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Cetacean strandings on the coast of Ceará, north-eastern Brazil (1992–2005)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2009

Ana Carolina O. Meirelles ,
Cassiano Monteiro-Neto ,
Aline M.A. Martins ,
Alexandra F. Costa ,
Helen M.D.R. Barros  and
Maria Danise O. Alves
Ana Carolina O. Meirelles*
Affiliation:
Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos—AQUASIS, SESC Iparana, Praia de Iparana s/n, Caucaia-CE, 61600-000, Brazil
Cassiano Monteiro-Neto
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Caixa Postal 100644, Niterói—RJ 24001-970, Brazil
Aline M.A. Martins
Affiliation:
Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos—AQUASIS, SESC Iparana, Praia de Iparana s/n, Caucaia-CE, 61600-000, Brazil
Alexandra F. Costa
Affiliation:
Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos—AQUASIS, SESC Iparana, Praia de Iparana s/n, Caucaia-CE, 61600-000, Brazil Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos da Amazônia (GEMAM), Projeto Piatam Mar & Piatam Oceano/PETROBRAS, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Coordenação de Zoologia, Campus de Pesquisa, Avenida Perimetral, 1901—Terra Firme, Belém-PA 66077-530, Brazil
Helen M.D.R. Barros
Affiliation:
Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos—AQUASIS, SESC Iparana, Praia de Iparana s/n, Caucaia-CE, 61600-000, Brazil
Maria Danise O. Alves
Affiliation:
Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas Aquáticos—AQUASIS, SESC Iparana, Praia de Iparana s/n, Caucaia-CE, 61600-000, Brazil
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Ana Carolina O. Meirelles, Associação de Pesquisa e Preservação de Ecossistemas, Aquáticos—AQUASIS, SESC Iparana, Praia de Iparana s/n, Caucaia-CE, 61000-600, Brazil email: [email protected]
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Abstract

This study reviews and updates information on cetacean strandings in the state of Ceará, Brazil (02°30′S 41°15′W– 04°30′S 36°45′W), comprising 573 km of coastline. In the years 1992–2005, there were 252 cetacean stranding events, representing 19 species: three species of Balaenopteridae, three Physeteridae, two Kogiidae, two Ziphiidae and 11 Delphinidae. Three species comprised the majority (78.9%) of stranding events: estuarine dolphin, Sotalia guianensis (61.9%); sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus (10.3%); and rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis (6.7%). There was an increasing trend in the number of cases reported in the first five years with a highest frequency achieved in 1996. Stranding events occurred throughout the year, with the lowest frequency occurring in the autumn (March–May). Approximately 4% of the events were attributed to natural causes while 24.6% were human-related, mainly incidental captures. Meat removal for human consumption or bait was recorded in 6.7% of events. In the study area, Sotalia guianensis, P. macrocephalus and Steno bredanensis were the most abundant cetacean species, whereas Lagenodelphis hosei, Pseudorca crassidens, Orcinus orca, Kogia sima, Mesoplodon europaeus, Balaenoptera acutorostrata and Balaenoptera bonaerensis are probably rare in the area.

Keywords

cetacean strandingsincidental captureCearánorth-eastern Brazil
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 89 , Special Issue 5: Cetaceans , August 2009 , pp. 1083 - 1090
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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