Long-Term Demographic Trends of Near Threatened Coastal Dolphins Living in an Urban Estuary.

ABSTRACT: Understanding population demography of threatened species and how they vary in relation to natural and anthropogenic stressors is essential for effective conservation. We used a long-term photographic capture-recapture dataset (1993-2020) of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the highly urbanised Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary (ADS), South Australia, to estimate key demographic parameters and their variability over time. These parameters were analysed in relation to environmental variables used as indicators of local and large-scale climatic events. Our findings indicate that apparent survival was high (0.98-0.99) and did not vary seasonally. Estimates of abundance were not directly related to environmental variables but were linked to seasonal temporary emigration.

SUBMITTER: Haigh K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11705426 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature