Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-27T18:56:30.063Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seasonal distribution of white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) in UK waters with new information on diet and habitat use

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2008

Sarah J. Canning ,
M. Begoña Santos ,
Robert J. Reid ,
Peter G.H. Evans ,
Richard C. Sabin ,
Nick Bailey  and
Graham J. Pierce
Sarah J. Canning*
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences (Zoology), University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB24 2TZ, UK The Sea Watch Foundation, 11 Jersey Road, Oxford, OX4 4RT, UK
M. Begoña Santos
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences (Zoology), University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB24 2TZ, UK Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, Instituto Español de Oceanografía, PO Box 1552, 36200 Vigo, Spain
Robert J. Reid
Affiliation:
Wildlife Unit, Scottish Agricultural College Veterinary Services, Drummond Hill, Stratherrick Road, Inverness, Scotland, IV2 4JZ, UK
Peter G.H. Evans
Affiliation:
The Sea Watch Foundation, 11 Jersey Road, Oxford, OX4 4RT, UK
Richard C. Sabin
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
Nick Bailey
Affiliation:
Fisheries Research Services Marine Laboratory, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB11 9DB, UK
Graham J. Pierce
Affiliation:
School of Biological Sciences (Zoology), University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB24 2TZ, UK
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Sarah J. Canning, School of Biological Sciences (Zoology), University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, Scotland, AB24 2TZ, UK email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The white-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris, is commonly found throughout the North Sea and shelf waters of the North Atlantic. Little is known about the behaviour and ecology of this species, especially in British coastal waters. In this paper we present details of the seasonal and geographical distribution of white-beaked dolphins around the UK, along with new information on their diet and habitat use. Analysis of historical stranding records show a segregation of the sexes, with a significant difference between when males and females strand in UK waters. There has been a steady decline in reported strandings since the 1970s and seasonal differences in the distribution of strandings suggest that sea temperature may limit white-beaked dolphin distribution around the British coast. Stomach contents' analysis, from dolphins stranded mainly on the Scottish east coast, identified haddock and whiting as the predominant fish species being taken. Boat surveys were performed along the north-east Scottish coast to examine relationships between topography, environmental conditions, dolphin presence and group size. Dolphin presence was related to seabed slope and aspect while variation in temperature explained almost 45% of variation in observed group size, with smaller groups associated with higher sea temperatures.

