The following article will be appearing in Marine Mammal Science (I can provide
a pdf on request):
Courbis, S. and G. Timmel. 2008. Effects of vessels and swimmers on behavior of
Hawaiian spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) in Kealakeakua, Honaunau,
and Kauhako Bays, Hawaii.
Studies of the influence of boat traffic on small cetaceans have shown
that the animals exhibit behavioral responses, including changes in swimming
speed, diving and aerial behavior, vocalization patterns, and movement patterns
(e.g., Au and Perryman 1982; Janik and Thompson 1996; Constantine et al. 2004;
Delfour 2007). Janik and Thompson (1996) cautioned that such disruptions could
cause longer-term changes in behavior, ecology, or status of a population,
including avoidance of certain areas or increases in mortality rates. In some
cases, injury or death of dolphins (Stone and Yoshinaga 2000) and injury or
death of humans (Shane et al. 1993; Santos 1997) have been reported. Recent
studies have begun to discover dolphin avoidance of high traffic areas (Lusseau
2004, 2005; Bejder et al. 2006a).
Concerns have been raised about the effects of vessel and swimmer traffic
on spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) resting in Hawaiian bays (Lammers
2004, Delfour 2007). Vessel and swimmer traffic in Kealakeakua and other
Hawaiian bays has increased (Östman-Lind et al. 2004, Delfour 2007) since the
original studies of Ken Norris and his colleagues (Norris and Dohl 1980; Norris
et al. 1985, 1994). Spinner dolphins in the bays attract people, and dolphin
disturbance as a result of increased swimmer and boat traffic needs to be
assessed. Spinner dolphins use Hawaiian bays as havens in which to rest during
the day (Norris et al. 1994), so disturbance by vessels and swimmers may affect
their activity budgets and fitness. Concerns regarding dolphin disturbance have
caused NOAA Fisheries to propose new regulations for interaction with Hawaiian
spinner dolphins (Department of Commerce 2005, 2006). In response to these
concerns, the purpose of our study was to document behavior of Hawaiian spinner
dolphins in three bays with respect to vessel and swimmer traffic.
Sarah Courbis
Ph.D. Candidate
Portland State University
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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