Home range size of adult Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in a coastal and estuarine system is habitat and sex-specific

K.R. Sprogis; H.C. Raudino; R. Rankin; C.D. MacLeod; L. Bejder

doi:10.1111/mms.12260

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Home range size of adult Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in a coastal and estuarine system is habitat and sex-specific

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Home range size of adult Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in a coastal and estuarine system is habitat and sex-specific

K.R. Sprogis, H.C. Raudino, R. Rankin, C.D. MacLeod and L. Bejder

Marine Mammal Science, Vol.32(1), pp.287-308

2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12260

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Abstract

This study examined sex-specific differences in home range size of adult Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins off Bunbury, Western Australia. We applied a new kernel density estimation approach that accounted for physical barriers to movements. A Bayesian mixture model was developed to estimate a sex effect in home range size with latent group partitioning constrained by association data. A post hoc analysis investigated group partitioning relating to the proportion of time spent in open vs. sheltered waters. From 2007 to 2013, photographic-identification data were collected along boat-based systematic transect lines (n = 586). Analyses focused on adult dolphins of known sex (sighted ≥ 30 times; n = 22 males and 34 females). The 95% utilization distributions of males varied between 27 and 187 km2 (inline image; 94.8 ± 48.15) and for females between 20 and 133 km2 (65.6 ± 30.9). The mixture model indicated a 99% probability that males had larger home ranges than females. Dolphins mostly sighted in open waters had larger home ranges than those in sheltered waters. Home ranges of dolphins sighted in sheltered waters overlapped with areas of highest human activity. We suggest that sex differences in home ranges are driven by male mating strategies, and home range size differences between habitats may be influenced by prey availability and predation risk.

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Title: Home range size of adult Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in a coastal and estuarine system is habitat and sex-specific
Authors/Creators: K.R. Sprogis (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
H.C. Raudino (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
R. Rankin (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
C.D. MacLeod (Author/Creator) - GIS In Ecology 120 Churchill Drive Glasgow G11 7EZ United Kingdom
L. Bejder (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
Publication Details: Marine Mammal Science, Vol.32(1), pp.287-308
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
Identifiers: 991005546009507891
Copyright: © 2015 Society for Marine Mammalogy
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.35 Zoology & Animal Ecology; 3.35.796 Marine Mammal Ecology
Web Of Science research areas: Marine & Freshwater Biology; Zoology
ESI research areas: Plant & Animal Science