Not only wide range shifts: Marine warming and heat waves influence spatial traits of a mediterranean common bottlenose dolphin population

Manna, Gianfranco La; Ronchetti, Fabio; Perretti, Francesco; Ceccherelli, Giulia

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2023.108320

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…At the end, SSTm also influenced dolphin distribution, mainly in summer, when higher SSTm reduced the likelihood of dolphin presence. The importance of SST in defining dolphin distribution is coherent with recent studies conducted in other geographical areas ( Hartel, Constantine & Torres, 2014 ; La Manna, Ronchetti & Sarà, 2016 ; Lambert et al, 2017 ) and with the strong influence of warming and marine heat waves on the occurrence, home range and group size recently found in the same dolphin population ( La Manna et al, 2023a ; La Manna et al, 2023b ). SSTm in 2022 was between 1.19 °C and 1.38 °C higher than the average SSTm recorded in the period 2015–2018 ( La Manna et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“…SSTm in 2022 was between 1.19 °C and 1.38 °C higher than the average SSTm recorded in the period 2015–2018 ( La Manna et al, 2020 ). Beside the increased SSTm, also marine heat waves have become longer in the last eight years ( La Manna et al, 2023b ). Both dolphin and fishing net likelihood of presence were influenced by SSTm and SSTr.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the distribution of dolphins during the winter months, when sea-based tourist activities cease and fishing reduce due to adverse weather conditions, as well as the influence of different behavioral states (feeding, socializing, resting) on the selection of habitats ( Giannoulaki et al, 2017 ) should be investigated. Finally, considering that marine mammals respond to climate change ( Silber Gregory et al, 2017 ), and early indications on the effect of temperature on the studied population have already been found ( La Manna et al, 2023a ; La Manna et al, 2023b ), further effort should be done to anticipate changes in occurrence, distribution, and relative abundance of this population under climate change scenarios.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) is the only species of cetacean regularly present in the area. The local population counts 130 photo-identified individuals, with at least 30% of them showing high site fidelity ( La Manna et al, 2023b ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Areas of spatial overlap between common bottlenose dolphin, recreational boating, and small-scale fishery: management insights from modelling exercises

La Manna,

Ronchetti,

Perretti

et al. 2023

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Background Sustainable management requires spatial mapping of both species distribution and human activities to identify potential risk of conflict. The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a priority species of the European Union Habitat Directive, thus, to promote its conservation, the understanding of habitat use and distribution, as well as the identification and spatial trend of the human activities which may directly affect populations traits, is pivotal. Methods A MaxEnt modeling approach was applied to predict the seasonal (from April to September) habitat use of a small population of bottlenose dolphins in the north-western Sardinia (Mediterranean Sea) in relation to environmental variables and the likelihoods of boat and fishing net presence. Then, the overlapping areas between dolphin, fishing net and boat presence were identified to provide insights for the marine spatial management of this area. Results Three of the main factors influencing the seasonal distribution of bottlenose dolphins in the area are directly (boating and fishing) or indirectly (ocean warming) related to human activities. Furthermore, almost half of the most suitable area for dolphins overlapped with areas used by fishing and boating. Finally, relying on fishing distribution models, we also shed light on the potential impact of fishing on the Posidonia oceanica beds, a protected habitat, which received higher fishing efforts than other habitat types. Discussion Modelling the spatial patterns of anthropogenic activities was fundamental to understand the ecological impacts both on cetacean habitat use and protected habitats. A greater research effort is suggested to detect potential changes in dolphin habitat suitability, also in relation to ocean warming, to assess dolphin bycatch and the status of target fish species, and to evaluate sensitive habitats conditions, such as the Posidonia oceanica meadow.

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