The following article was recently published in the Autumn 2010 issue of the 
Journal of Cetacean Research and Management:

Speakman, T.R., S.M. Lane, L.H. Schwacke, P.A. Fair, and E.S. Zolman. 2010. Mark-recapture estimates of 
seasonal abundance and survivorship for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) 
near Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 
11(2):153-162.

ABSTRACT:
The stock structure of western North Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) 
is complex, with seasonally migratory stocks often overlapping with year-round resident 
stocks. High rates of exchange between northernmost sites have been documented but movement 
and seasonal fluctuation in abundance among sites along the southern portion of the US 
Atlantic coast is not well understood. To better understand seasonal abundance, a three-year 
mark-recapture study of bottlenose dolphins in coastal and estuarine waters near Charleston, 
South Carolina, USA was conducted. A robust design was employed in order to minimise bias and 
more precisely determine seasonal estimates of abundance and concurrently examine temporary 
immigration/emigration and survivorship. Systematic boat-based surveys were carried out (n = 192) 
from January 2004 to December 2006. The entire study area was surveyed one week per month; an 
additional survey was conducted in the months in which seasonal abundance was estimated: 
January (winter), April (spring), July (summer) and October (autumn). Standard photo-identification 
techniques were used to accumulate sightings of 521 distinctively marked dolphins, 65% of which 
were sighted more than once. Pollock’s robust design was applied using MARK and the ensuing 
 abundance estimates were adjusted for the seasonal proportion of unmarked dolphins (ranging 
from 0.27 to 0.40) in the population. Estimates ranged from 364 (95% CI = 305–442) in January 
2004 to 910 (95% CI = 819–1018) in October 2006. Summer abundance estimates were consistently 
greater than those from winter months, although estimates varied considerably among years. The 
same model was used to calculate an annual survival rate estimate of 0.951 (95% CI = 0.882–1.00) 
for marked individuals within the population. A high degree of transience, demonstrated by seasonal 
influxes of single-sighted individuals, made it difficult to differentiate between mortality and 
permanent emigration. The results support the occurrence of three distinct dolphin groups found in 
Charleston waters: year-round residents; seasonal residents; and transients. Reporting abundance 
and survivorship estimates together is useful in explaining and validating results for populations 
in which transient individuals occur. These results provide important information for stock and 
viability assessment of coastal bottlenose dolphins in the western North Atlantic.


KEYWORDS: 
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN; PHOTO-ID; SURVIVORSHIP; ABUNDANCE ESTIMATE; MARK-RECAPTURE; NORTH
AMERICA; NORTHERN HEMISPHERE


For further information and pdf requests, please contact Todd Speakman:
Todd.Speakman@noaa.gov