Keywords

white-beaked dolphindistributionhabitat usedietstrandingstemperatureenvironmental relationships
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 88 , Special Issue 6: Marine Mammals , September 2008 , pp. 1159 - 1166
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Barry, S.C. and Welsh, A.H. (2002) Generalised additive modelling and zero inflated count data. Ecological Modelling 157, 179–188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Becker, G.A. and Pauly, M. (1996) Sea surface temperature changes in the North Sea and their causes. ICES Journal of Marine Science 53, 887–898.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Canning, S.J. (2007) Cetacean distribution and habitat use along the east coast of Scotland. PhD thesis, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland.Google Scholar
Cañadas, A., Sagarminaga, R., Stephanis, R., de Urquiola, E. and Hammond, P.S. (2005) Habitat preference modeling as a conservation tool: proposals for marine protected areas for cetaceans in southern Spanish waters. Aquatic Conservation 15, 496–521.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, M.R. (1986) A handbook for the identification of cephalopod beaks. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
Connor, R.C., Wells, R.S., Mann, J. and Read, A.J. (2000) The bottlenose dolphin: social relationships in a fission-fusion society. In Mann, J. et al. (eds) Cetacian societies: field studies of dolphins and whales, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, pp. 91–126.Google Scholar
Evans, P.G.H. (1980) Cetaceans in British waters. Mammal Review 10, 1–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, P.G.H. (1990) Whales dolphins and porpoises. The Order Cetacea. In Harris, S. and Corbet, G.B. (eds) The handbook of British mammals, Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 299–235.Google Scholar
Evans, P.G.H. (1992) Status review of cetaceans in British and Irish waters. Oxford: UK Mammal Society Cetacean Group.Google Scholar
Evans, P.G.H., Anderwald, P. and Baines, M.E. (1987) UK Cetacean Status Review. Report to English Nature and Countryside Council for Wales pp. 160. Oxford: Sea Watch Foundation.Google Scholar
Fraser, F.C. (1934) Report on Cetacea stranded on the British coasts from 1927 to 1932. No. 11. London: British Museum (Natural History).Google Scholar
Fraser, F.C. (1946) Report on Cetacea stranded on the British coasts from 1933 to 1937. No. 12. London: British Museum (Natural History).Google Scholar
Fraser, F.C. (1953) Report on Cetacea stranded on the British coasts from 1938 to 1947. No. 13. London: British Museum (Natural History).Google Scholar
Fraser, F.C. (1974) Report of Cetacea stranded on the British Isles from 1948 to 1966. No. 14. London: British Museum (Natural History).Google Scholar
Hammond, P.S., Berggren, P., Benke, H., Borchers, D.L., Collet, A., Heide-Jørgensen, M.P., Heimlich, S., Hiby, A.R. and Leopold, M.F. (2002) Abundance of harbour porpoise and other cetaceans in the North Sea and adjacent waters. Journal of Applied Ecology 39, 361–376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Härkönen, T.J. (1986) Guide to the otoliths of the bony fishes of the northeast Atlantic. Hellerup: Danbiu ApS.Google Scholar
Harmer, S.F. (1927) Report of Cetacea stranded on the British Isles from 1913 to 1926. No. 10. London: British Museum (Natural History).Google Scholar
ICES (2005) Working group on the assessment of demersal stocks in the North Sea and Skagerrak (WGNSSK). ICES CM 2006/ACFM:09Google Scholar
Katona, S.K., Rough, V. and Richardson, D.T. (1983) A field guild to the whales porpoises and seals of the Gulf of Main and eastern Canada – Cape Cod to Newfoundland. New York: Charles Scriber's.Google Scholar
Kinze, C.C., Addink, M., Smeenk, C., Hartmann, M.G., Richards, H.W., Sonntag, R.P. and Benke, H. (1997) The white-beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) and the white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) in the North and Baltic Seas: review of available information. Report of the International Whaling Commision 47, 675–681.Google Scholar
MacLeod, C.D., Bannon, S.M., Pierce, G.J., Schweder, C., Learmonth, J.A., Reid, R.J. and Herman, J.S. (2005) Climate change and the cetacean community of northwest Scotland. Biological Conservation 124, 477–483.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCullagh, P. and Nelder, J. (1989) Generalized linear models. New York: Chapman & Hall.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Möller, L.M., Beheragaray, L.B., Krützen, M. and Harcourt, R.G. (2001) Alliance membership and kinship in wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) off south-east Australia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 268, 1941–1947.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Northridge, S., Tasker, M., Webb, A., Camphuysen, K. and Leopold, M. (1997) White-beaked Lagenorhynchus albirostris and Atlantic white-sided dolphin L. acutus in Northwest European and US North Atlantic waters. Report of the International Whaling Commision 47, 797–805.Google Scholar
Northridge, S.P., Tasker, M.L., Webb, A. and Williams, J.M. (1995) Distribution and relative abundance of harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena L.), white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchu alnirostris Gray) and minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacepède) around the British Isles. ICES Journal of Marine Science 52, 55–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reeves, R., Smeenk, C., Kinze, C.C., Brownell, R.L. Jr and Lien, J. (1999) White-beaked dolphn Lagenorhynchus albirostris, Gray 1846. In Handbook of marine mammals vol. 6, pp. 1–30. Academic Press.Google Scholar
Reid, J.B., Evans, P.G.H. and Northridge, S.P., ed. (2003) Atlas of cetacean distribution in north-west European waters. Peterborough: Joint Nature Conservation Committee.Google Scholar
Santos, M.B., Pierce, G.J., Learmonth, J.A., Reid, R.J., Ross, H.M., Patterson, I.A.P., Reid, D.G. and Beare, D. (2004) Variability in the diet of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in Scottish waters 1992–2003. Marine Mammal Science 20, 1–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott, M.D., Wells, R.S. and Irvine, A.B. (1990) A long term study of bottlenose dolphins on the west coast of Florida. In Leatherwood, S. and Reeves, R.R. (eds), The bottlenose dolphin San Diego: Academic Press Inc, pp. 235–244.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sheldrick, M.C. (1989) Stranded whale records for the entire British coastline 1967–1986. Investigations on Cetacea XXII, 298–329.Google Scholar
Sheldrick, M.C., Chimonides, P.J., Muir, A.I., George, J.D., Reid, R.J., Kuiken, T., Iskjare-Ackley, C. and Kitchener, A. (1994) Stranded cetacean records for England Scotland and Wales 1987–1992. Investigations on Cetacea XXV, 259–283.Google Scholar
Tollit, D.J., Steward, J.M., Thompson, P.M., Pierce, G.J., Santos, M.B. and Highes, S. (1997) Species and size differences in digestion of otoliths and beaks; implications for estimates of pinniped diet composition. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 54, 105–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tomlin, A.G. (1967) Mammals of the U.S.S.R. and adjacent countries. In Heptner, V.G. (ed.) Cetacea, vol. IX Moscow: Nauk USSR.Google Scholar
Watt, J.G., Pierce, G.J. and Boyle, P.R. (1997) Guide to the identification of North Sea fish using premaxillae and vertebrae 1997. Co-operative Research Report no. 220. Copenhagen: International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.Google Scholar
Weir, C.A., Stockin, K.A. and Pierce, G.J. (2007) Seasonal occurrence of the harbour porpoise white-beaked dolphin and minke whale in coastal Aberdeenshire (UK) waters western North Sea. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 87, 327–338.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wells, R.S. (1991) The role of long-term study in understanding the social structure of a bottlenose dolphin community. In Pryor, K. and Norris, K.S. (eds) Dolphin societies discoveries and puzzles. Berkley: University of California Press, pp. 199–226.Google Scholar
Wells, R.S., Irvine, A.B. and Scott, M.D. (1980) The social ecology of inshore odontocetes. In Herman, L.M. (ed.) Cetacean behaviour: mechanisms and functions, New York: John Wiley and Sons, pp. 263–317.Google Scholar
Wilson, B., Thompson, P.M. and Hammond, P.S. (1997) Habitat use by bottlenose dolphins: seasonal distribution and stratified movement patterns in the Moray Firth, Scotland. Journal of Applied Ecology 34, 1365–1374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar