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Cetaceans Ecology: Diversity, Abundance and Distribution
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Cetaceans Ecology: Diversity, Abundance and Distribution

A special issue of Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (ISSN 2077-1312). This special issue belongs to the section "Marine Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 August 2021) | Viewed by 19989

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Joanne O'Brien

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Old Dublin Road, H91 X4K8 Galway, Ireland
Interests: marine mammals; bioacoustics; effects of anthropogenic noise; soundscapes and habitat modelling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The last three decades have seen great progress in our understanding of many cetacean species, through modern survey techniques, advanced technologies, sophisticated data analyses and increased international collaboration. This is evident in the wealth of peer-reviewed publications produced during this period. Even so, there is considerable scope and necessity to explore various topics, interests and questions, particularly those relating to conservation, in a world where anthropogenic pressures and threats are ever-increasing. Locally, nationally and internationally, there are moral and legal obligations to protect cetacean species and the environments that they are part of. The continued progress of our understanding of cetacean ecology will be fundamental for informing policies and practices that help protect and conserve these magnificent species.

Contributions for this Special Issue are invited across all areas of cetacean research that inform on cetacean ecology, including innovative survey techniques and analyses.

Dr. Joanne O'Brien
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cetaceans
  • ecology
  • abundance
  • distribution
  • survey techniques
  • population abundance
  • monitoring
  • conservation
  • behaviour
  • habitat use

