Estimates of abundance and trend on a Blue Whale feeding ground off Isla de Chiloé, Chile

Since 1970, blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) have been seen feeding in the waters off southern Chile during the summer and autumn (December to May). Investigation of the genetic, acoustic and morphological characteristics of these blue whales shows that they are a distinct but unnamed subspecies, called the Chilean blue whales. Photo-identification surveys have been conducted in the waters off northwestern Isla Grande de Chiloé, southern Chile from 2004–2012 and Isla Chañaral, central Chile in 2012. Over this time, 1,070 blue whales were encountered yielding, after photo-quality control, 318 and 267 unique photographs of the left and right side of the flank respectively. Using mark-recapture analysis of left and right side photographs collected from Isla Grande de Chiloé (2004–2012), open population models estimate that ~570–760 whales are feeding seasonally in this region. POPAN superpopulation abundance estimates for the same feeding ground in 2012 are 762 (95% confidence intervals, CI = 638–933) and 570 (95% CI 475–705) for left and right side datasets respectively, very similar to results from closed population models. Estimates of trend revealed strong variation in abundance, peaking in 2009 and [suggesting] fluctuating use in the survey area over time, likely related to the density of their prey. High inter-annual return rates suggest a degree of site-fidelity of individuals to Isla Grande de Chiloé and that the number of whales using this feeding ground is relatively small

Les déterminants environnementaux de la survie et la démographie des caribous migrateurs

Dans le contexte des changements climatiques et du développement anthropique, les populations sauvages sont soumises à une pression de plus en plus forte, compromettant leur maintien ou leur rétablissement. Le devenir de nombreuses populations est aujourd'hui incertain. La mise en place de stratégies de gestion efficaces de ces populations nécessite une connaissance fiable des paramètres démographiques, de leur contribution aux changements du taux de croissance, et de leurs facteurs. Dans le Nord, la majorité des troupeaux de caribous et de rennes sont en déclin. Les troupeaux de caribous migrateurs Rivière-aux-Feuilles (TRAF) et Rivière-George (TRG), dans le nord du Québec et au Labrador ne font pas exception. Leur déclin drastique ces 30 dernières années met en péril le fonctionnement des écosystèmes nordiques, la sécurité alimentaire des communautés autochtones ainsi que la transmission de leur culture. Dans la première section de ma thèse, je me suis intéressée à la survie des femelles adultes et des juvéniles en cherchant à produire des estimés fiables de ces paramètres et à identifier les facteurs environnementaux impliqués. Ces données sont par la suite exploitées dans la deuxième section de ma thèse pour la reconstitution de la dynamique de population passée des troupeaux. J'ai également tenté de prédire la capacité de rétablissement des troupeaux sous différents scénarios pessimiste, réaliste et optimiste des fluctuations des paramètres démographiques combinés à plusieurs simulations de prélèvements par la chasse. Mes travaux suggèrent que le déclin du TRAF serait contemporain à celui du TRG au début des années 1990. Les survies des femelles adultes et des faons étaient les principaux déterminants des changements dans le taux de croissance des troupeaux. La survie annuelle des femelles adultes était très stable pour le TRAF alors qu'elle était hautement variable pour le TRG, ce qui expliquerait le déclin plus rapide de ce dernier. Chez les deux troupeaux, les survies annuelles et saisonnières des femelles adultes étaient affectées par les conditions environnementales associées à la disponibilité des ressources et des conditions météorologiques au cours des saisons biologiques. Les résultats confirmaient des effets immédiats, reportés, directs et indirects des conditions environnementales saisonnières sur la survie des femelles adultes. Les conditions favorisant une augmentation des coûts de déplacement ou une réduction de l'accès aux ressources diminuaient la probabilité de survie. La survie des faons jusqu'au recrutement était très variable ce qui expliquait sa forte contribution aux changements dans le taux de croissance. La survie des faons avant sevrage semblait plus stable d'une année à l'autre et était principalement déterminée par la date de naissance et les précipitations moyennes journalières rencontrées au cours de la saison de mise bas. Mes résultats suggèrent enfin qu'un rétablissement des troupeaux serait possible sous réserve d'une amélioration de la survie de toutes les classes d'âge et du taux de gestation. Des prélèvements élevés pourraient aussi limiter le potentiel de reprise de croissance des troupeaux même avec des taux démographiques élevés. Les différences observées entre les troupeaux concernant les facteurs de la survie et la contribution des paramètres démographiques au déclin soulignent le besoin d'une gestion séparée des troupeaux. Mes travaux sont parmi les premiers à présenter les variations saisonnières de la survie des femelles adultes chez le caribou. Pour les deux troupeaux migrateurs, ils fournissent les premiers estimés de la survie juvénile annuelle et de ses variations intra-annuelles. Ma thèse offre aussi une compréhension plus fine de la dynamique de population passée. Elle propose des approches technologiques et de modélisation modernes permettant d'améliorer notre analyse des paramètres démographiques et de la dynamique de population, adaptables à d'autres espèces. Les approches intégrées flexibles et évolutives soutiennent le développement d'une gestion dynamique et adaptative indispensable dans le contexte des changements climatiques et du développement anthropique.In the context of climate change and anthropogenic development, wild populations are under increasing pressure, compromising their maintenance or recovery. The future of many populations is now uncertain. The implementation of effective management strategies for these populations requires a reliable knowledge of demographic parameters, their contribution to changes in the growth rate, and their drivers. In the North, most caribou and reindeer populations are in decline. The Rivière-aux-Feuilles (RAF) and Rivière-George (RG) migratory caribou herds in northern Québec and Labrador are no exception. Their drastic decline over the last 30 years is jeopardizing the functioning of northern ecosystems, the food security of indigenous communities and the transmission of their culture. In the first section of my thesis, I focused on the survival of adult females and juveniles, trying to produce reliable estimates of these parameters and to identify their environmental factors. These data are then used in the second section of my thesis to reconstruct the past population dynamics of the herds. I also attempted to predict the recovery capacity of the herds under different pessimistic, realistic and optimistic scenarios of fluctuations in demographic parameters combined with several simulations of harvest rates. My work suggests that the decline of the RAF was contemporaneous with the decline of the RG in the early 1990s. Survival of adult females and calves were the primary determinants of changes in herd growth rates. Annual survival of adult females was very stable for the RAF while it was highly variable for the RG, which would explain the more rapid decline of the latter. In both herds, annual and seasonal survival of adult females was affected by environmental conditions associated with resource availability and weather conditions during the biological seasons. Results confirmed immediate, delayed, direct and indirect effects of seasonal environmental conditions on adult female survival. Conditions that increased travel costs or reduced access to resources decreased the probability of survival. Calf survival to recruitment was highly variable and thus contributed strongly to changes in the growth rate. Pre-weaning calf survival appeared to be more stable between years and was primarily determined by the birth date and average daily precipitations during the calving season. Finally, my results suggest that herd recovery may be possible provided that survival of all age classes and pregnancy rates improve. High harvest rates may also limit the potential for herds to recover even under high demographic rates. The differences between herds in survival factors and the contribution of demographic parameters to decline highlight the need for separate herd management. My work is among the first to assess seasonal variations in survival of adult females in caribou. For both migratory herds, it provides the first estimates of annual juvenile survival and its intra-annual variations. My thesis also provides a more detailed understanding of past population dynamics. It proposes modern technological and modeling approaches to improve our analysis of demographic parameters and population dynamics, adaptable to other species. Flexible and evolutionary integrated approaches support the development of dynamic and adaptive management essential in the context of climate change and anthropogenic development

Ecology of Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) in the coastal waters of British Columbia, Canada

