Dear MARMAM community,
We are happy to share with you our latest, open-access publication:
Foskolos, I., M. Johnson, D. Clement, et al. 2025.
“Subsurface Behaviors of Hector's Dolphins Could Increase Their Risk of Bycatch.”
Conservation Letters 18, no. 5: 18, e13144.
https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.13144
*Abstract*
Hector's dolphins, endemic to New Zealand, suffer from bycatch in fishing gear. Fishing restrictions in inshore areas have reduced bycatch, although dolphins have
been recorded outside these areas. We studied the subsurface movements and foraging behavior of 11 Hector's dolphins using high‐resolution biologging tags to gain insight into their bycatch risk. Tagged dolphins traveled up to 15 km offshore, well beyond the
boundaries of fishery exclusion zones, and regularly dove to the seafloor to forage at depths of up to 122 m. During these dives, the dolphins exhibited specific body postures that could increase their risk of bycatch. In addition, some dolphins produced very
few echolocation clicks while traveling throughout the water column, potentially limiting their ability to detect nets. These subsurface behaviors may make Hector's dolphins more vulnerable to bycatch than previously thought, highlighting the need to reassess
the efficacy of current protection measures.
The press-release for this paper can be found in the following link:
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2025/09/19/underwater-acrobatics-of-hector-s-dolphin-revealed--watch--liste.html
Best regards,
Ilias
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Ilias Foskolos,
PhD, MSCA postdoctoral fellow
Hopkins Marine Station, Oceans Department, Stanford University, USA & Center for Active
Sensing with Sound, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark
E-mail: ilias.foskolos@bio.au.dk
Phone: +306970481050