Abundance and residency patterns of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in freshwater-influenced estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

1. Multiple stressors are affecting common bottlenose dolphins in the northern Gulf of Mexico, including two embayments in Alabama, Mobile Bay (MOB) and Perdido Bay (PER), where no comprehensive abundance estimates and residency data are currently available.

2. This study provides the first seasonal abundance estimates and residency patterns for bottlenose dolphins in MOB and PER and discusses the effects of seasonal entry of large volumes of freshwater on dolphin abundance.

3. In MOB, abundance estimates were larger in summer, with the highest abundance recorded in summer 2022 (1,712 dolphins, 95% CI: 1,520-1,928) and the lowest in winter 2019-20 (518 dolphins, 95% CI: 260-1,032). The opposite pattern was found in PER, where abundances were larger in winter, with the highest abundance in winter 2021-22 (191 dolphins, 95% CI: 157-232) and the lowest in summer 2020 (100 dolphins, 95% CI: 81-122).

4. Stronger residency patterns were found in PER, with 28% (n = 52) encountered in more than three seasons compared to MOB where only 9% (n = 57) were encountered in more than three seasons.

5. The two studied embayments support a larger number of dolphins than previously documented and likely provide seasonally different resources, indicating high and potentially complex use of these estuaries. Combined with other data concurrently collected in this area, this study will inform conservation management and strategies for these highly impacted dolphin stocks.

Purpose

The goal of this study is to inform understanding of abundance and residency patterns of bottlenose dolphin populations in Alabama waters that are needed for understanding local ecosystem functions as well as management and conservation actions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA; 50 CFR 216). To estimate abundance and define residency patterns for bottlenose dolphins in Alabama waters, we conducted dedicated seasonal capture-mark-recapture (CMR) photo-identification (photo-ID) surveys across three years (three summer and three winter seasons). Surveys were conducted in two adjacent estuaries, Mobile Bay and Perdido Bay, to address the crucial lack of information on abundance and demographic parameters for bottlenose dolphins in the region. We also discussed the relevance of established methods (i.e., Pollock’s Robust Design models and standardised CMR photo-ID surveys) in these two embayments with very different characteristics, such as embayment size, level of openness and connectedness with adjacent coastal waters, and volumes of freshwater discharge that affect salinity regimes through time.

DOI: 10.57778/fsqw-pj98

Suggested Citation

Bouveroux, T., Sinclair, C., Barry, K., Clance, L., Hansen, J., Mullin, K., Rosel, P., & Carmichael, R. (2024). Abundance and residency patterns of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in freshwater-influenced estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico (Version 0.1) [Data set]. Dauphin Island Sea Lab. https://doi.org/10.57778/FSQW-PJ98

Related Publication Citation

Adams, J.D., Speakman, T., Zolman, E., Schwacke, L.H., 2006. Automating image matching, cataloging, and analysis for photo-identification research. Aquatic Mammals 32, 374–384. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.32.3.2006.374

Alexander, R., Smith, R., Schwarz, G., Preston, S., Brakebill, J., Srinivasan, R., Pacheco, P.A., 2001. Atmospheric Nitrogen flux from the watersheds of major estuaries of the Unites States: An application of the SPARROW watershed model. In: Valigura, R.A., Alexander, R., Castro, M., Meyers, T., Paerl, H., Stacey, P.E., turner, E., editors. Nitrogen loading in Coastal Water Bodies: An Atmospheric Perspective. Coastal and Estuarine Studies. Washington DC: American Geophysical Union. 119–170.

Ballance, L.T., 1992. Habitat use patterns and ranges of the bottlenose dolphin in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Marine Mammal Science 8, 262–274. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.1992.tb00408.x

Balmer, B.C., Wells, R.S., Nowacek, S.M., Nowacek, D.P., Schwacke, L.H., Mclellan, D.A., Scharf, F.S., Rowles, T.K., Hansen, L.J., Spradlin, T.R., Pabst, D.A., 2008. Seasonal abundance and distribution patterns of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) near St. Joseph Bay, Florida, USA. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 10, 157–167. https://doi.org/10.47536/jcrm.v10i2.650

Balmer, B., Mcdonald, T., Hornsby, F., Allen, J., Barleycorn, A., Clarke, P., Cush, C., Honaker, A., Mchugh, K., Speakman, T., Wells, R., Schwacke, L., 2018. Long-term trends in a northern Gulf of Mexico common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 18, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.47536/jcrm.v18i1.409

Balmer, B., Watwood, S., Quigley, B., Speakman, T., Barry, K., Mullin, K., Rosel, P., Sinclair, C., Zolman, E., Schwacke, L., 2019. Common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) abundance and distribution patterns in St Andrew Bay, Florida, USA. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 29, 486–498. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3001

Balmer, J.E., Ylitalo, G.M., Rowles, T.K., Mullin, K.D., Wells, R.S., Townsend, F.I., Pearce, R. W., Bolton J.L., Zolman, E.S., Balmer, B.C., Schwacke, L.H., 2018. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in blood and blubber of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at three northern Gulf of Mexico sites following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Science of the Total Environment 621, 130-137 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.209.

Baum, J.K., Worm, B., 2009. Cascading top‐down effects of changing oceanic predator abundances. Journal of Animal Ecology 78, 699–714. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2656.2009.01531.x

Beyer, J., Trannum, H.C., Bakke, T., Hodson, P.V., Collier, T.K., 2016. Environmental effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: a review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 110(1): 28–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06. 027 PMID: 27301686

Blaylock, R.A., Hoggard, W., 1994. Preliminary estimates of bottlenose dolphin abundance in southern U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico continental shelf waters. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-SEFSC-356. 10 pp.

Bloodgood, J., Deming, A., Colegrove, K., Russell, M., Díaz Clark, C., Carmichael, R., 2023. Causes of death and pathogen prevalence in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus stranded in Alabama, USA, between 2015 and 2020, following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 155, 87–102. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03746

Bouveroux, T., Tyson, R.B., Nowacek, D.P., 2014. Abundance and site fidelity of bottlenose dolphins in coastal waters near Panama City, Florida. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 14 (1), 37-42.

Bräger, S., 1993. Diurnal and seasonal behavior patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Marine Mammal Science. 9: 434-440.

Burnham, K.P., Anderson, D.R., 2004. Multimodel Inference: Understanding AIC and BIC in Model Selection. Sociological Methods and Research 261–304.

Carmichael, R.H., Graham, W.M., Aven, A., Worthy, G., Howden, S., 2012. Were multiple stressors a ‘perfect storm’ for northern Gulf of Mexico bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in 2011? PLoS ONE 7, e41155. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0041155

Carmichael, R.H., Hodanbosi, M.R., Russell, M.L, Wingers, N.L., 2022. Human influence on bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) strandings in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10: https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.951329

Clance, L., 2022. Site fidelity of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) using

elemental analyses and photo-identification. Theses and Dissertations, University of

South Alabama, pp. 49. Available: https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/theses_diss/49

Cloyed, C.S., Balmer, B.C., Schwacke, L.H., Takeshita, R., Hohn, A., Wells, R.S., Rowles, T.K., Saliki, J.T., Smith, C.R., Tumlin, M.C., Zolman, E.S., Fauquier, D.A., Carmichael, R.H., 2021a. Linking morbillivirus exposure to individual habitat use of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) between geographically different sites. Journal of Animal Ecology 90, 1191–1204. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13446

Cloyed, C.S., Balmer, B.C., Schwacke, L.H., Wells, R.S., Berens McCabe, E.J., Barleycorn, A.A., Allen, J.B., Rowles, T.K., Smith, C.R., Takeshita, R., Townsend, F.I., Tumlin, M.C., Zolman, E.S., Carmichael, R.H., 2021b. Interaction between dietary and habitat niche breadth influences cetacean vulnerability to environmental disturbance. Ecosphere 12, e03759. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3759

Colbert, A.A., Scott, G.I., Fulton, M.H., Wirth, E.F., Daugomah, J.W., Key, P.B., Strozier, E.D., 1999. Investigation of Unusual Mortalities of Bottlenose Dolphins along the Mid-Texas Coastal Bay Ecosystem during 1992 (NOAA Tech Rep NMFS 147).

