Satellite-monitored movements of the Amazon River dolphin and considerations for their conservation
The Amazon River dolphin Inia geoffrensis occurs throughout the basins of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers and is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Using satellite tracking data from eight dolphins (one female and seven males) in the Peruvian Amazon, we demonstrate that these dolphins inh...
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| Format: | Article |
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Cambridge University Press
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605322001557/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797789321284026368 |
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| author | Elizabeth Campbell Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto Jeffrey C. Mangel Jose Luis Mena Ruth H. Thurstan Brendan J. Godley David March |
| author_facet | Elizabeth Campbell Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto Jeffrey C. Mangel Jose Luis Mena Ruth H. Thurstan Brendan J. Godley David March |
| author_sort | Elizabeth Campbell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Amazon River dolphin Inia geoffrensis occurs throughout the basins of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers and is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Using satellite tracking data from eight dolphins (one female and seven males) in the Peruvian Amazon, we demonstrate that these dolphins inhabit a variety of habitat types and have core areas and home range areas of variable magnitudes. To gain a better understanding of how threats affect these dolphins, we examined the distance of dolphin records to locations of current and potential future anthropogenic threats. On average, dolphin home ranges overlapped with fisheries by 89%. Dolphins were found at an average distance of 252 km from the nearest proposed dam and 125 km from the nearest proposed dredging site. Given that many of these threats are still in the planning stage, we advise the government to consider the negative effects these activities have already had on other riverine species before proceeding. Additionally, efforts should be made to expand river dolphin tracking programmes to span multiple seasons, to track more females at our study sites and to increase the numbers tracked overall in other areas to improve our knowledge of the species' movement patterns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:48:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dcec7eadd3194553b1e10568975bbbac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0030-6053 1365-3008 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T01:48:58Z |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oryx |
| spelling | doaj.art-dcec7eadd3194553b1e10568975bbbac2023-07-03T01:05:51ZengCambridge University PressOryx0030-60531365-300811110.1017/S0030605322001557Satellite-monitored movements of the Amazon River dolphin and considerations for their conservationElizabeth Campbell0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6812-4531Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5148-7686Jeffrey C. Mangel2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9371-8606Jose Luis Mena3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3716-598XRuth H. Thurstan4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8045-1631Brendan J. Godley5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3845-0034David March6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6118-761XCentre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UKCentre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UKCentre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UKInstituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Ricardo Palma, Lima, PeruCentre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UKCentre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UKCentre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, UKThe Amazon River dolphin Inia geoffrensis occurs throughout the basins of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers and is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Using satellite tracking data from eight dolphins (one female and seven males) in the Peruvian Amazon, we demonstrate that these dolphins inhabit a variety of habitat types and have core areas and home range areas of variable magnitudes. To gain a better understanding of how threats affect these dolphins, we examined the distance of dolphin records to locations of current and potential future anthropogenic threats. On average, dolphin home ranges overlapped with fisheries by 89%. Dolphins were found at an average distance of 252 km from the nearest proposed dam and 125 km from the nearest proposed dredging site. Given that many of these threats are still in the planning stage, we advise the government to consider the negative effects these activities have already had on other riverine species before proceeding. Additionally, efforts should be made to expand river dolphin tracking programmes to span multiple seasons, to track more females at our study sites and to increase the numbers tracked overall in other areas to improve our knowledge of the species' movement patterns.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605322001557/type/journal_articleAmazonbotodamsfishery interactionsInia geoffrensisPeruriver dolphinsatellite tracking |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth Campbell Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto Jeffrey C. Mangel Jose Luis Mena Ruth H. Thurstan Brendan J. Godley David March Satellite-monitored movements of the Amazon River dolphin and considerations for their conservation Oryx Amazon boto dams fishery interactions Inia geoffrensis Peru river dolphin satellite tracking |
| title | Satellite-monitored movements of the Amazon River dolphin and considerations for their conservation |
| title_full | Satellite-monitored movements of the Amazon River dolphin and considerations for their conservation |
| title_fullStr | Satellite-monitored movements of the Amazon River dolphin and considerations for their conservation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Satellite-monitored movements of the Amazon River dolphin and considerations for their conservation |
| title_short | Satellite-monitored movements of the Amazon River dolphin and considerations for their conservation |
| title_sort | satellite monitored movements of the amazon river dolphin and considerations for their conservation |
| topic | Amazon boto dams fishery interactions Inia geoffrensis Peru river dolphin satellite tracking |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605322001557/type/journal_article |
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