A world first sex-based dolphin study in Bunbury has revealed insights into the abundance and movement patterns of bottlenose dolphins.
Dr Kate Sprogis, from Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit (MUCRU), used data drawn from seven years of research on Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins off Bunbury to establish the abundance, movement patterns and survival rates.
Dr Sprogis said it’s difficult to tell the difference between male and female bottlenose dolphins in the wild and the difficulty is why sex-based studies on abundance have been lacking.
“We are fortunate in Bunbury to have a long term study of the dolphin population where we have established the sex of several individuals through molecular analyses and by monitoring calving,” she said.
“We now know that the abundance for both males and females fluctuates seasonally within our 540 kilometer square study area.”
Dr Sprogis said this knowledge about a coastal dolphin population is vital for wildlife populations and species of conservation concern.
The study, which was published by Frontiers in Marine Science, formed part of Dr Sprogis’s PhD research.