Colegrove, K., Venn-Watson, S., Litz, J., Kinsel, M., Terio, K., Fougeres, E., Ewing, R., Pabst, D., McLellan, W., Raverty, S., Saliki, J., Fire, S., Rappucci, G., Bowen-Stevens, S., Noble, L., Costidis, A., Barbieri, M., Field, C., Smith, S., Carmichael, R., Chevis, C., Hatchett, W., Shannon, D., Tumlin, M., Lovewell, G., McFee, W., Rowles, T., 2016. Fetal distress and in utero pneumonia in perinatal dolphins during the Northern Gulf of Mexico unusual mortality event. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 119, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02969

Collins, M.K., Carmichael, R.H., Rotstein, D.S., Byrd, J.H., Deming, A.C., 2020. Suspected broadhead arrow injuries in two common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the Alabama Coast. Marine Mammal Science 36, 721–727. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12667

Conn, P.B., Gorgone, A.M., Jugovich, A.R., Byrd, B.L., Hansen, L.J., 2011. Accounting for transients when estimating abundance of bottlenose dolphins in Choctawhatchee Bay, Florida. Journal of Wildlife Management 75, 569–579. https://doi.org/10.1002/jwmg.94

Deming, A.C., Wingers, N.L., Moore, D.P., Rotstein, D., Wells, R.S., Ewing, R., Hodanbosi, M.R., Carmichael, R.H., 2020. Health impacts and recovery from prolonged freshwater exposure in a common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Frontiers in Veterinary Science 7, 235. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00235

Ewing, R.Y., Mase-Guthrie, B., McFee, W., Townsend, F., Manire, C.A., Walsh, M., Borkowski, R., Bossart, G.D., Schaefer, A.M., 2017. Evaluation of serum for pathophysiological effects of prolonged low salinity water exposure in displaced bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Frontiers in Veterinary Science 4, 80. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2017.00080

Fauquier, D., Litz, J., Sanchez, S., Colegrove, K., Schwacke, L., Hart, L., Saliki, J., Smith, C., Goldstein, T., Bowen-Stevens, S., McFee, W., Fougeres, E., Mase-Guthrie, B., Stratton, E., Ewing, R., Venn-Watson, S., Carmichael, R., Clemons-Chevis, C., Hatchett, W., Shannon, D., Shippee, S., Smith, S., Staggs, L., Tumlin, M., Wingers, N., Rowles, T., 2017. Evaluation of morbillivirus exposure in cetaceans from the northern Gulf of Mexico 2010-2014. Endangered Species Research 33, 211–220. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00772

Fazioli, K.L., Hofmann, S., Wells, R.S., 2006. Use of Gulf of Mexico coastal waters by distinct assemblages of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals 32, 212.

Fazioli, K., Mintzer, V., 2020. Short-term Effects of Hurricane Harvey on Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Upper Galveston Bay, TX. Estuaries and Coasts 43, 1013–1031. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00751-y

Fire, S.E., Fauquier, D., Flewelling, L.J., Henry, M., Naar, J., Pierce, R., Wells, R.S., 2007. Brevetoxin exposure in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) associated with Karenia brevis blooms in Sarasota Bay, Florida. Marine Biology 152, 827–834.

Garrison, L.P., Ortega-Ortiz, J., Rappucci, G., 2021. Abundance of Coastal and Continental Shelf Stocks of Common Bottlenose and Atlantic Spotted Dolphins in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: 2017-2018. National Marine Fisheries Service; Southeast Fisheries Science Center (U.S.), pp. 25. https://doi.org/10.25923/3px6-9v48.

Genov, T., Centrih, T., Kotnjek, P., Hace, A., 2019. Behavioural and temporal partitioning of dolphin social groups in the northern Adriatic Sea. Marine Biology 166, 11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-018-3450-8

Greenman, J.T., Mcfee, W.E., 2023. A characterisation of common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) interactions with the commercial shrimp trawl fishery of South Carolina, USA. Journal Of Cetacean Research and Management 14, 69–79. https://doi.org/10.47536/jcrm.v14i1.525

GULF, 2021. G.U.L.F. Alabama Shrimp Summary Action Plan. Audubon Nature Institute Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.).

Hammond, P., 2010. Estimating the abundance of marine mammals, in: Marine Mammal Ecology and Conservation: A Handbook of Techniques. Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 42–67.

Hammond, P.S., Francis, T.B., Heinemann, D., Long, K.J., Moore, J.E., Punt, A.E., Reeves, R.R., Sepúlveda, M., Sigurðsson, G.M., Siple, M.C., Víkingsson, G., Wade, P.R., Williams, R., Zerbini, A.N., 2021. Estimating the Abundance of Marine Mammal Populations. Frontiers in Marine Science 8, 735770. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.735770

Hayes, S., Josephson, E., Maze-Foley, K., Rosel, P.E., McCordic, J., Wallace, J., 2023. U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Marine Mammal Stock Assessments 2022 (NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NE-304).

Hornsby, F., McDonald, T., Balmer, B., Speakman, T., Mullin, K., Rosel, P., Wells, R., Telander, A., Marcy, P., Schwacke, L., 2017. Using salinity to identify common bottlenose dolphin habitat in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, USA. Endangered Species Research 33, 181–192. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00807

Irvine, A.B., Scott, M.D., Wells, R.S., Kaufmann, J.H., 1981. Movements and activities of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, near Sarasota, Florida. Fishery Bulletin 79, 671–688.

Irwin, L.-J., Würsig, B., 2004. A Small Resident Community of Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, in Texas: Monitoring Recommendations. Gulf of Mexico Science 22. https://doi.org/10.18785/goms.2201.02

Kendall, W.L., Pollock, K.H., Brownie, C., 1995. A likelihood‐based approach to capture–recapture estimation of demographic parameters under the robust design. Biometrics 51, 293. https://doi.org/10.2307/2533335

Kendall, W.L., Nichols, J.D., Hines, J.E., 1997. Estimating temporary emigration using capture-recapture data with Pollock’s robust design. Ecology 78, 563–578.

Kim, Ch-Ki, Park, K., 2012. A modelling study of water and salt exchange for a micro-tidal, stratified northern Gulf of MExico estuary. Journal of Marine Systems: 96-97, 103-115

Laake, J.L., 2013. RMark: An R Interface for analysis of capture-recapture data with MARK (AFSC Processed Rep 2013-01). Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Litz, J., Baran, M., Bowen-Stevens, S., Carmichael, R., Colegrove, K., Garrison, L., Fire, S., Fougeres, E., Hardy, R., Holmes, S., Jones, W., Mase-Guthrie, B., Odell, D., Rosel, P., Saliki, J., Shannon, D., Shippee, S., Smith, S., Stratton, E., Tumlin, M., Whitehead, H., Worthy, G., Rowles, T., 2014. Review of historical unusual mortality events (UMEs) in the Gulf of Mexico (1990-2009): providing context for the multi-year northern Gulf of Mexico cetacean UME declared in 2010. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 112, 161–175. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02807

Litz, J.A., Ronje, E.I., Whitehead, H.R., Garrison, L.P., 2019. Updated abundance estimates for common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting West Bay, Texas. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 29, 1959–1970. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3195

Livingston, R.J., 2001. Eutrophication processes in coastal systems: origin and succession of plankton blooms and effects on secondary production in Gulf Coast estuaries, Boca Raton, Fla. ed. CRC Press.

Loesch, H.C., 1976. Shrimp population densities within Mobile Bay. Gulf and Caribbean Research 5. https://doi.org/10.18785/grr.0502.02

Lorenz, C.M., 2015. Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) behaviors in the presence of active and non-active shrimp trawlers in the Mississippi Sound (Honor Thesis). The University of Southern Mississippi.

Maze, K.S., Würsig., B., 1999. Bottlenose dolphins of San Luis Pass, Texas: Occurrence patterns, site fidelity, and habitat use. Aquatic Mammal, 25: 91-103.

McBride-Kebert, S., Toms, C.N., 2021. Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, behavioral response to a record-breaking flood event in Pensacola Bay, Florida. Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens 2, 351–369. https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg2030025

Mcdonald, T.L., Hornsby, F.E., Speakman, T.R., Zolman, E.S., Mullin, K.D., Sinclair, C., Rosel, P.E., Thomas, L., Schwacke, L.H., 2017. Survival, density, and abundance of common bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay (USA) following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Endangered Species Research, 33, 193-209.

Melancon, R.A.S., Lane, S., Speakman, T., Hart, L.B., Sinclair, C., Adams, J., Rosel, P.E., Schwacke, L., 2011. Photo-identification field and laboratory protocols utilizing FinBase version 2. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC‐ 627.

Mullin, K.D., Barry, K., Sinclair, C., Litz, J., Fougeres, E., Mase-Guthrie, B., Ewing, R., Gorgone, A., Adams, J., Tumlin, M., 2007. Common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana: 2007 to mid-2014. NOAA technical memorandum NMFS-SEFSC, 673. http://doi.org/10.7289/V51C1TT8

Mullin, K.D., McDonald, T., Wells, R.S., Balmer, B.C., Speakman, T., Sinclair, C., Zolman, E.S., Hornsby, F., McBride, S.M., Wilkinson, K.A., Schwacke, L.H., 2017. Density, abundance, survival, and ranging patterns of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Mississippi Sound following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. PLoS ONE 12, e0186265. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186265

NOAA NMFS., 2022. Bottlenose dolphin Unusual Mortality Event Along the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Available: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/2019-bottlenose-dolphinunusual-mortality-event-along-northern-gulf.

Orlando, S.P., Klein, C.J., 1989. Characterization of salinity and temperature for Mobile Bay. https://repository.library. noaa.gov/view/noaa/47624.

Otis, D.L., Burnham, K.P., White, G.C., Anderson, D.R., 1978. Statistical inference from capture data on closed animal populations. Wildlife Monographs, 62: 3-135

Pollock, K.H., 1982. A capture-recapture design robust to unequal probability of capture. The Journal of Wildlife Management 46, 752–757.

Pollock, K.H., Nichols, J.D., Brownie, C., Hines, J.E., 1990. Statistical inference for capture–recapture experiments. Wildlife Monographs 107, 3–97.

Powell, J.R., Machernis, A.F., Engleby, L.K., Farmer, N.A., Spradlin, T.R., 2018. Sixteen years later: an updated evaluation of the impacts of chronic human interactions with bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus truncatus) at Panama City, Florida, USA. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 19, 79–93.

PPBEP, 2022. Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan: A Prescription for Healthy Bays. Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program. 220 pages. Available:https://indd.adobe.com/view/c2f4ee73-a2a8-456d-b4bf-75ae16895a87?transition.

PERG, 1998. Perdido ecosystem management strategies: Pensacola, Fla., Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Perdido Ecosystem Restoration Group.

Quintana-Rizzo, E., Wells, R.S., 2001. Resighting and association patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Cedar Keys, Florida: Insights into social organization. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 79: 447-456.

Ridgway, S., Venn-Watson, S., 2010. Effects of fresh and seawater ingestion on osmoregulation in Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Comparative Physiology B 180, 563–576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-009-0439-0

Roberts, K., 2023. Top 10 fastest-growing ports In United States over the last decade. Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenroberts/2023/12/30/top-10-fastest-growing-ports-in-united-states-over-the-last-decade/?sh=2d6825d15e92

Rosel, P.E., Mullin, K.D., Garrison, L., Schwacke, L., Adams, J., Balmer, B., Conn, P., Conroy, M.J., Eguchi, T., Gorgone, A., Hohn, A., Mazzoil, M., Schwarz, C., Sinclair, C., Speakman, T., Urian, K., Vollmer, N., Wade, P., Wells, R., Zolman, E., 2011. Photo-identification capture-mark-recapture techniques for estimating abundance of bay, sound and estuary populations of bottlenose dolphins along the U.S. east coast and Gulf of Mexico: a workshop report. NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SEFSC‐ 621.

Samuels, A., Bejder, L., 2004. Chronic interaction between humans and free-ranging bottlenose dolphins near Panama City Beach, Florida. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 6, 69–77.

Schroeder, W., Dinnel, S., Wiseman, W., 1990. Salinity stratification in a river dominated estuary. Estuaries, 13: 145–154.

