Skinny dolphins: Can poor body condition explain population decline in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis)?

Serres, Agathe; Lin, Wenzhi; Liu, Binshuai; Chen, Shenglan; Li, Songhai

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170401

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The use of photography to assess body condition in dolphins is based on the principle of capturing ideal images of visible morphological features, such as body shape and visible evidence or absence of rib bones. However, studies of small-bodied cetaceans are still scarce [10,12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Body Condition in a Threatened Dolphin Population in an Anthropized Area in Southeastern Brazil

Silva,

Maricato,

Cezimbra

et al. 2024

Animals

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Sepetiba Bay, located in southwestern Rio de Janeiro state, in southeastern Brazil, is a region of extreme anthropogenic impact, and is home to a large population of Guiana dolphins, which face increasing and cumulative pressures on their physical health. Cetacean body condition provides a useful indicator for the evaluation of the conservation status of marine mammals. Given this, the present study quantified the proportion of dolphins with different body condition scores and assessed temporal variation in these scores between 2017 and 2022 through the analysis of photographic records. We analyzed the photographs and identified the individuals using FinFindR and classified each individual based on its apparent body condition. A total of 29,737 photographs were taken during the study, and 79 individuals were identified, of which 68.35% were in poor condition. The evidence suggests that the Guiana dolphins are in relatively poor condition overall, possibly reflecting the cumulative impact of human activities in Sepetiba Bay.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Body Condition in a Threatened Dolphin Population in an Anthropized Area in Southeastern Brazil

Silva,

Maricato,

Cezimbra

et al. 2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Selection of parameters to assess the welfare of free‐ranging Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins using expert opinion survey

Serres,

Platto,

2024

Aquatic Conservation

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Animal welfare assessments have recently been suggested to be useful for free‐ranging animals. Nevertheless, few standardized welfare assessment frameworks have been built for wildlife, including cetaceans. Coastal cetaceans like Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis, IPHDs) that form resident populations impacted by a wide range of human activities are subject to reliable photo‐identification efforts and thus represent perfect candidates for welfare monitoring. Parameters that may inform us on some aspects of the welfare of free‐ranging IPHDs were selected through literature review. A panel survey including three consecutive rounds was then conducted to collect the opinion of selected experts on these parameters. The survey allowed the validation of a list containing 31 parameters that provide information on the welfare of IPHDs. The opinion of experts also allowed to set the modalities of the data collection required to measure/observe these parameters. After establishing a consistent scoring method and testing it on existing data, this standardized framework will allow for obtaining a wide picture of the living conditions of IPHDs. Variations across time periods, among dolphin populations and locations, or following major environmental changes (e.g., conservation measures or human disturbances) could then be analysed. Added to traditional conservation approaches, standardized welfare monitoring will greatly participate in the conservation of these animals.

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Skinny dolphins: Can poor body condition explain population decline in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis)?

Cited by 2 publications

References 60 publications

Assessment of Body Condition in a Threatened Dolphin Population in an Anthropized Area in Southeastern Brazil

Assessment of Body Condition in a Threatened Dolphin Population in an Anthropized Area in Southeastern Brazil

Selection of parameters to assess the welfare of free‐ranging Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphins using expert opinion survey

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