Dear MARMAM subscribers,
We are pleased to announce the publication of a new paper about the population
parameters of short-finned pilot whales:
Alves, F., Dinis, A., Nicolau, C., Ribeiro, C., Kaufmann, M., Fortuna, C. and
Freitas, L. (2014), Survival and abundance of short-finned pilot whales in the
archipelago of Madeira, NE Atlantic. Marine Mammal Science. doi:
10.1111/mms.12137
Abstract
Estimates of population parameters for the short-finned pilot whale,
Globicephala macrorhynchus, are scarce in literature, contributing to an
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) status of Data Deficient.
In this study, photo-identification data collected over 7 yr from Madeira were
used to estimate for the first time survivorship, capture probability, and
abundance in this species using mark-recapture methodology. The
Cormack-Jolly-Seber model estimated that the adult island-associated (i.e.,
resident and regular visitor) whales had a constant survival rate of 0.960 (95%
CI: 0.853–0.990) and an annual capture probability varying between 0.372 (CI:
0.178–0.619) and 0.843 (CI: 0.619–0.947). A parameterization of the Jolly-Seber
model estimated that 140 island-associated whales (CI: 131–151) used the area
throughout the course of the study. Based on a closed population model, the
most precise (lower CV) annual estimate of the total
number of pilot whales using the southern and eastern waters of Madeira (~900
km2) in a 3 mo period covering summer/autumn was 334 animals (CI: 260–437). No
trend was observed. Despite including biases, the approach used in this study
provided plausible estimates of population parameters, which can contribute to
the regional conservation strategies.
a PDF can be downloaded at:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mms.12137/pdf
or request it by email: filal...@rocketmail.com
Regards,
Filipe Alves
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