Gulf of Mexico Bottlenose Dolphin Stock Identification Workshop. Held in Sarasota, FL., on March 14-15, 2000

摘要

The Protected Species and Biodiversity Branch of NOAA Fisheries' Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Sarasota, Florida convened a workshop on 14-15 March 2000. The purpose of the workshop was to review and discuss existing information on bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) stock structure in the Gulf of Mexico, past and present research, and to make suggestions for creating a Gulf-wide research strategy for this species. A panel of 20 researchers from various government agencies and universities participated in the workshop. Current and prior research on Gulf of Mexico bottlenose dolphins was summarized. Methodological, spatial, and temporal gaps in that data were discussed. The panel reviewed the various risks to bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico from fisheries, urbanization, and industry. A series of suggestions for future research that would help define bottlenose dolphin stock structure in the Gulf of Mexico were made. These included continuing on-going studies and expanding research into regions of the Gulf that have not previously been studied. It was also suggested that researchers in the Gulf of Mexico begin to collaborate their efforts and data. Assignment tests that could link stranded animals to specific regions of the Gulf would be valuable, and it was suggested that future research attempt to determine which chemical ratios may be useful. The panel suggested that the strategy for identifying bottlenose dolphin stocks in the Gulf of Mexico employ the relatively new 'geographical cluster analysis' method using genetic samples as well as other data sets.