COMPORTAMENTO DO BOTO-CINZA (Sotalia guianensis) (CETACEA: DELPHINIDAE): AMOSTRAGEM, TERMOS E DEFINIÇÕES

Themarine tucuxi (Sotalia guianensis Van Bénéden, 1864) is a small delphinidae currently under investigation by several different research groups along the Brazilian coast. Due to its habit of swimming in murky waters andto some morphological characteristics, studying the behavior of this animal is difficult, yet behavioral studies with S. guianensis are becoming more frequent in Brazil. However, the methods employed by different studies,including sampling techniques and terminology are not standardized, thus hindering comparisons of the results and general conclusions of such studies. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge about the behaviorof this species while attempting to revise the terms, definitions and methods employed by different studies.El delfín gris (Sotalia guianensis Van Bénéden, 1864), un pequeño delfinído perteneciente al orden de los cetáceos, ha sido el objetivo de diversos estudios a lo largo de la costa brasilera. Debido a su distribución en aguas de baja visibilidad y a las características morfológicas de la especie, S. guianensis es un objeto de estudio difícil para investigaciones de comportamiento animal. A pesar de estas dificultades, los estudios de comportamiento de S. guianensis son cada vez más numerosos enBrasil. Sin embargo, no existe una estandarización de los métodos utilizados, de los intervalos de registro o de la clasificación de los comportamientos, dificultando la comparación de resultados para un mejor conocimientodel comportamiento de la especie. Este trabajo presenta informaciones sobre el comportamiento de S. guianensis y hace una revisión de los términos, definiciones y metodologías aplicadas en estudios de comportamiento deldelfín gris en la costa brasilera. O boto-cinza (Sotalia guianensis Van Bénéden, 1864), um pequeno delfinídeo pertencente à ordem dos cetáceos, tem sido alvo de diferentes estudos ao longo da costa brasileira. Devido à sua distribuição em águas de baixa visibilidade e às características morfológicas da espécie, S. guianensis é um objeto de estudo difícil em pesquisa de comportamento animal. Apesar das dificuldades, os estudos de comportamento de S. guianensis são cada vez mais numerosos no Brasil. Porém, não existe uma padronização dos métodos utilizados, dos intervalos de registro do comportamento ou da classificação das atividades comportamentais, dificultando comparações dos resultados e um melhor conhecimento do comportamento da espécie. O presente trabalho apresenta informações sobre o comportamento de S. guianensis e faz uma revisão dos termos, definições e metodologias aplicadas em estudos de comportamento do boto-cinza na costa brasileira

Biogeography of common dolphins (genus delphinus) in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean

1 The common dolphins (genus Delphinus) have one of most problematic taxonomies and complex distribution patterns of all cetaceans. Although the taxonomy and the distribution seem to have been clarified somewhat in the eastern North Pacific and Indo‐Pacific Oceans, many questions remain in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWA). We review the biogeography of Delphinus in the SWA. 2 We reviewed data from strandings, incidental catches and sightings since 1922. Systematic surveys were conducted in five major areas. Twenty‐one natural history collections were examined, and 135 skulls were measured. 3 A total of 184 records of common dolphins were compiled. Delphinus apparently occurs in three stocks in the SWA: one located in northern Brazil and two from southeastern Brazil (∼22°S) to central Argentina (∼42°S). Two distinct patterns in habitat use were observed by depth: in southeastern Brazil, sightings were restricted to coastal waters with water depths ranging from 18m to 70m. On the other hand, in the area that extends from southern Brazil to Central Argentina (from 28°S to 42°S), sightings were recorded in deeper waters, ranging from 71m to 1435m, with the exception of occasional coastal sightings. The cranial analyses demonstrated that both short‐beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis and long‐beaked common dolphins Dephinus capensis occur in the SWA. 4 In the SWA, Delphinus seems to occur near areas of high productivity. One stock is associated with the productive waters discharged by the Amazon River and possibily with the coastal upwelling system off the coast of Venezuela, while the other stocks are associated with the Cabo Frio upwelling system and the Subtropical Convergence. Our results indicate that the current taxonomy does not adequately reflect the amount of variation within the genus in the world.Fil: Tavares, Maurício. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Moreno, Ignacio B.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Siciliano, Salvatore. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Rodriguez, Diego Horacio. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ciencias Marinas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: De O. Santos, Marcos C.. Universidade Estadual Júlio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Lailson Brito Jr., José. Universidade do Estado de Rio do Janeiro; BrasilFil: Fabián, Marta E.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasi

