INVESTIGADORES
CRESPO Enrique Alberto
artículos
Título:
Modeling habitat use for dusky dolphin and Commersons dolphin in Patagonia
Autor/es:
GARAFFO, G.V., S.L. DANS, S.N. PEDRAZA, M. DEGRATI, A.C.M. SCHIAVINI, R. GONZÁLEZ & E.A. CRESPO
Revista:
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
Editorial:
INTER-RESEARCH
Referencias:
Año: 2011 p. 217 - 227
ISSN:
0171-8630
Resumen:
Several species of small cetaceans inhabit the coastal area of Patagonia (Argentina), but
little is known about their distribution and the degree of overlap between them. The goal of the
present study was to build habitat-selection models for small cetaceans in order to assess areas of
particular importance for the different species. These models were constructed using physiographic
and remotely sensed variables. From 1994 to 2007, 13 aerial surveys were conducted along the
Patagonian coast (from Golfo San Matías: 40° 4042°14 S, 65° 0063°47 W to Bahía de los Nodales:
48°00 S, 65°35 W). A grid of 0.5° × 0.5° cells was constructed for the study area. Each cell was
characterized by environmental variables and by the encounter rate (ER) for each cetacean species.
The ER of each species was investigated in relation to environmental variables using generalized linear
models, and model averaging (multimodel inference) was used to obtain a predicted ER for the
different species. The correlation between the ER of different species was analyzed by Spearman
rank correlation. The environmental variables that were found to be significant predictors of species
distribution differed between species. The ERs of dusky dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus and
Peales dolphin L. australis showed a positive relationship. Commersons dolphin Cephalorhynchus
commersonii presented a more coastal distribution than the other species, and individuals were more
often found feeding in estuarine zones. Knowledge of the patterns of distribution of small cetaceans
along the Patagonian coast provides baseline knowledge of how these species interact with each
other and their environment. Such information should be considered when managing potential areas
of conflict between coastal small cetaceans and human activities.