Dear colleagues,
I am happy to announce the publication of my paper on injuries in small cetaceans in the southern
Caribbean:
Luksenburg JA (2014) Prevalence of External Injuries in Small Cetaceans in Aruban Waters, Southern Caribbean. PLoS ONE 9(2):
e88988.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0088988
Aruba, located close to the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela, is one of
the most densely populated islands in the Caribbean and supports a wide
range of marine-related socio-economic activities. However, little is
known about the impacts of human activities on the marine environment.
Injuries in marine mammals can be used to examine interactions with
human activities and identify potential threats to the survival of
populations. The prevalence of external injuries and tooth rake marks
were examined in Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) (n = 179), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) (n = 76) and false killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) (n = 71)
in Aruban waters using photo identification techniques. Eleven injury
categories were defined and linked to either human-related activities or
natural causes. All injury categories were observed. In total, 18.7% of
all individuals had at least one injury. Almost half (41.7%) of the
injuries could be attributed to human interactions, of which fishing
gear was the most common cause (53.3%) followed by propeller hits
(13.3%). Major disfigurements were observed in all three species and
could be attributed to interactions with fishing gear. The results of
this study indicate that fishing gear and propeller hits may pose
threats to small and medium-sized cetaceans in Aruban waters. Thus,
long-term monitoring of population trends is warranted. Shark-inflicted
bite wounds were observed in Atlantic spotted dolphin and bottlenose
dolphin. Bite wounds of cookie cutter sharks (Isistius sp.)
were recorded in all three species, and include the first documented
record of a cookie cutter shark bite in Atlantic spotted dolphin. This
is one of the few studies which investigates the prevalence of injuries
in cetaceans in the Caribbean. Further study is necessary to determine
to which extent the injuries observed in Aruba affect the health and
survival of local populations.
The paper can be downloaded here:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0088988
Best wishes,
Jolanda
Jolanda Luksenburg, PhD
Affiliate Professor
George Mason University
Department of Environmental Science and Policy
E: j.luksenburg@yahoo.com
W: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jolanda_Luksenburg/