Abstract:
The population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) living off the Southeast coast
of the Dominican Republic was analyzed to determine demographic parameters and to
better understand the status of the population. Sighting data from the Fundacion
Dominicana de Estudios Marinos was used for photo-identification analysis. The
sighting histories produced were entered into Pollock's robust model for mark-recapture
analysis. From this analysis the abundance of the population was estimated as 102 (95%
CI 66-178) dolphins in 2010 with an average annual survival of 0.952 from 2007-2010.
Population viability analysis was performed using these data and reproductive parameters
from the literature on bottlenose dolphins. Due to uncertainties in the models two
scenarios were produced. One scenario represented the best estimates possible and
shows the population to be growing. A second scenario, which used only slightly
different parameters, shows the population to be in decline. In either scenario the removal of dolphins from the population has long term effects, the magnitude of which
are dependent on the sex and age category of the animals removed. Removing female
dolphins has longer term impact the removing male dolphins.
