Model-based abundance estimates for bottlenose dolphins off southern Spain: implications for conservation and management

Abstract

An EU-funded Life project was initiated off southern Spain in 2002, with the objective of developing a Conservation Plan for bottlenose dolphins in the area. Baseline information and monitoring of abundance and distribution is needed to determine if the conservation objectives are met in the long-term. To estimate abundance, 12,568km of non-systematic line transects conducted from 2000 to 2003, with 72 sightings, were analysed using spatial modelling methods. Transects were divided into 4,575 small segments (average 2.8km) with similar values for sightability conditions and environmental variables. The point estimate of bottlenose dolphin abundance in the area was 584 dolphins (95% CI=278-744). The same method was applied to investigate changes in abundance since 1992 in the eastern section of the research area, where most dolphins were concentrated, stratifying by three groups of years. Point estimates were 111 dolphins for 1992-97, 537 for 1998-2000 and 279 for 2001-03. The higher abundance between 1998 and 2000 corresponded with the observation of an ‘immigrant’ group of dolphins in these years. These results highlight the importance of long-term studies to understand natural variation in abundance in a specific area subject to conservation activities.