The ecology of Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) in the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia (BC), Canada was explored through photo-identification, mark- recapture, acoustics, and sociality studies. New population parameters were estimated from photo-ID data for the first time in this species. Abundance was highly variable, ranging from 546 (95% CI: 293-1,018) to 2,889 (95% CI: 1,424-5,863), after accounting for the proportion (0.57; 95% CI: 0.55 - 0.60) of marked dolphins. A “match uncertainty” analysis showed that less strict matching criteria caused negative bias in abundance estimates and an apparent improvement in precision. Estimates of survival rate ranged from 0.907 (SE=0.03) to 0.989 (SE= 0.066). Robust design analyses revealed random temporary emigration movement at 0.14 (SE=0.318) annually and no movement seasonally. The study revealed new evidence for philopatry and sociality: some individuals were resighted over 19-year periods, and associated pairs more than a decade apart. Evidence was found for a high degree of sociality. The mean proportion of calves was estimated as 0.0597 (SE=0.0083, 95% CI: 0.045-0.079) per capita, translating to an average probability of pregnancy in adult females of 0.238 (95% CI: 0.180- 0.316) and an average interbirth interval of 4.2 years. Approximately 3.9% of dolphins bore injuries from killer whales, but only 0.5% showed evidence of interactions with fishing gear or propellers. Acoustic evidence for population structure was equivocal, but warrants additional, targeted research. Population viability analysis predicted an average rate of annual decline of - 0.122 (95% CI: -0.143 to -0.101), given a range of input values in a sensitivity test, over the next 50 years

Sex-specific patterns in abundance, home ranges and habitat use of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in south-western Australia

This thesis explores sex-specific patterns in population abundance, demographic parameters, home range size and habitat use by Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) off Bunbury, Western Australia. Photographic-identification data were collected year round between 2007-2013 through systematic boat-based surveys along pre-determined transect lines within a 540 km2 study area consisting of open coastal waters and sheltered waters. Chapter one provides background and outlines the specific aims of the thesis. In Chapter two, I estimated sex-specific population parameters of abundance, movement and survival using Pollock’s Robust Design. The estimated number of dolphins in the study area was seasonally dependent, and for identifiable adult males ranged from 24 (± 5.73 SE) to 50 (± 5.48 SE) and for identifiable adult females from 28 (± 2.99 SE) to 60 (± 2.38 SE). The lowest abundance estimates coincided with both the strongest phase of an El Niño event and an unparalleled peak in dolphins temporarily emigrating out of the study area. In Chapter three, I explored sex-specific differences in home range size using a new approach for kernel density estimation that accounts for physical barriers to movements. A Bayesian mixture model indicated a 99% probability that adult males have larger home ranges than females (adult males 27-187 km2 and adult females 20-133 km2), and that dolphins sighted primarily in open waters have larger home ranges than those residing in sheltered waters. In Chapter four, I used kernel density analyses and generalised additive models to explore seasonal space use and elucidate biotic and abiotic variables that influence seasonal habitat use differences between the sexes. I documented differing variables influencing habitat use between sexes and seasons, high use areas within the bay during summer, movements offshore and a concentration of females in the estuary during winter. I discuss factors that may explain the documented sex-specific differences in abundance, demographic parameters, home ranges and habitat use, including intrinsic (social dynamics, dolphin biology) and extrinsic (prey availability, predation risk, environmental variability) factors. My research emphasises the value and importance of a sex-specific approach when studying the behavioural ecology of coastal delphinids

Analysis and Geovisualisation of Hector’s Dolphin Abundance and Distribution Patterns in Space and Time

