Dear MARMAM community,
My co-author and I are very happy that a new peer-reviewed article is
published in the Mediterranean Marine Science, with the title:
Nautical tourism affects common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus M.)
foraging success in a NATURA 2000 site, North-Eastern Adriatic Sea
Views: 429 Downloads: 22
DARJA RIBARIC, JACK CLARKSON
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/mms.24475
Link to the article:
https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/hcmr-med-mar-sc/article/view/
24475
>From the abstract:
Several studies indicate that unregulated nautical tourism can have negative
implications on cetacean behaviour. In recent years, dolphin watching
activities (DWA) have increased off the West coast of Istria, Croatia, a
region in which the NATURA 2000 site: "Akvatorij zapadne Istre" that has
been proposed to be designated for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus
M.).
. Between 2016 and 2019, we compared dolphin group behaviours from
this region during impact (presence of nautical tourism boats - NTBs) and
control (absence of NTBs) scenarios:
- 48.5% of NTBs were observed within 15m of the dolphin focal
groups and
- 97% were observed within 50 m distance.
. The greatest rates of displacement in dolphin focal groups
occurred when NTB numbers were greatest per individual dolphin.
. Markov chain analyses were used to quantify the short-term effects
of NTB presence on dolphin behaviour. In the presence of NTBs, dolphins were
more likely to spend time milling and less time foraging. Cumulative
behavioural budgets indicated that vessel exposure levels of already 14%
were enough to statistically affect milling and foraging behaviours,
respectively.
. To lessen the lack of sustainable DWA, the implementation of
relevant guidelines, e.g., Global Best Practice Guidance for Responsible
Whale and Dolphin Watching (50 m no approach and 300 m caution zone) is
therefore crucial to mitigate any long[1]term consequences the actions of
NTBs may have on this key species.
. To date, 162 bottlenose dolphins have been photo-identified off
West coast of Istria and cumulative interference to this population could
affect direct ecosystem functioning.
Keywords:
Common bottlenose dolphin; dolphin watching; nautical tourism; behavioural
transitions; NATURA 2000 site; North-Eastern Adriatic
cid:image002.jpg@01D51B94.BBC57F50
mag. DARJA RIBARIČ, MPhil in Biological Sciences
<mailto:darja.riba...@vivamar.org> darja.riba...@vivamar.org
President and Head researcher
<https://www.vivamar.org/> VIVAMAR Society for the Sustainable Development
for the Sea
Dolphin Research & Conservation / Marine Wildlife Awareness
FIRST NATURA 2000 scientific publication on dolphins off Istria
logo_manjse
Recognised by the Ministry of the
Environment for the public interest 215-10/2007/4
_______________________________________________
MARMAM mailing list
MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca
https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam
