Bottlenose Dolphins At The Southern Extrem Of The South Western Atlantic: Distribution Shift Or Decline?

COSCARELLA, MARIANO ALBERTO; DANS, SILVANA LAURA; DEGRATI, MARIANA; GARAFFO, GRISELDA VALERIA; CRESPO, ENRIQUE ALBERTO

JOURNAL OF THE MARINE BIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM

CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

Año: 2012 p. 1 - 7

0025-3154

This apparently small community would be located at the extreme of the species range in the southwestern south Atlantic, and therefore greater temporal fluctuations are expected as well as a major susceptibility to habitat changes. In this study, our objective was to assess the present use pattern of Golfo San José by bottlenose dolphins, exploring and comparing with their occurrence pattern in adjacent areas, in order to detect a distribution shift. Secondly, we will discuss the usefulness of MPAs for the conservation of long-lived and wide-range species like small cetaceans.