Schwacke, L.H., Smith, C.R., Townsend, F.I., Wells, R.S., Hart, L.B., Balmer, B.C., Collier, T.K., De Guise, S., Fry, M.M., Guillette, L.J., Lamb, S.V., Lane, S.M., McFee, W.E., Place, N.J., Tumlin, M.C., Ylitalo, G.M., Zolman, E.S., Rowles, T.K., 2014. Health of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, Following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Environmental Science and Technology. 48, 93–103. https://doi.org/10.1021/es403610f

Schwacke, L.H., Thomas, L., Wells, R.S., McFee, W.E., Hohn, A.A., Mullin, K.D., Zolman, E.S., Quigley, B.M., Rowles, T.K., Schwacke, J.H., 2017. Quantifying injury to common bottlenose dolphins from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill using an age-, sex- and class-structured population model. Endangered Species Research, 33: 265-279. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00777

Schwacke, L.H., Marques, T.A., Booth, C., Balmer, B., Barratclough, A., Colegrove, K., De Guise, S., Garrison, L., Gomez, F., Morey, J., Mullin, K.D., Quigley, B.M., Rosel, P., Rowles, T., Takeshita, R., Thomas, L., Townsend, F., Speakman, T., Wells, R., Zolman, E., Smith, C., 2022. Modeling population effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on a long-lived species. Conservation Biology, e13878. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/ cobi.13878

Shane, S.H., Wells, R.S., Würsig, B., 1986. Ecology, behavior and social organization of the bottlenose dolphin: a review. Marine Mammal Science 2, 34–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.1986.tb00026.x

Shane, S.H., 2004. Residence patterns, group characteristics, and association patterns of bottlenose dolphins near Sanibel Island, Florida. Gulf Mexico Science, 22(1): 1-12.

Smolker, R.A., Richards, A.F., Connor, R.C., Pepper, J.W., 1992. Sex differences in patterns of association among Indian ocean bottlenose dolphins. Behaviour, 123, 38–69.

Speakman, T.R., Lane, S.M., Schwacke, L.H., Fair, P.A., Zolman, E.S., 2010. Mark-recapture estimates of seasonal abundance and survivorship for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) near Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Journal Of Cetacean Research and Management 11, 153–162. https://doi.org/10.47536/jcrm.v11i2.621

Syme, J., Kiszka, J.J., Parra, G.J., 2022. How to define a dolphin “group”? Need for consistency and justification based on objective criteria. Ecology and Evolution, 12, e9513. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9513

Takeshita, R., Sullivan, L., Smith, C., Collier, T., Hall, A., Brosnan, T., Rowles, T., Schwacke, L., 2017. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill marine mammal injury assessment. Endangered Species Research 33, 95–106. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00808

Takeshita, R., Balmer, B.C., Messina, F., Zolman, E.S., Thomas, L, Wells R.S., Smith, C. R., Rowles, T. K., Schwacke, L.H., 2021. High site-fidelity in common bottlenose dolphins despite low salinity exposure and associated indicators of compromised health. PLoS ONE 16(9): e0258031. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258031

Thompson, J.W., Zero, V.H., Schwacke, L.H., Speakman, T.R., Quigley, B.M., Morey, J.S., McDonald, T.L., 2022. finFindR: Automated recognition and identification of marine mammal dorsal fins using residual convolutional neural networks. Marine Mammal Science 38, 139–150. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12849

Toms, C.N., 2019. Filling the gaps: common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population dynamics, structure and connectivity within Florida panhandle bays, sounds, and estuaries. University of Central Florida. Pp 373.

Twiner, M.J., Flewelling, L.J., Fire, S.E., Bowen-Stevens, S.R., Gaydos, J.K., Johnson, C.K., Landsberg, J.H., Leighfield, T.A., Mase-Guthrie, B., Schwacke, L., Van Dolah, F.M., Wang, Z., Rowles, T.K., 2012. Comparative Analysis of Three Brevetoxin-Associated Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Mortality Events in the Florida Panhandle Region (USA). PLoS ONE 7, e42974. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0042974

Tyson, R., Nowacek, S., Nowacek, D., 2011. Community structure and abundance of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in coastal waters of the northeast Gulf of Mexico. Marine Ecology Progress Series 438, 253–265. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09292

