Report of the Working Group on Ethnobiology and Environmental Education related to Tursiops truncatus in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

Ethnobiological studies and educational projects related to bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, Montagu, 1821) are still incipient in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean (SWAO). We review studies conducted in the region, especially Brazil, where more information is available. Proposals to implement studies related to ethnobiology and environmental education in relation to the species are also presented

Report of the Working Group on Ethnobiology and Environmental Education related to Tursiops truncatus in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

Ethnobiological studies and educational projects related to bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, Montagu, 1821) are still incipient in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean (SWAO). We review studies conducted in the region, especially Brazil, where more information is available. Proposals to implement studies related to ethnobiology and environmental education in relation to the species are also presented

Perception of local inhabitants regarding the socioeconomic impact of tourism focused on provisioning wild dolphins in Novo Airao, Central Amazon, Brazil

Botos (Inia geoffrensis) are currently provisioned for use in tourist attractions in five sites in the Brazilian Amazon. Despite the known negative effects associated with human-wild dolphin interactions, this activity has been regulated and licensed in the Anavilhanas National Park in Novo Airão, Amazonas State, Brazil. We present an updated evaluation of the perception of the local community concerning the possible socioeconomic impacts of this tourism in Novo Airão. In April 2011, 45 interviews were conducted with inhabitants. A small segment of Novo Airão perceives currently itself as being economically dependent on the botos feeding tourism. Despite that, the economic benefits of this controversial activity apparently are not shared among most inhabitants, and botos feeding tourism is perceived as generating diverse negative effects. We conclude that if the activity was banned or modified into a less impacting tourist activity, this action would probably not majorly affect the lives of the general population

Report of the Working Group on the Behavioral Ecology of bottlenose dolphins in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

In this report, we present a compilation of the behavioral patterns of bottlenose dolphins and social structure throughout the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. We have compiled and summarized available data concerning: (i) behavioral activities (states and events), (ii) social structures (group size and composition), (iii) acoustic behavior and (iv) intra and interspecific interactions of bottlenose dolphin populations throughout the SWAO, from northern Brazil to southern Argentina. Lack of systematic and standardized methodologies for data collection precludes robust data analyses in respect of bottlenose dolphin behavior. Available information suggests that the studied populations presented weak intra-population associations and that coastal individuals tend to form smaller groups than their oceanic counterparts. Bottlenose dolphins from SWAO produce stylized whistles in which the acoustic parameters are similar to published ranges around the world and some results indicate significant local inter-population variation in the acoustic parameters of the whistles. Data of intra and interspecific interactions of bottlenose dolphins in the SWAO are scarce and therefore do not fully allow a comprehensive analysis of the situational contexts

Report of the Working Group on Interactions between Humans and Tursiops truncatus in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

In this work we compiled the available information about humans and bottlenose dolphin interactions in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean (SWAO), including issues as historical direct takes, incidental captures in fisheries, positive interactions with fisheries, interactions of dolphins with tourism and boat traffic, habitat modification or degradation, and environmental pollution. The data compiled in this review demonstrated that coastal bottlenose dolphins are under anthropogenic pressure in the SWAO. Direct take of bottlenose dolphins in the wild does not appear to be an issue of conservation concern in the SWAO. Although the species is exposed to bioaccumulation of micropollutants, it is suggested that contamination level is lower when compared to bottlenose dolphins from other continents. Coastal works can impact bottlenose dolphin behavior and habitat use in a short-term, but those seem to be reversible when works stop. Bycatch occurs throughout the species distribution and seems to be occasional in Uruguayan and Argentinean waters, where there is evidence of a historic decline in dolphin sightings. In Brazil, bycatch is apparently low in the northeast and southeast coasts, but is frequent in certain areas of southern Brazil. Studies on the subject are scarce or preliminary and a great effort is still required to understand the real impact of human activities on bottlenose dolphins in the SWAO. 

Report of the Working Group on Interactions between Humans and Tursiops truncatus in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

In this work we compiled the available information about humans and bottlenose dolphin interactions in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean (SWAO), including issues as historical direct takes, incidental captures in fisheries, positive interactions with fisheries, interactions of dolphins with tourism and boat traffic, habitat modification or degradation, and environmental pollution. The data compiled in this review demonstrated that coastal bottlenose dolphins are under anthropogenic pressure in the SWAO. Direct take of bottlenose dolphins in the wild does not appear to be an issue of conservation concern in the SWAO. Although the species is exposed to bioaccumulation of micropollutants, it is suggested that contamination level is lower when compared to bottlenose dolphins from other continents. Coastal works can impact bottlenose dolphin behavior and habitat use in a short-term, but those seem to be reversible when works stop. Bycatch occurs throughout the species distribution and seems to be occasional in Uruguayan and Argentinean waters, where there is evidence of a historic decline in dolphin sightings. In Brazil, bycatch is apparently low in the northeast and southeast coasts, but is frequent in certain areas of southern Brazil. Studies on the subject are scarce or preliminary and a great effort is still required to understand the real impact of human activities on bottlenose dolphins in the SWAO.