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1387 KiB  
Article
Habitat Modelling on the Potential Impacts of Shipping Noise on Fin Whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in Offshore Irish Waters off the Porcupine Ridge
by Kavya Ramesh, Simon Berrow, Rossa Meade and Joanne O’Brien
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(11), 1207; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9111207 - 2 Nov 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3717
Abstract
Little is known about the ecological importance of fin whales found year-round in southwestern offshore Irish waters. Understanding their ecology is important to reduce potential harm through any spatio-temporal overlap with commercial shipping and fishing activities. This study explored the potential environmental drivers [...] Read more.
Little is known about the ecological importance of fin whales found year-round in southwestern offshore Irish waters. Understanding their ecology is important to reduce potential harm through any spatio-temporal overlap with commercial shipping and fishing activities. This study explored the potential environmental drivers and impacts of low-frequency shipping noise on fin whale calling at Porcupine Ridge using the presence/absence of call detections as a proxy for observed changes due to possible masking. Acoustic call data was collected at a low sampling rate (2 ksps) from the end of March 2016 to June 2016 (97 days) using a bottom-moored autonomous acoustic recorder with an omni-directional hydrophone. The high zero-inflated and binary nature of the data was addressed using generalised linear models. The results of our habitat modelling predicted call detections to increase significantly during night-time (p ≤ 0.01) with sea surface height and chlorophyll-a concentration (p ≤ 0.01), implying higher prey availability may occur on Porcupine Ridge. It also indicated a significant decrease in call detections with increasing shipping noise (p ≤ 0.01). Unfortunately, the model had a type II error. To provide robust results, a longer study not limited by data on the prey, and oceanographic drivers including spatial and temporal parameters is required. This study provides the foundations on which further ecological data could be added to establish management and mitigation measures to minimize the effects of shipping noise on fin whales. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cetaceans Ecology: Diversity, Abundance and Distribution)
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17 pages, 1467 KiB  
Article
Density and Abundance Estimation of Amazonian River Dolphins: Understanding Population Size Variability
by Mariana Paschoalini, Fernando Trujillo, Miriam Marmontel, Federico Mosquera-Guerra, Renan Lopes Paitach, Heloise Pavanato Julião, Gabriel Melo Alves dos Santos, Paul André Van Damme, André Giovanni de Almeida Coelho, Mariana Escobar Wilson White and Alexandre Novaes Zerbini
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(11), 1184; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9111184 - 27 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3206
Abstract
The dolphins Inia geoffrensis—boto and Sotalia fluviatilis—tucuxi are threatened cetaceans inhabiting river ecosystems in South America; population numbers are still lacking for many areas. This paper provides density and abundance estimations of boto and tucuxi in 15 rivers sampled during the [...] Read more.
The dolphins Inia geoffrensis—boto and Sotalia fluviatilis—tucuxi are threatened cetaceans inhabiting river ecosystems in South America; population numbers are still lacking for many areas. This paper provides density and abundance estimations of boto and tucuxi in 15 rivers sampled during the past nine years as part of a multinational research alliance. Visual boat-survey data collection protocols and analyses have been developed since 2012 (based on Distance Sampling methods) and recently reviewed (2019) to improve robustness and comparability. Differences across the sampled rivers and the analyzed river basins (Amazon and Orinoco) pointed to a density/population size gradient with lower densities and abundances observed in the Orinoco basin (0.9–1.5 ind./km²), passing through the eastern Amazon basin (2–5 ind./km²), and the largest numbers found at the central Brazilian Amazon (lower Purus River—2012 (14.5 boto/km², N = 7672; 17.1 tucuxi/km², N = 9238)). However, in other parts of the central Amazon, the density of dolphins was smaller than expected for high productive whitewater rivers (1–1.7 ind./km² in the Japurá and Solimões rivers). We attributed these differences to specific features of the basin (e.g., hydro-geomorphology) as well as to the cumulative effects of anthropogenic activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cetaceans Ecology: Diversity, Abundance and Distribution)
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18 pages, 925 KiB  
Article
Oceanographic Drivers of Cuvier’s (Ziphius cavirostris) and Sowerby’s (Mesoplodon bidens) Beaked Whales Acoustic Occurrence along the Irish Shelf Edge
by Cynthia Barile, Simon Berrow and Joanne O’Brien
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(10), 1081; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9101081 - 2 Oct 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3085
Abstract
Cuvier’s and Sowerby’s beaked whales occur year-round in western Irish waters, yet remain some of the most poorly understood cetaceans in the area. Considering the importance of the area for anthropogenic activities and the sensitivity of beaked whales to noise, understanding their ecology [...] Read more.
Cuvier’s and Sowerby’s beaked whales occur year-round in western Irish waters, yet remain some of the most poorly understood cetaceans in the area. Considering the importance of the area for anthropogenic activities and the sensitivity of beaked whales to noise, understanding their ecology is essential to minimise potential overlaps. To this end, fixed bottom-mounted autonomous acoustic recorders were deployed at 10 stations over four recording periods spanning from May 2015 to November 2016. Acoustic data were collected over 1934 cumulative days, for a total of 7942 h of recordings. To model the probability of presence of Cuvier’s and Sowerby’s beaked whales in the area as a function of oceanographic predictors, we used Generalised Additive Models, fitted with Generalised Estimating Equations to deal with temporal autocorrelation. To reflect prey availability, oceanographic variables acting as proxies of primary productivity and prey aggregation processes such as upwelling events and thermal fronts were selected. Our results demonstrated that oceanographic variables significantly contributed to the occurrence of Cuvier’s and Sowerby’s beaked whales (p-values between <0.001 and <0.05). The species showed similar preferences, with the exception of sdSST. The inclusion of a parameter accounting for the recorders location confirmed the existence of a latitudinal partitioning for those species in the area. This study provides a point of comparison for future research and represents an important step towards a better understanding of those elusive species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cetaceans Ecology: Diversity, Abundance and Distribution)
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14 pages, 1585 KiB  
Article
Acoustic Monitoring of a Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Population: Trends in Presence and Foraging beyond the Limits of the Lower River Shannon SAC
by Rachel Charish, Simon Berrow and Joanne O’Brien
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(6), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9060650 - 12 Jun 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3693
Abstract
The Shannon dolphins are a population of bottlenose dolphins resident year round within the Lower River Shannon SAC, Ireland, which has been designated to protect this relatively small, genetically discrete population. Although trends in habitat use and foraging have been studied within the [...] Read more.
The Shannon dolphins are a population of bottlenose dolphins resident year round within the Lower River Shannon SAC, Ireland, which has been designated to protect this relatively small, genetically discrete population. Although trends in habitat use and foraging have been studied within the estuary, little is known about the movements of the Shannon dolphins outside the boundaries of the SAC, and whether any other foraging hotspots exist for this population outside of the estuary. The purpose of this study was to explore the presence and foraging behavior of these dolphins in adjacent waters located 20–30 km to the southwest of the Lower River Shannon SAC. Static acoustic monitoring was carried out with C-PODs deployed in Ballyheigue Bay, Brandon Bay, and around the Maharees between May and November 2013. A GEE-GLM modelling approach was then used to analyze potential significant environmental predictors of presence and foraging by bottlenose dolphins at these sites. Brandon Bay was found to be a site of particular importance for the Shannon population, where dolphins were present on 92% of days monitored and foraging occurring on 20% of all monitored hours. The results of this study indicate that Brandon Bay is a potentially important habitat for the Shannon dolphins and further support designation of this site as a candidate SAC. However, long-term acoustic monitoring should be conducted at all sites to identify relative use of the areas at year-round and inter-annual scales. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cetaceans Ecology: Diversity, Abundance and Distribution)
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17 pages, 2434 KiB  
Article
Foraging Behavior of Bottlenose Dolphins in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland as Determined through Static Acoustic Monitoring
by Mathijs Carmen, Simon D. Berrow and Joanne M. O’Brien
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2021, 9(3), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse9030275 - 4 Mar 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5024
Abstract
The Shannon Estuary in Ireland is home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and is designated as a Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive. It is an important industrial area, with numerous deep-water berths for [...] Read more.
The Shannon Estuary in Ireland is home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and is designated as a Special Area of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive. It is an important industrial area, with numerous deep-water berths for shipping. Despite its high conservation value, there are few published studies on habitat use or foraging behavior of the Shannon dolphins throughout the year. The present study assessed the year-round presence and foraging activity of bottlenose dolphins at different locations in the middle and inner estuary using static acoustic monitoring. Dolphin presence was found to decrease with increased distance from the estuary mouth, i.e., where the estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean, while at the same time, foraging was found to be considerably higher in the upriver areas, suggesting the inner estuary was an important foraging area. Model predictions for seasonal, tidal and diel foraging were highly variable across locations, indicating that changes in dolphin behavior occurred over relatively small geographical scales. These results indicate that conservation efforts should consider the Shannon Estuary as a dynamic aggregation of habitats and future development initiatives should attempt to mitigate disturbance to the dolphins during important foraging periods on seasonal and diel scales. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cetaceans Ecology: Diversity, Abundance and Distribution)
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