Preliminary Estimates of Bottlenose Dolphin Abundance in Southern U.S. Atlanticand Gulf of Mexico Continental Shelf Waters

摘要

Aerial surveys were conducted over U.S. Atlantic coastal waters south of CapeHatteras and in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico from the Mexican border to approximately Cape St. George to estimate bottlenose dolphin abundance. Atlantic regional surveys, conducted in winter 1992, covered the continental shelf from Capt Hetteras to Mid-Florida. Gulf of Mexico regional surveys, conducted in autumn of 1992 and 1993, covered approximately the western two-thirds of U.S. Gulf of Mexico bays, sounds and continental shelf. Line transect analytical methods were employed to model the probability density function for each survey stratum and estimate dolphin density which was extraplated to abundance.