Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology
Temporal Variation In Dwarf Sperm Whale (Kogia Sima) Habitat Use And Group Size Off Great Abaco Island, The Bahamas, Meagan Mná Dunphy-Daly
Temporal Variation In Dwarf Sperm Whale (Kogia Sima) Habitat Use And Group Size Off Great Abaco Island, The Bahamas, Meagan Mná Dunphy-Daly
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Dwarf sperm whales, Kogia sima, are among the most commonly stranded yet least known pelagic cetaceans. I assessed seasonal and spatial variation in dwarf sperm whale group size and abundance off Great Abaco Island, the Bahamas. After correcting for survey effort and variation in sighting efficiency among sea states, I found that dwarf sperm whale group size and habitat use varied seasonally. In summer, dwarf sperm whale groups were small (median = 2.5, range = 1-8) and were found only in the two deep habitats within the study area (slope 400-900 m, deep 900-1600 in). In winter, group sizes …