While Hector’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectorii) has been the topic of many research projects within the first Marine Mammal Sanctuary in New Zealand, few long-term analytical abundance and distribution projects in other population strongholds have been conducted. The primary purpose of this thesis project was to test quantitative observations that suggested that this unprotected population of Hector’s dolphin at Te Waewae Bay, on the south coast of the South Island, New Zealand, may be in decline and utilises non-continuous portions of the coastline. Seasonal patterns of distribution and density were extracted from a rich data set collected over 24 consecutive months that provided fine-scale data of encounters with dolphins along four preplanned transects that followed the concave nature of the bay. Monthly data were binned into seasons producing eight seasons of data over the two years. Survey results revealed that Hector’s dolphin in warmer seasons were found in greater densities closer to shore and that in the cooler seasons the range extended outward and across more offshore areas. Individual seasons did not have as strong a pattern as the complete two year data set that indicated hotspots of higher densities of dolphins in the vicinity of freshwater inputs into Te Waewae Bay. To explore individual spatio-temporal movement patterns and how the individual patterns relate to group spatio-temporal patterns, 58 individual Hector’s dolphin movements were extracted from geo-tagged photographic data and then analysed. Visual analysis of movement patterns of individual dolphins were found to vary dramatically, having distribution patterns that exhibited a high degree of site fidelity. Most notable were the twenty one dolphins that remained in relatively small areas on either the east (ten dolphins) or west (eleven dolphins) halves of the bay. This evidence of strong site fidelity may suggest partitioning along as yet unidentified social or environmental parameters. Abundance estimates were calculated from mark-recapture photographic identifications. Calculations using Pollock’s Robust Design were limited to seasonal estimates of the total population of Hector’s dolphins, which ranged from the low in winter 2005 of 380 (CV=13%; 95% CI, 300-500) to the high in summer 2005/2006 of 580 (CV=9%; 95% CI, 480-700). The estimates from these eight seasons correspond to the numbers of dolphins that utilise the bay as their primary homerange and indicate that the population is not yet in a critical decline. However, caution is urged in interpretation because two years of field data is insufficient to calculate robust survival or reproduction rates for such a long lived species. To examine whether statistically quantifiable relationships exist between environmental variables and dolphin distribution patterns, both global (ordinary least squares; OLS) and local regression (geographically weighted regression; GWR) modelling techniques were applied. The local model was a spatially explicit model. The GWR model outperformed the OLS model, revealing statistically significant hotspots directly related to the amount of rain falling four days prior to the surveys being conducted as well as to distance from the main source of freshwater in the bay. The outcomes from this thesis offer a robust baseline of information regarding the population of Hector’s dolphin in Te Waewae Bay, such that management will have the capacity to monitor long term changes in abundance and distribution. This thesis findings have suggested that freshwater input may play a crucial role in Hector’s dolphin distribution in Te Waewae Bay, which when added to previous research results indicating the importance of oceanic frontal zones, water clarity, and depth, suggests that the picture of habitat requirements for Hector’s dolphin is becoming less obscure

Déterminants comportementaux de l'expansion de l'aire de répartition d'une population de bisons

Ma thèse visait à identifier des mécanismes comportementaux permettant d’expliquer les décisions durant l’approvisionnement des animaux, de même que leur répartition spatiale. J’ai construit des modèles de sélection de parcelles d’alimentation testant l’influence de la mémoire de l’expérience passée, de la dynamique de groupe et de la densité de la population sur la décision d’un animal de revenir dans des sites d’alimentation déjà visités ou d’explorer de nouveaux sites. Mes analyses sont basées sur des données de déplacements de bisons (Bison bison) sauvages et sur leur taux de prise d’énergie dans des prairies naturelles. Les bisons choisissaient les prairies sur la base de leur connectivité, leur distance, leur taille et la profitabilité (c.-à-d., taux instantané potentiel d’acquisition d’énergie digestible) de la végétation qu’elles offrent. La probabilité de choisir une prairie déjà visitée augmentait : 1) après avoir visité une prairie ayant une profitabilité plus faible que les autres récemment visitées, 2) lorsque les autres membres du groupe l’avaient déjà visitée, et 3) lorsque la densité de population était relativement faible. Les décisions prises par les bisons avaient une valeur adaptative puisqu’elles aboutissent à l’utilisation de prairies plus profitables. J’ai également identifié les patrons d’utilisation de l’espace qui émergent de ces comportements en examinant la dynamique temporelle de l’utilisation de l’espace par des individus simulés et des vrais bisons. L’utilisation de l’expérience passée lors du choix de parcelles par des individus simulés entraînait une restriction de la répartition de la population dans les environnements virtuels. De la même façon, l’aire utilisée par chaque bison en milieu naturel et par l’ensemble des membres de la population était plus petite lorsque les animaux choisissaient plus fortement des prairies déjà visitées. Mes résultats démontrent que l’influence de la fidélité au site sur la répartition des animaux peut être aussi importante, voire plus importante, que la simple recherche des parcelles les plus profitables de l’environnement. En conséquence, les efforts visant à prévoir la répartition animale doivent prendre en compte le comportement de fidélité au site basé sur l’expérience passée des animaux, leur comportement social et l’influence de la densité des individus sur ces comportements.In this thesis, I develop a mechanistic understanding of patch-scale foraging behavior and its effects on animal distribution. I build patch selection models to test how past experience, group dynamics, and population density influence an animal’s decision to return to previously visited sites or explore. I parameterized models using an extensive data set on the movements of wild bison (Bison bison) and their expected mean intake rate of digestible energy of meadows within their range. Bison chose previously visited meadows more often than random while taking into account connectivity, distance, profitability, and size of available meadows. The probability of choosing a previously visited meadow also increased: 1) after visiting a meadow with a lower profitability than recent past experience, 2) when other group members also had previously visited the meadow, and 3) with decreasing population density. I also demonstrate that the decisions bison made had adaptive value as they resulted in the use of more profitable meadows than available options. Finally, I illustrate the emergent space use patterns of these behaviors by using simulation and by examining temporal dynamics in the space use of bison. In comparison to random movement, using memory to incorporate past experience into patch choice decisions resulted in restricted population distribution in simulated landscapes. Likewise, for bison, the area of space used by individuals and the population was smaller when individuals more strongly chose previously visited meadows. My findings suggest that site fidelity behavior is a strong evolutionary force shaping animal distribution. I conclude that efforts to forecast animal distribution, including range dynamics, must take into account site fidelity behavior based on an animal’s past experience as well as its interaction with memory, sociality, and density-dependent processes. This study provides a novel link between memory capabilities of animals, foraging ecology, sociality, density-dependence, and animal distribution

