Spinner Dolphins of Islands and Atolls

Lammers, Marc O.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-16663-2_17

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…5% of individual cetaceans; Anderson, 2005). On this basis and in line with current understanding of dolphin habitat use around oceanic islands more broadly (Lammers, 2019), we expected the majority of the cetacean vocalizations to fall within the small cetacean (odontocete) range. We further limit our vocalization analysis to whistles, due to the complexities involved in analysing broadband vocalizations such as clicks (Gillespie et al., 2013).…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 52%

“…The most abundant cetaceans within Maldivian lagoons are spinner dolphins ( Stenella longirostris , >90% of individual cetaceans by number) and Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops aduncus , <5%; Anderson, 2005). On this basis and in line with understanding of dolphin habitat use around oceanic islands more broadly (Lammers, 2019), we expected spinner dolphins to be an important if not the dominant species associated with atoll lagoons in the Chagos Archipelago, and thus prevalent on the PAM records. Finally, we sought to quantify cetacean contribution to coral reef energy pathways, by estimating the likely quantity of nutrients egested by cetaceans into lagoonal systems, on the basis of species prevalence, habitat use, foraging behaviour, estimates of daily consumption and standard metabolic models.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Spinner dolphin residency in tropical atoll lagoons: Diurnal presence, seasonal variability and implications for nutrient dynamics

Letessier

Johnston

Delarue³

et al. 2022

Journal of Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mobile predators serve important ecological functions, including acting as nutrient vectors between different ecosystems. In coral reefs, pelagic nutrient subsidies are believed to play an increasingly important role under ongoing and projected environmental changes. Here, we combine visual sightings with passive acoustic monitoring to report habitat use and behaviour by cetaceans within atoll lagoons in the Maldives and Chagos archipelagoes. We demonstrate that spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) are the most widely distributed and numerically abundant cetacean inside these atolls (>90% of all individual cetaceans by numbers). Our visual and acoustic observations both provide evidence of a regular diurnal behaviour, where dolphins enter the lagoons during the morning, for day-time resting, and exit during the afternoon, for night-time foraging offshore. Using standard metabolic models and timing of lagoonal residencies, we estimate that a dolphin pod would deposit approximately 288 AE 17 kg year −1 of nitrogen of primarily mesopelagic origin inside the lagoons. The nitrogen deposited inside an atoll lagoon by a dolphin pod resident year-round will therefore likely enhance coral reef productivity and resilience and suggests that these dolphins play a role in making pelagic energy and nutrients available to coral reefs. The absence of any acoustic detections following the reversal of the monsoon winds suggests that the short-to-medium-term residency of the dolphins is sensitive to seasonal productivity dynamics.

show abstract

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 52%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Spinner dolphin residency in tropical atoll lagoons: Diurnal presence, seasonal variability and implications for nutrient dynamics

Letessier

Johnston

Delarue³

et al. 2022

Journal of Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Since the aerial surveys, it has been shown that spinner dolphins off some of the other Hawaiian islands also exhibit predictable patterns of behavior (Benoit-Bird and Au, 2003;Bazúa-Durán and Au, 2004;Lammers, 2004Lammers, , 2019Tyne et al, 2014). However, there is another, more cryptic group that occupies the waters of the broader Maui Nui region between the islands of Maui, Moloka'i, and Lāna'i, whose behavioral use of the coastline and inter-island channels is variable and poorly understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) Occurrence and Acoustic Activity in the Maui Nui Region

McElligott

Lammers

2021

Front. Mar. Sci.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hawaiian spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) rest during the day in the islands’ coastal waters where they are susceptible to human disturbance. Due to concerns over the negative impacts of human activity, the Pacific Islands Regional Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed a 50-yard approach rule for spinner dolphins and is also considering time-area closures of certain important spinner dolphin resting areas. However, gaps still persist in the understanding of how spinner dolphin populations on different Hawaiian Islands use coastal waters, raising questions about the efficacy of the proposed rules. To better understand how spinner dolphins use the waters in the Maui Nui region (Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, and the ‘Au‘au channel), a study was conducted using a combination of passive acoustic monitoring and vessel surveys to document spinner dolphin occurrence and movements. Bottom-moored acoustic recorders were deployed at eight locations in Maui Nui, and at one previously established resting bay off west O‘ahu for comparison. The amount of whistles, clicks, and burst pulses at each location was quantified and averaged by the hour of the day. Acoustic activity was greater at the O‘ahu site than at any of the Maui Nui sites, and was greatest between sunrise and noon. Acoustic activity and vessel surveys both reveal that spinner dolphins occur and exhibit resting behaviors in the ‘Au‘au channel between Maui and Lāna‘i, and also along west Maui and southeast Lāna‘i. Spinner dolphins resting in a channel between islands appears to be unique to Maui Nui and differs from resting patterns described along Hawai‘i Island and O‘ahu. Because spinner dolphins appear to use both the coastlines and the channel to rest in Maui Nui, the 50-yard approach rule appears to be a more suitable management option for the region than time-area closures.

show abstract

“…Many species exhibit diel trends in habitat‐related behavior as a response to consistent time‐sensitive variability in prey distribution or behavior (e.g., Aoki et al, 2007; Baird et al, 2008; Carlström, 2005; Folkow & Blix, 1993; Lammers, 2019; Stockin et al, 2001). However, even in the absence of foraging, diel trends in habitat use may emerge to take advantage of environmental characteristics that favor certain physiological processes such as growth (e.g., Armstrong et al, 2013) or thermoregulation (e.g., Fan & Jiang, 2010; Harrison et al, 2016), and to minimize pressures associated with disturbance from predators (e.g., Arcifa & Rodrigues, 2004; Mukhin et al, 2009), anthropogenic activities (e.g., Lykkja et al, 2009; Oriol‐Cotterill et al, 2015), and conspecifics prospecting for mating opportunities (e.g., Smultea, 1994).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diurnal increases in depths of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother‐calf pods off West Maui, Hawaiʻi: A response to vessels?

Pack

Waterman

Craig

2022

Marine Mammal Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Spinner Dolphins of Islands and Atolls

Cited by 8 publications

References 47 publications

Spinner dolphin residency in tropical atoll lagoons: Diurnal presence, seasonal variability and implications for nutrient dynamics

Spinner dolphin residency in tropical atoll lagoons: Diurnal presence, seasonal variability and implications for nutrient dynamics

Investigating Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) Occurrence and Acoustic Activity in the Maui Nui Region

Diurnal increases in depths of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother‐calf pods off West Maui, Hawaiʻi: A response to vessels?

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About