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Using infrared thermography to assess seasonal trends in dorsal fin surface temperatures of free‐swimming bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) in Sarasota Bay, Florida
Author(s) -
Barbieri M. M.,
McLellan W. A.,
Wells R. S.,
Blum J. E.,
Hofmann S.,
Gan J.,
Pabst D. A.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
marine mammal science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.723
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1748-7692
pISSN - 0824-0469
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2009.00319.x
Subject(s) - dorsal fin , bay , bottlenose dolphin , thermography , skin temperature , thermoregulation , blubber , environmental science , dorsum , biology , fishery , infrared , ecology , oceanography , anatomy , medicine , geology , physics , optics , biomedical engineering
The temperature differential (Δ T ) between a body surface and the environment influences an organism's heat balance. In Sarasota Bay, FL, where ambient water temperature ( T w ) ranges annually from 11° to 33°C, Δ T was investigated in a resident community of bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ). Dorsal fin surface temperatures ( T dfin ) were measured on wild, free‐swimming dolphins using infrared thermography. Field and laboratory calibration studies were also undertaken to assess the efficacy of this non‐invasive technology in the marine environment. The portability of infrared thermography permitted measurements of T dfin across the entire range of environmental temperatures experienced by animals in this region. Results indicated a positive, linear relationship between T dfin and T w ( r 2 = 0.978, P < 0.001). On average, T dfin was 0.9°C warmer than T w across seasons, despite the 22°C annual range in T w . Changes in integumentary and vascular insulation likely account for the stability of Δ T dfin − w and the protection of core temperature ( T core ) across seasons. The high thermal conductivity of water may also influence this Δ T . The use of infrared thermography is an effective, non‐invasive method of assessing dorsal fin skin surface temperatures (±1°C) across large numbers of wild, free‐swimming dolphins throughout their thermally dynamic aquatic environment.