Distribution, social structure and habitat use of short-finned pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus, in the Canary Islands

The Canary Archipelago is considered one of the planet’s biodiversity hotspots and the short-finned pilot whale is a key species in need of conservation measures. To address a lack of knowledge, almost 2,000 day-surveys were conducted (1999-2012) resulting in 1,094 short-finned pilot whale sightings. The species was recorded year-round and distributed non-uniformly around the archipelago, with greater densities concentrated in patchy areas mainly on the leeward side of the main islands. A total of 1,320 well-marked individuals were identified, which exhibited a large degree of variability in site fidelity (from core residents to transients). Evidence of an island-associated sub-population and a transient one was found. Longitudinal data were used to infer population structure and estimate abundance, while a spatial modelling approach was used to study spatio-temporal patterns in habitat use, distribution and abundance. Spatial modelling revealed habitat preferences in areas between depths of 1000m and 1500m, and higher densities in the south-west of Tenerife and La Gomera (117 short-finned pilot whales recaptured within the two islands). Abundance of 1,980 individuals (CV = 0.33, 95% CI=1,442 – 2,324) was estimated for the entire archipelago, with higher density predicted during the summer months. Mark-recapture analysis estimated 636 resident individuals (CV = 0.028, 95% CI=602 - 671) in the southwest waters of Tenerife between 2007 and 2009. The social and temporal analyses of the behavioural relationships between pairs of individuals revealed a well-differentiated society with long-lasting and non-random social structure built of constant companions. A hierarchical social system is proposed composed of a population encompassing several clans of pilot whales, each one containing several pods. Nine long-term units were identified with a high degree of association (0.62 - 0.83). This study, the first to provide combined results on distribution, habitat use, and social structure of the species, provides essential information towards the development of recommendations for much needed conservation measures

Ecologia populacinal da Baleia-Jubarte (Megaptera Novaeangliae Borowski, 1871) em sua área reprodutiva na Costa do Brasil, Oceano Atlântico Sul.

