Cribb, Nardi and Miller, Cara E. and Seuront, Laurent (2013) Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) habitat preference in a heterogeneous, urban, coastal environment. Aquatic Biosystems, 9 . pp. 1-9. ISSN 2046-9063
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Abstract
Background: Limited information is available regarding the habitat preference of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose
dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) in South Australian estuarine environments. The need to overcome this paucity of
information is crucial for management and conservation initiatives. This preliminary study investigates the
space-time patterns of habitat preference by the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin in the Port Adelaide River-Barker
Inlet estuary, a South Australian, urbanised, coastal environment. More specifically, the study aim was to identify a
potential preference between bare sand substrate and seagrass beds, the two habitat types present in this
environment, through the resighting frequency of recognisable individual dolphins.
Results: Photo-identification surveys covering the 118 km2 sanctuary area were conducted over 2 survey periods
May to August 2006 and from March 2009 to February 2010. Sighting frequency of recognisable individual
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins established a significant preference for the bare sand habitat. More specifically, 72
and 18% of the individuals sighted at least on two occasions were observed in the bare sand and seagrass habitats
respectively. This trend was consistently observed at both seasonal and annual scales, suggesting a consistency in
the distinct use of these two habitats.
Conclusions: It is anticipated that these results will benefit the further development of management and
conservation strategies.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences Q Science > Q Science (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) > School of Biological and Chemical Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Cara Miller |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Apr 2015 03:42 |
| Last Modified: | 23 May 2016 00:42 |
| URI: | https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/8175 |
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