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Mark‐recapture abundance estimate of tucuxi dolphins ( Sotalia fluviatilis ) in a lake system of the Central Amazon
Author(s) -
Coimbra Zulmira H.,
Assis Carlos A.,
Silva Vera M. F.,
Santos Manuel E.
Publication year - 2016
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/mms.12254
Subject(s) - abundance (ecology) , mark and recapture , amazon rainforest , geography , amazon basin , fishery , abundance estimation , cetacea , ecology , biology , population , demography , sociology
The tucuxi ( Sotalia fluviatilis ) is a small dolphin endemic to the Amazon River basin. Because the abundance and trends are currently unknown for the species, this study aimed to estimate its abundance in a lake system of the Central Amazon. A total of 10 two‐day sampling periods were carried out from March to June of 2013 throughout a 13.5 km 2 area in the Mamirauá Reserve. In the 104 encounters with the species, a minimum number of 389 dolphins were sighted and photographed, which allowed the positive identification of 49 individuals. Mark‐recapture models were used to estimate an abundance of 119 individuals (95% CI = 105–150) (corrected for the proportion of identifiable individuals). This is the first estimation of S. fluviatilis abundance using mark‐recapture analyses and, together with the photo‐id catalog made available, provides a useful reference for future studies regarding tucuxi dolphins.