Tyson, R.B., Wells, R.S., 2016. Sarasota Bay/Little Sarasota Bay bottlenose dolphin abundance estimates: 2015. Prepared for National Marine Fisheries Service, northern Gulf of Mexico bay, sound, and estuary bottlenose dolphin stock blocks B20 and B35, combined. Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Protected Resources and Biodiversity Division, 75 Virginia Beach Dr., Miami, FL 33140. PRBD Contribution # PRBD-2016-02, 21 pp. Available from: https://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/P_QryLDS/download/PRB84_PRBD-201602.pdf?id=LDS

Tyson, R.B., Urian, K.W., Allen, J.B., Cush, C., Parham, J.R., Blount, D., Holmberg, J., Thompson, J.W., Wells, R.S., 2022. Rise of the Machines: Best Practices and Experimental Evaluation of Computer-Assisted Dorsal Fin Image Matching Systems for Bottlenose Dolphins. Frontiers in Marine Science 9, 849813. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.849813

Urian, K., Gorgone, A., Read, A., Balmer, B., Wells, R.S., Berggren, P., Durban, J., Eguchi, T., Rayment, W., Hammond, P.S., 2015. Recommendations for photo-identification methods used in capture-recapture models with cetaceans. Marine Mammal Science 31, 298–321. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12141

USACE, 2023. Supplemental environmental assessment Mobile Harbor Upper Bay channel widening Mobile County, Alabama Federally authorized project Prepared by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District Planning and Environmental Division Environment and Resources Branch Coastal Environment Team September 2023. 36 pages.

Valentine, J.F., Heck, K., Dardeau, M.R., Burch, H., 2013. Ecosystem-based management of Mobile Bay, Alabama, in: Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota. Texas A & M University Press, College Station, TX, pp. 71–92.

Venables, W.N., Ripley, B.D., 2002. Modern Applied Statistics with S (Fourth Edition). Springer, New York, NY.

Weller, D.W., 1998. Global and regional variation in the biology and behavior of bottlenose dolphins. Ph.D. thesis. Texas A&M University, College Station. 142 pp.

Wells, R.S., Scott, M.D., 1990. Estimating Bottlenose Dolphin Population Parameters From Individual Identification and Capture-Release Techniques. Report of the International Whaling Commission. 12, 407 – 415 (SC/A88/P23)

Wells, R.S., Scott, M.D., Irvine, A.B., 1987. The Social Structure of Free-Ranging Bottlenose Dolphins, in: Genoways, H.H. (Ed.), Current Mammalogy. Plenum Press, New York, New York and London, pp. 247–305. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9909-5_7

Wells, R.S., Rhinehart, H.L., Hansen, L.J., Sweeney, J.C., Townsend, F.I., Stone, R., Casper, D.R., Scott, M.D., Hohn, A.A, Rowles, T.K., 2004. Bottlenose Dolphins as Marine Ecosystem Sentinels: Developing a Health Monitoring System. EcoHealth, 1: 246–254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-004-0094-6

Wilson, B., Hammond, P.S., Thompson, P.M., 1999. Estimating size and assessing trends in a coastal bottlenose dolphin population. Ecological Applications 9, 288–300.

Würsig, B., Jefferson, T., 1990. Methods of photo-identification for small cetaceans. Report of the International Whaling Commission Special Issue, 43–52.

Würsig, B., Würsig, M., 1977. The photographic determination of group size, composition, and stability of coastal porpoises (Tursiops truncatus). Science 755–756.

Xia M., Craig P.M., Wallen C.M., Stoddard A., Mandrup-Poulsen J., Peng M., Schaeffer, B., Liu, Z., 2011. Numerical simulation of salinity and dissolved oxygen at perdido bay and adjacent coastal ocean. Journal of Coastal Research 27 (1), 73–86. doi: 10.2112/JCOASTRES-D-09-00044.1

Yeates, L.C., Houser, D.S., 2008. Thermal tolerance in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 3249–3257. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.020610

Zanardo, N., Parra, G.J., Möller, L.M., 2016. Site fidelity, residency, and abundance of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in Adelaide’s coastal waters, South Australia. Marine Mammal Science 32, 1381–1401. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12335