Paula Méndez-Fernandez, Satie Taniguchi, Marcos C. O. Santos, Irma Cascão, Sophie Quérouil, Vidal Martín, Marisa Tejedor, Manuel Carrillo, Caroline Rinaldi, Renato Rinaldi, Dalia C. Barragán-Barrera, Nohelia Farías-Curtidor, Susana Caballero, Rosalinda C. Montone (2019) Population structure of the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) inferred through ecological markers. Aquat Ecol https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-019-09722-3.

Population structure studies play an increasingly integral role in conservation and management of marine mammal species. Genetic markers
are commonly used; however, ecological markers (i.e. chemical compounds) are a fairly recent and useful tool to investigate ecological management units. The objective of this study is to investigate the population structure of the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) within its distribution in the Atlantic Ocean using data from stable isotopes of d13C and d15N and persistent organic pollutants as ecological markers. Based on previous studies that addressed distribution, morphometric analyses and molecular and ecological markers, we hypothesize that there are several ecological management units within the Atlantic Ocean. Our results confirmed population differentiation previously detected using genetic markers. Additionally, dolphins from the south-eastern coast of Brazil do not show complete ecological segregation from the Caribbean ones, while molecular analyses suggested genetic differentiation between the two regions. In the
light of these results, we propose that at least two ecological management units should be considered, east and west of the Atlantic Ocean; however, the presence of one or two management units along the Atlantic coast of Central and South America needs further investigation.