Dolphins as indicators of micropollutant trophic flow in amazon basin

This study presents an overview of the appropriateness of the use of Amazonian cetaceans as sentinel species for environmental contamination by micropollutants, such as organochlorines and mercury. Due to the top position in food webs occupied by cetaceans and to their long life-span, high micropollutant concentrations have been verifi ed in their tissues, what allows an amplifi cation of the determination capacity by different analytical procedures. Besides providing an analytical advantage, the continuous micropollutant determination in cetaceans has been useful: as a reference of pollutant availability to other organisms; to integrate a complex signal of pollution; to quantify the ecological signifi cance of a contamination. Therefore, published information on the concentrations of the quoted pollutants in the Amazonian cetaceans Inia geoffrensis (boto) and Sotalia fl uviatilis (tucuxi) were gathered herewith. Carrying out comparison with data from Brazilian coastal cetaceans, it became clear how high the levels observed in Amazonian aquatic mammals are. In this context, mercury deserves to be highlighted. Despite the little volume of information on the concentrations of mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane in Amazonian cetaceans, the existing information already demonstrates that the levels observed mirror the environmental contamination by such pollutants in distinct Amazonian environments. Perspectives for future investigations are also discussed, including possible ways of overcoming obstacles related to sampling of Amazonian cetaceans. Keywords: Brazil, Amazon, cetacean, mercury, organochlorines

First determination of UV filters in marine mammals. Octocrylene levels in Franciscana dolphins

Most current bioexposure assessments for UV filters focus on contaminants concentrations in fish from river and lake. To date there is not information available on the occurrence of UV filters in marine mammals. This is the first study to investigate the presence of sunscreen agents in tissue liver of Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei), a species under special measures for conservation. Fifty six liver tissue samples were taken from dead individuals accidentally caught or found stranded along the Brazilian coastal area (six states). The extensively used octocrylene (2-ethylhexyl-2-cyano-3,3- diphenyl-2-propenoate, OCT) was frequently found in the samples investigated (21 out of 56) at concentrations in the range 89-782 ng·g-1 lipid weight. São Paulo was found to be the most polluted area (70% frequency of detection). Nevertheless, the highest concentration was observed in the dolphins from Rio Grande do Sul (42% frequency of detection within that area). These findings constitute the first data reported on the occurrence of UV filters in marine mammals worldwide. © 2013 American Chemical Society.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the Project CEMAGUA (CGL2007-64551/HID). This work was also partly supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidated Research Group: Water and Soil Quality Group 2009-SGR-965). Gago- Ferrero acknowledges his fellowship to Junta para la Ampliacion de Estudios (JAE). This research was also funded by the Ministry of Education of Brazil e CAPES (fellowship to M.B. Alonso “Sandwich Programme” e PDEE; “Ciencias do Mar” e Proc. 23038.051661/2009-18), Brazilian Research Council e CNPq (Grant No. 304826/2008- 1), FAPERJ (Jovem Cientista do Nosso Estado No. 101.449/2010), Mount Sinai School of Medicine (NY/USA), Fogarty International Center NIH/USA (grant 1D43TW0640). We are grateful to the fishermen and cetacean research group staffs for the assistance in fieldwork, as well as Cetacean Society Interna- tional (CSI), Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) and Yaqu Pacha. A.F.A. and J.L.-B. have research grant from CNPq (PQ- 2) and FAPERJ (JCNE). We give special thanks to students from Environmental Chemistry Lab (IDAEA-CSIC, Spain), Radioisotope Lab (UFRJ e Brazil) and Aquatic Mammal and Bioindicator Lab (UERJ e Brazil).Peer Reviewe