Orientador : Prof. Dr. Paulo César Simões-LopesTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia. Defesa: Curitiba, 30/06/2011Bibliografia: fls. 131-144Area de concentração: ZoologiaResumo: A baleia-jubarte (Megaptera novaeangliae) é uma espécie migratória anual, que reproduz em regiões tropicais no inverno, e se alimenta em mares produtivos de altas latitudes no verão. Sua população mundial foi reduzida pela caça comercial que aconteceu principalmente na primeira metade do século passado a pequenas frações das populações originais. Um dos estoques reprodutivos do Hemisfério Sul usa as águas quentes e rasas da costa leste e nordeste do Brasil para reprodução, principalmente entre julho e novembro. Com intuito de investigar a demografia e uso espacial deste estoque reprodutivo, a baleia-jubarte foi estudada dentro de um projeto de monitoramento populacional em longo prazo utilizando duas plataformas principais de pesquisa: levantamentos aéreos (entre 2001 e 2008) e cruzeiros sistemáticos de embarcação (entre 1989 e 2008). Esta espécie ocorreu ao longo de praticamente toda a área de estudo, entre as costas dos Estados do Rio Grande do Norte e Rio de Janeiro, mas concentrando-se entre as latitudes entre 10 e 20°S. As baleias-jubarte se concentraram num banco raso e com uma ampla plataforma continental, denominado de Banco dos Abrolhos (extremo sul do Estado da Bahia e norte do Estado do Espírito Santo). Dentro deste banco, as baleias-jubarte usaram intensivamente as regiões ao redor do maior complexo recifal do Oceano Atlântico Sul. Aspectos físicos do habitat como profundidade média, largura da plataforma continental, gradiente de profundidade, distância da costa e outros explicaram a maior parte da variação espacial da abundância encontrada para a espécie em sua área de reprodução. Muitos indivíduos foram reavistados no Banco dos Abrolhos em períodos de até 16 anos, sugerindo uma fidelidade de longo prazo de uso deste banco. Diferentes intensidades de movimentos foram encontradas para os indivíduos identificados, sendo que alguns se movimentaram grandes distâncias de até 600 km em poucos dias, enquanto outros permanecem em uma mesma área por várias semanas em uma mesma temporada. Movimentos de longa distância dentro e entre diferentes temporadas sugerem que as baleias-jubarte que usam o Brasil fazem parte de um único estoque reprodutivo. A abundância deste estoque foi estimada em 9.330 baleias em 2008 (IC 95% = 4.857 – 20.299; CV = 28,1%). O crescimento estimado para este estoque reprodutivo entre 2002 e 2008 através de sobrevoos foi estimado em 15,2% ao ano (IC 95% = 11,3 a 19,1%). A probabilidade de sobrevivência dos adultos desta população entre 1989 e 2008 foi alta, de 0,94 (IC 95% = 0,90 a 0,96). As informações apresentadas neste estudo preenchem importantes lacunas de conhecimento Wedekin, 2011. Ecologia populacional da baleia-jubarte no Brasil. para esta espécie no Brasil e no Hemisfério Sul, que subsidiam políticas nacionais e internacionais de conservação. No Banco dos Abrolhos, recomendam-se medidas que aumentem a proteção de habitats críticos da espécie, incluindo a ampliação de áreas protegidas já estabelecidas, como o Parque Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos, e a criação de novas áreas protegidas, bem como da efetiva implantação de suas zonas de amortecimento.Abstract: The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) undertakes annual migrations between breeding grounds in winter tropical areas, and feeds in productive waters of high latitudes in the summer. Its global population was reduced to a small fraction of its original size due to the commercial whaling mainly in the first half of the last century. One of the breeding stocks of the humpback whale in the Southern Hemisphere uses the shallow and warm waters of the east and northeastern coast of Brazil, mainly from July to November. Aiming to investigate the demography and spatial use of this breeding stock, the humpback whale was studied through a long term population monitoring project using two research platforms: aerial surveys (from 2001 to 2008), and systematic boat cruises (from 1989 to 2008). This species occured along the main part of the study area, between the coasts of the States of Rio Grande do Norte and Rio de Janeiro, but was concentrated from 10 to 20¡ÆS. Within this breeding ground, the humpback whales. core habitat was a shallow bank with a wide continental shelf, called the Abrolhos Bank (in the extreme south of the State of Bahia and north of the State of Espirito Santo). The distribution inside the Abrolhos Bank was heterogeneous with intense use of the waters around the largest reef complex of the southern Atlantic Ocean. Physical habitat variables such as mean depth, depth gradient, continental shelf width, distance to shore and others explained a large amount of the spatial variation in the abundance found in our study area. Many whales were resighted for periods longer than 16 years in the Abrolhos Bank, suggesting long term site fidelity. Different movement rates were observed for different whales, with some of them being resighted in the same breeding season across more than 600 km within a period of few days, while others used the same region for many weeks. Long-range movements within and between seasons support the single stock hypothesis for humpback whales wintering off the Brazilian coast. Abundance for this stock was estimated to be 9.330 whales in 2008 (CI 95% = 4.857 . 20.299; CV = 28,1%). The rate of increase between 2002 and 2008 estimated through aerial surveys was 15,2% per year (CI 95% = 11,3 a 19,1%). The adult survival probability of this population between 1989 and 2008 was high, equal to 0,94 (CI 95% = 0,90 to 0,96). The informations presented here fill important gaps of knowledge for this species in Brazil and the Southern Hemisphere, and subsidize national and Wedekin, 2011. Ecologia populacional da baleia-jubarte no Brasil. international conservation policies. Effective measures to increase the protection of core habitats in the Abrolhos Bank are highly reccomended, including the expansion of stablished protected areas (such as the National Marine Park of Abrolhos), and the creation of new areas and their respective buffer zones

