Abstract
Coastal waters are increasingly exposed to anthropogenic pressures, resulting in the degradation of critical habitats that shape the distribution of marine predators. This study examined drivers of common bottlenose dolphin habitat selection in Mobile Bay (MOB) and Perdido Bay (PER), two urbanized estuaries in southern USA. In MOB, habitat selection was primarily influenced by water temperature and salinity in winter, with dissolved oxygen (DO) having a smaller effect. In summer, spatial features including distance to shore, depth, a key confluence point (Mobile Bay Pass), and ship channel were the strongest predictors. In PER, habitat selection was mainly influenced by pH, salinity, and DO in winter, and by distance to reef, ship channel, and salinity in summer, with distance to gillnet exclusion zones and depth showing moderate effects. Across both systems, dolphins occurred in moderate-to-high salinity waters but also used very low salinity areas. Our results indicate a seasonal transition from physicochemical drivers in winter to spatial and habitat-related factors in summer and suggest that ship channels may function as salinity refuges and prey hotspots, due to water stratification and higher prey availability. This work highlights dolphins’ adjustment to local conditions within dynamic estuarine environments under natural and anthropogenic influences.
Purpose
The objectives of this study are to define habitat selection of common bottlenose dolphins in adjacent embayments that differ in natural environmental attributes and human activity and presence. We identified key dolphin habitats in both bays using kernel density estimates (KDEs) and used resource selection functions (RSFs) to characterize relationships between dolphin distribution and environmental parameters. Comparing across years and seasons between these two embayments allowed us to establish an important baseline for dolphin habitat selection responses to local conditions. The findings offer insights into how natural environmental variables and human-altered habitats affect dolphin habitat use, with local and global implications for conservation and management strategies.
DOI: 10.57778/2K5J-V350
Suggested Citation
Bouveroux, T., Cloyed, C., Sinclair, C., Barry, K., Mullin, K., & Carmichael, R. (2026). Spatial distribution and habitat selection of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) within two estuaries in the southern coastal USA [Data set]. Dauphin Island Sea Lab. https://doi.org/10.57778/2K5J-V350
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