Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to inform about the new
publication on the biology of franciscana dolphins (Pontoporia blainvillei) in Patagonia
Argentina:
Failla M, Seijas VA,
Esposito R y Iñiguez MI. 2012. Franciscana Dolphins, Pontoporia blainvillei, of the Río Negro Estuary, Patagonia, Argentina. Marine Biodiversity Records, 5, e102
doi:10.1017/S1755267212000875
Abstract
Studies on the biology of the franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) in the Río
Negro Estuary (RNE), Patagonia, Argentina, were carried out from 2002 to 2011.
Information about group size, group dispersion and behaviour was collected from
the coast and by boat, using scanning and focal animal/group sampling
methodology. Group size varied from 1 to 5 dolphins ( X = 1.69; standard deviation
(SD) = 0.74; N = 121), 2 being the most frequent value
(46.28%; N = 56). Group dispersion varied from 0 to 10 dolphin length
(DL) ( X = 1.4;
SD = 0.75; N = 51), 0 DL (54.9%; N = 28) being the
most frequent value. Behaviour of travelling, feeding, milling and resting were
recorded, with a higher frequency of animals travelling (36.58%;
N = 45). Calves were observed in spring and summer (N = 10).
13 stranded individuals were reported and 3 of them were collected from
gillnets. Data presented herein indicate year-round presence of franciscana as
well as the RNE being the southernmost breeding and feeding site reported to
date. The establishment of the proposed natural reserve by the Governments of
Río Negro and Buenos Aires provinces and continued long-term studies are
urgently recommended.
Keywords: franciscana dolphins; Pontoporia blainvillei ; habitat use;
behaviour; Patagonia; Argentina.
The full
publication can be downloaded from:
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8714072
Greetings to all,
Fundación
Cethus – 20 years
Argentina