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University of Nebraska - Lincoln

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Bottlenose dolphin

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Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Environmental Sciences

Defining Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Stocks Based On Environmental, Physical, And Behavioral Characteristics, Jacalyn L. Toth, Aleta A. Hohn, Kenneth W. Able, Antoinette M. Gorgone Jan 2011

Defining Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus) Stocks Based On Environmental, Physical, And Behavioral Characteristics, Jacalyn L. Toth, Aleta A. Hohn, Kenneth W. Able, Antoinette M. Gorgone

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

The population structure of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, along the U.S. Atlantic coast has recently been redefined from one homogenous population into five coastal stocks. Local studies indicate even finer structure, primarily based on isolation of dolphins inhabiting estuaries.We identified population structuring of non-estuarine coastal bottlenose dolphins during a study in New Jersey, the northern range along the Atlantic Coast. Using photo-identification and distribution survey results, an analysis identified two major clusters of individuals significantly separated by five variables (distance from shoreline, group size, occurrence of the barnacle Xenobalanus globicipitis, avoidance behavior, and individual coloration). Sightings assigned to …


Evidence Of Susceptibility To Morbillivirus Infection In Cetaceans From The United States, T. K. Rowles, L. S. Schwacke, R. S. Wells, J. T. Saliki, L. Hansen, A. Hohn, F. Townsend, R. A. Sayre, A. J. Hall Jan 2011

Evidence Of Susceptibility To Morbillivirus Infection In Cetaceans From The United States, T. K. Rowles, L. S. Schwacke, R. S. Wells, J. T. Saliki, L. Hansen, A. Hohn, F. Townsend, R. A. Sayre, A. J. Hall

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Cetacean morbilliviruses (CeMV) are viruses that can cause mass mortalities among various odontocete species. In this study levels of “herd” immunity in cetaceans from the U.S. coast are described from the distribution and prevalence of antibodies against morbilliviruses. Neutralizing antibody titers against dolphin morbillivirus (DMV), porpoise morbillivirus (PMV), phocine distemper (PDV), and canine distemper viruses (CDV) were measured. Positive samples had higher titers against the CeMV than against the other morbilliviruses tested, indicating that although PDV or CDV can be used to investigate exposure their use may result in a higher false negative rate. The results suggest that morbillivirus did …


A Model Life Table For Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) From The Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, U.S.A., Megan K. Stolen, Jay Barlow Jan 2003

A Model Life Table For Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) From The Indian River Lagoon System, Florida, U.S.A., Megan K. Stolen, Jay Barlow

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Data gathered from 220 stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tzmiop tvuncatlls) in the Indian River Lagoon system, Florida, were used to derive a life table. Survivorship curves were fit to the data using Siler’s competing-risk model and a maximum likelihood approach. Population growth was estimated to be between r = 0.0 and 0.046 based on the observed numbers of stranded dolphins. Variance in survival rates was estimated using an individual-based, age-structured population projection model. We estimate that the overall annual mortality rate for this population was 9.8% per year. Sex-specific differences in survivorship were apparent with females outliving males. The …