Dear colleagues,
recently, we published two contributions on the abundance, spatial distribution and interactions with trawling of bottlenose dolphins in the north-western Adriatic Sea. Titles and abstracts are copied below. Pdf copies are available upon request to silvia.bonizz...@gmail.com or giovanni.bea...@gmail.com. Bonizzoni S, Furey NB, Bearzi G (2020) Bottlenose dolphins in the north-western Adriatic Sea: spatial distribution and effects of trawling. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3433 Abstract 1. Many species and populations of odontocetes have modified their behaviour to take advantage of feeding opportunities provided by fishing activities, with depredation of fishing gear being the most common type of adaptation. 2. The northern Adriatic Sea has been identified as an important marine mammal area because of a regular occurrence of common bottlenose dolphins. Boat surveys were conducted within a 3,000 km2 sector of the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Veneto, Italy, between April and October 2018–2019. Based on 76 days at sea, 10,711 km of navigation, and 81 h 26 min of dolphin tracking, this study contributes novel quantitative information on dolphin spatial distribution, and on their occurrence in the wake of beam trawlers, otter trawlers, and midwater pair trawlers. 3. A combined generalized additive model and generalized estimation equation framework indicated that trawling—along with other physiographic, biological and anthropogenic variables—influenced dolphin distribution. In days of trawling, the chance of encountering dolphins increased by ~4.5 times (95% confidence interval 1.8–11.0) near active beam trawlers, by ~16.0 times (7.1–36.0) near otter trawlers, and by ~28.9 times (12.0–69.6) near midwater pair trawlers. 4. Spatial modelling was used to create maps of predicted distribution, suggesting differences in habitat use between trawling and no-trawling days. Spatial modelling for all days identified a dolphin distribution hotspot of 832 km2, situated off the Po river delta. 5. Evidence contributed by this study can be used to inform management action within one of the world's areas most heavily impacted by fishing and other human encroachment. Such management action would help enforce the European Union's Habitats Directive and Marine Strategy Framework Directive, while also informing EU's Maritime Spatial Planning. Bearzi G, Bonizzoni S, Riley MA, Santostasi NL (2020) Bottlenose dolphins in the north-western Adriatic Sea: abundance and management implications. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3450 Abstract 1. The Adriatic Sea is one of the Mediterranean areas most heavily impacted by fishing and other human stressors. The northern part of the basin has been certified as an Important Marine Mammal Area because of the regular occurrence of common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. 2. Boat surveys, totalling 76 days at sea and 10,711 km of navigation, were conducted between April 2018 and October 2019 to assess cetacean abundance within a 3,000-km2 area off Veneto, Italy. Bottlenose dolphins – the only marine mammal species observed – were encountered on 52 days and were tracked for 81 h and 26 min, resulting in 15,066 dorsal fin photographs of high quality and resolution. 3. Various capture–recapture models were applied on individual photo-identification datasets. Model-based estimates indicate that approximately 600 individuals occurred within the study area during the sampling period in both years. Abundance varied monthly: minimum estimates were obtained in May 2018 (291 individuals; 95% CI 134–630) and May 2019 (121; 95% CI 20–721), whereas maximum estimates were obtained in September 2018 (385; 95% CI 310–477) and October 2019 (494; 95% CI 378–645). 4. Evidence provided by this study can be used to complement and validate coarse ‘snapshot’ information from recent aerial surveys of the entire Adriatic Sea, and to enforce management action mandated by the European Community (EC) Habitats Directive and Marine Strategy. Cheers, Giovanni - - - - - - - Giovanni Bearzi <http://www.dolphinbiology.org/people/giovanni_bearzi.htm>
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