2023-06-09