Dear all, We are pleased to announce the publication of the following paper: Chabanne, D., Finn, H., Salgado-Kent, C., and Bejder, L. (2012). Identification of a resident community of bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops aduncus*) in the Swan Canning Riverpark, Western Australia, using behavioural information. *Pacific Conservation Biology* 18: 247-262. The pdf can be accessed online via the PCB website http://pcb.murdoch.edu.au/pcb_online.html or via email request to D.Chabanne@murdoch.edu.au Abstract Identifying appropriate management units is vital for wildlife management. Here we investigate one potential management unit – resident communities of bottlenose dolphins – using information from ranging, occupancy, and association patterns. We identify a resident community of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (*Tursiops* *aduncus*) in the Swan Canning Riverpark, Western Australia based on: ranging patterns, sighting rates, Lagged Identification Rates (LIR), and three measures of social affinity and structure (Simple Ratio Index, preferred dyadic association analyses, and Lagged Association Rates (LAR)). The analyses yielded an estimated ‘community size’ of 17-18 individuals (excluding calves). High seasonal sighting rates (> 0.75 sightings per season) and a long mean residence time (ca. nine years) indicated year-round residency. The model best-fitting the LIR (emigration and mortality) also supported this. The social structure of dolphins was species-typical, characterized by significant dyadic associations within age-sex classes (permutation test; *P *< 0.001), stronger associations among adult males than among adult females (LAR males
LAR females), and temporally stable associations (LAR > null LAR). Constant companions or long-lasting association models best explained adult male and female LARs. While behavioural information identified a resident community in the Riverpark, genetic and demographic information is needed to assess its appropriateness as a management unit.
Cheers, Delphine