New publication on Association Patterns of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins in Waters off the North West Cape, Western Australia
Dear colleagues, On behalf of all co-authors, I am pleased to share our new publication in Marine Mammal Science: Edwards, C.M., Syme, J. and Parra, G.J. (2025), Association Patterns of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Waters off the North West Cape, Western Australia. Mar Mam Sci e70017. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.70017 ABSTRACT This study examined association patterns, social clustering, and temporal stability of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins off the North West Cape (NWC), Western Australia. Over 6 years, boat-based surveys collected photo-identification data, enabling repeated sampling, sighting history construction, and associate identification. Among the 344 adult dolphins identified, 116 were sighted at least five times and used in association analyses. A strong correlation (r = 0.86 ± 0.01 SE) between true and estimated association indices, along with a high coefficient of variation (S = 1.92 ± 0.9 SE), indicates a highly differentiated society with diverse relationships among individuals. Generalized affiliation indexes, social network metrics, and lagged association rates revealed predominantly loose, short-term associations within a well-connected but non-clustered social network. These fluid association patterns are likely related to the open and transient nature of this population, where individuals move in and out of the study area. These movements provide opportunities for social interactions among different individuals, and members of different groups may fission for varying periods of time. Findings from this study provide a solid baseline for future studies looking at the sociogenetic structure of this population and the environmental and social factors driving their fluid social system. Full text available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.70017 All the best, Guido ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guido J. Parra, PhD Associate Professor | College of Science and Engineering Research leader | Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) Staff: http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/guido.parra Lab: www.cebel.org.au<http://www.cebel.org.au> GoogleScholar<https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=7YisEoAAAAAJ> | ResearchGate<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guido_Parra> | LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/guido-j-parra-093217183/> Flinders University, GPO Box 2100 Adelaide, SA 5001 Australia Tel: +61 8 8201 3565|email: guido.parra@flinders.edu.au<mailto:guido.parra@flinders.edu.au> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please consider the environment before printing this email
Dear colleagues, On behalf of all co-authors, I am pleased to share our new publication in Animal Behaviour: Newman, M., Bossley, M., Baring, R., Möller, L., Steiner, A., & Parra, G. J. (2025). Ranging patterns and mortality of an at-risk marine mammal resident in a highly urbanized estuary. Animal Behaviour, 123218. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2025.123218 Abstract: Understanding the ranging patterns of wildlife populations can help identify potential factors contributing to stress, injury, reduced reproductive success, deteriorating health, mortality and displacement from or avoidance of biologically important areas. This study used photographic identification data collected over a 33-year period to characterize the ranging patterns of the Near Threatened Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus, inhabiting the highly urbanized Port River estuary in South Australia. Using kernel density methods, we assessed if ranging patterns differed in size and location by sex and if they were associated with a recent increase in dolphin mortalities. Three locations within the study area were identified as core areas of use for multiple individual dolphins over the 33-year period. The ranging patterns of frequently sighted individual dolphins showed no significant differences in core and representative range size and location by sex, or whether a dolphin was deceased or still alive in the study area. In contrast, dolphins that recently died (2018–2022) had core areas of use concentrated in a single, restricted region of the study area. These core ranges were smaller than those of other individuals in the population, highlighting a potential spatiotemporal component to the recent increase in dolphin mortalities. Subsequent research on potential stressors associated with this dolphin core area of use should aid in the identification of contributing factors to the recent mortalities and assist conservation management decisions. This study highlights the significance of long-term monitoring and understanding wildlife ranging patterns in identifying potential human–wildlife conflicts. Full text available at: https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0003-3472(25)00145-9<https://kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fauthors.elsevier.com%2Fsd%2Farticle%2FS0003-3472(25)00145-9/1/010201975b828a5d-0005b41d-30c0-4919-bb52-a8fb400d7121-000000/prWa6bjYHgKRW9kEATOawafUn2U=429> All the best, Guido ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Guido J. Parra, PhD Associate Professor | College of Science and Engineering Research leader | Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab (CEBEL) Staff: http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/guido.parra Lab: www.cebel.org.au<http://www.cebel.org.au/> GoogleScholar<https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=7YisEoAAAAAJ> | ResearchGate<https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guido_Parra> | LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/in/guido-j-parra-093217183/> Flinders University, GPO Box 2100 Adelaide, SA 5001 Australia Tel: +61 8 8201 3565|email: guido.parra@flinders.edu.au<mailto:guido.parra@flinders.edu.au> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please consider the environment before printing this email
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Guido Parra Vergara