Stock assessment of loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles and An assessment of the impact of the pelagic longline fishery on the loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles of the Western North Atlantic

On September 7, 2000 the National Marine Fisheries Service announced that it was reinitiating consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act on pelagic fisheries for swordfish, sharks, tunas, and billfish. 1 Bycatch of a protected sea turtle species is considered a take under the Endangered Species Act (PL93-205). On June 30, 2000 NMFS completed a Biological Opinion on an amendment to the Highly Migratory Pelagic Fisheries Management Plan that concluded that the continued operation of the pelagic longline fishery was likely to jeopardize the continued existence of loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles.2 Since that Biological Opinion was issued NMFS concluded that further analyses of observer data and additional population modeling of loggerhead sea turtles was needed to determine more precisely the impact of the pelagic longline fishery on turtles. 3,4 Hence, the reinitiation of consultation. The documents that follow constitute the scientific review and synthesis of information pertaining to the narrowly defined reinitiation of consultation: the impact of the pelagic longline fishery on loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles The document is in 3 parts, plus 5 appendices. Part I is a stock assessment of loggerhead sea turtles of the Western North Atlantic. Part II is a stock assessment of leatherback sea turtles of the Western North Atlantic. Part III is an assessment of the impact of the pelagic longline fishery on loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles of the Western North Atlantic. These documents were prepared by the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center staff and academic colleagues at Duke University and Dalhousie University. Personnel involved from the SEFSC include Joanne Braun-McNeill, Lisa Csuzdi, Craig Brown, Jean Cramer, Sheryan Epperly, Steve Turner, Wendy Teas, Nancy Thompson, Wayne Witzell, Cynthia Yeung, and also Jeff Schmid under contract from the University or Miami. Our academic colleagues, Ransom Myers, Keith Bowen, and Leah Gerber from Dalhousie University and Larry Crowder and Melissa Snover from Duke University, also recipients of a Pew Charitable Trust Grant for a Comprehensive Study of the Ecological Impacts of the Worldwide Pelagic Longline Industry, made significant contributions to the quantitative analyses and we are very grateful for their collaboration. We appreciate the reviews of the stock definition sections on loggerheads and leatherbacks by Brian Bowen, University of Florida, and Peter Dutton, National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Fisheries Science Center, respectively, and the comments of the NMFS Center of Independent Experts reviewers Robert Mohn, Ian Poiner, and YouGan Wang on the entire document. We also wish to acknowledge all the unpublished data used herein which were contributed by many researchers, especially the coordinators and volunteers of the nesting beach surveys and the sea turtle stranding and salvage network and the contributors to the Cooperative Marine Turtle Tagging Program. (PDF contains 349 pages