A review on the distribution, abundance, residency, survival and population structure of coastal bottlenose dolphins in Argentina

• Autores: Vermeulen, Els; Bastida, Ricardo Oscar; Berninsone, Leonardo G.; Bordino, Pablo; Failla, Mauricio; Fruet, Pedro; Harris, Guillermo; Iñíguez, Miguel; Marchesi, María Constanza; Petracci, Pablo; Reyes, Laura; Sironi, Mariano; Bräger, Stefan
• Año de publicación: 2017
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: CONSERVATION; GROUP SIZE; MORPHOTYPES; MOVEMENTS; REPRODUCTION; SOUTHWEST ATLANTIC OCEAN; TURSIOPS TRUNCATUS; TURSIOPS GEPHYREUS
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

Although bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus are among the most common delphinid species, global population trends remain poorly understood. To improve the knowledge of the species in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean, this paper reviews all available data related to the distribution and occurrence, abundance, residency and ranging patterns, group size and composition, survival and reproduction and population structure of the coastal bottlenose dolphin in Argentina. Most information proved to be scattered in time and space. Based on the available data, total abundance of coastal bottlenose dolphins in Argentina appears to be low. Data show sightings decreased notably since the 1990s in the northern province of Buenos Aires and the province of Chubut, with the species having disappeared completely from the former region. Data also indicated that two genetically and morphologically distinct coastal populations occur in Argentinean coastal waters, with a sympatric distribution in the provinces of Río Negro and Chubut. One is an isolated ‘Evolutionary Signifcant Unit’ within the larger Southwest Atlantic, whereas the other population appears to be genetically related to the Southwest Atlantic offshore ecotype. In the absence of more substantial data, the present information is pertinent to our scientifc knowledge of the species in the country, collating all published information as well as information from grey literature and previously unpublished data. However, the available information appears to remain insufcient to explain the apparent decline in sightings and to assess the remaining abundance nationwide accurately. Therefore, we strongly recommend increased research efforts for an in-depth assessment of the species’ population status in Argentina.
Fil: Vermeulen, Els. University of Pretoria. Mammal Research Institute Whale Unit; Sudáfrica. Whalefish; Reino Unido
Fil: Bastida, Ricardo Oscar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencia Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentina
Fil: Berninsone, Leonardo G.. Fundación Aqua Marina; Argentina. Universidad de Cádiz; España. Universidad de Algarve; Portugal
Fil: Bordino, Pablo. Fundación Aqua Marina; Argentina
Fil: Failla, Mauricio. Fundación Cethus; Argentina
Fil: Fruet, Pedro. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande. Museu Oceanográfico “Prof. Eliézer de C. Rios”; Brasil. Kaosa; Brasil. Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Mamíferos Aquáticos; Brasil
Fil: Harris, Guillermo. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados Unidos
Fil: Iñíguez, Miguel. Fundación Cethus; Argentina
Fil: Marchesi, María Constanza. Museo Acatushún de Aves y Mamíferos Marinos Australes; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina
Fil: Petracci, Pablo. Universidad Nacional del Sur; Argentina
Fil: Reyes, Laura. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Sede Puerto Madryn; Argentina
Fil: Sironi, Mariano. Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina
Fil: Bräger, Stefan. International Seabed Authority; Jamaica