Dear Marmam community,
I am delighted to share a recent paper on Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin conservation, now published in Biological Conservation: Range-wide monitoring reveals demographic vulnerability in Lahille's bottlenose dolphins.
Please feel free to access the paper through the link below and share it with anyone who may be interested.
This publication is a product of the Gephyreus Network — an initiative built on trust, transparency, collaboration, and a shared commitment to conservation.
Abstract:
Robust demographic estimates are critical for effective conservation but often lacking for threatened species, demanding long-term, range-wide monitoring to generate data and assess risk. Here, we quantify key demographic parameters and evaluate extinction risk at a metapopulation scale to inform conservation planning for Lahille's bottlenose dolphin, an endangered dolphin endemic to the coastal waters of the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. Using Robust Design mark-recapture models on data from a coordinated photo-identification program (2018–2023) across five Management Units (MUs) in the southern Brazil-Uruguay subpopulation, we estimated abundance and survival. Best estimates indicate a total subpopulation abundance of 341 individuals (95% CI: 333–348), with annual survival varying among MUs from 0.934 (95% CI: 0.856–0.971) to 0.968 (95% CI: 0.926–0.986). Metapopulation-based Population Viability Analysis (PVA) projects a 2% decline in subpopulation size over three generations (63 years) under current conditions, with ~4% extinction risk for two MUs. Under a worst-case scenario with increased bycatch and habitat degradation, a 94% decline in the subpopulation is projected. Findings highlight the vulnerability of Lahille's bottlenose dolphins and the urgent need for habitat protection and bycatch mitigation. We recommend maintaining and expanding coordinated, long-term monitoring to support adaptive management.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Pedro
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