Global ecology and biogeography : a journal of macroecology, 2018
The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assembl... more The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene. The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record. BioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km (158 cm) to 100 km (1,000,000,000,000 cm). BioTIME records span fr...
Methods Methods In the present study, the extraction programmes FinEx and FinMatch™ v.1.1.0 (deve... more Methods Methods In the present study, the extraction programmes FinEx and FinMatch™ v.1.1.0 (developed for Europhlukes by CWI, Amsterdam) were applied to an existing archive of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) images (from 1997 to 2004 inclusive) to isolate errors that may have resulted from previously undetected misidentifications. This analysis was carried-out prior to the calculation of population estimations for T. truncatus in the outer southern Moray Firth, NE Scotland. Accordingly, only "marked" animals –individuals with dorsal edge nicks or tears – were used in this evaluation. The major steps of the extraction and matching process are described in detail in the handbook accompanying this software. However, a brief summarisation of the stages involved is illustrated in figure 1 a-c, below left.
Group size, composition, and association patterns of bottlenose dolphins using the southern coast... more Group size, composition, and association patterns of bottlenose dolphins using the southern coastline of the outer Moray Firth, NE Scotland, were investigated for the period June 1997 to August 2003. Group sizes were found to range from 1 to 44 animals (n = 132) with a mean of 11.07 ± 7.93 animals (median = 9.0). Using forty representative individuals (19 females, 17 males and 4 of unknown sex) identified 5 or more times, calculated coefficients of association (CoAs) ranged from 0.00 to 0.73 (mean = 0.11 ± 0.04). Associations between and within sex classes were found not to be significantly different from one another. Permutation tests for non-random associations indicated that dolphins in this population did not associate preferentially with some individuals or avoid others. Analyses of lagged association rates, however, suggested short-term association of individuals over periods of days with rapid disassociations, except for a smaller number of constant companions by the end of a...
Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède) are the smallest and most abundant of the bale... more Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède) are the smallest and most abundant of the baleen whales in European waters and a significant component of the marine ecosystem. This truly cosmopolitan species is found throughout the world’s oceans and seas – from the Poles to the tropics – but shows an apparent fondness for inshore, coastal waters. Due to their extensive distribution and preference for coastal waters, however, minke whales are subject to a range of detrimental anthropogenic impacts including direct and indirect interaction with fisheries, exposure to anthropogenic noise, ingestion of contaminants and debris and commercial whaling which is the most direct and contentious current concern. As such, a better knowledge of the behaviour and biology of this species, as well as its role in the marine environment, is considered vital for its effective protection. The main objective for this workshop was to bring together research groups and individuals currently studying m...
Fine-scale coastal studies of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the outer southern Moray F... more Fine-scale coastal studies of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the outer southern Moray Firth in northeast Scotland have revealed that the inshore waters of this large, North Sea embayment may provide a significant habitat for the species during the summer and autumnal months. In recent years, however, alarming declines in porpoise abundance have been noted for this region, suggesting that conservation measures need to be implemented for the identification and subsequent mitigation of those activities negatively impacting upon these communities. In the present paper, the options available for management of these small cetaceans are discussed. The combined and potentially synergistic effects of disease, induced-stress and contaminant exposure resulting from issues such as coastal pollution (domestic, industrial and acoustic), disturbance (e.g. recreational, shipping, dredging and coastal development) and over-fishing (resulting in prey depletion and habitat change) are conseq...
Information on the distribution and occurrence of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the coastal w... more Information on the distribution and occurrence of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the coastal waters of Scotland’s Moray Firth, in the north-west North Sea, remains fairly sparse to date, with few detailed studies being conducted on species other than the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Consequently, familiar coastal species such as the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) have received far less attention in these waters, and yet these and other species may be of considerable conservation priority. In the present study, an examination of the animals using the southern coastal waters of the outer Moray Firth was carried out between May and October 2001 to 2005 inclusive. During 9,663 km of dedicated boat survey effort, 751 encounters were recorded with eight different species (six species of toothed whale, and two species of baleen whale) in an 880 km square coastal study area between Fraserburgh and Lossiemouth. The most common...
æThe recapturability of individuals exhibiting features other than dorsal edge markings (DEMs) wa... more æThe recapturability of individuals exhibiting features other than dorsal edge markings (DEMs) was low (approx. 2%) and apparently short-term, although unusual fin shapes and scarring (e.g. major scratches, lesions and parasite scars) were found to be useful supplements for the re-identification of whales with subtle DEMs. æ Very few of the juvenile or sub-adult animals encountered in this study displayed DEMs, and none of the juveniles which were identified from body scars alone were recaptured in any additional survey year.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2008
In a four year study of bottlenose dolphins along the southern shore of the outer Moray Firth we ... more In a four year study of bottlenose dolphins along the southern shore of the outer Moray Firth we show that whilst dolphins were encountered along the majority of the survey area, there was a significant preference to the western section, which is the area directly adjacent to the current Special Area of Conservation (SAC). We also show that 80% of all groups encountered (N = 62) included calves, and that neonates were seen throughout the months of July, August, September and October. The mark–recapture abundance estimates for the southern outer Moray Firth were variable, with a highest annual estimate of 108 (95% CI = 79–129), which is similar to previous estimates for the number of animals using the entire Moray Firth. In contrast, the lowest annual estimate of 61 (95% CI = 48–74) suggests that not all individuals regularly use the entire geographical range of the population and that individual ranging patterns may vary across years. The findings of this study indicate that the sou...
Global ecology and biogeography : a journal of macroecology, 2018
The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assembl... more The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene. The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record. BioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km (158 cm) to 100 km (1,000,000,000,000 cm). BioTIME records span fr...
Methods Methods In the present study, the extraction programmes FinEx and FinMatch™ v.1.1.0 (deve... more Methods Methods In the present study, the extraction programmes FinEx and FinMatch™ v.1.1.0 (developed for Europhlukes by CWI, Amsterdam) were applied to an existing archive of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) images (from 1997 to 2004 inclusive) to isolate errors that may have resulted from previously undetected misidentifications. This analysis was carried-out prior to the calculation of population estimations for T. truncatus in the outer southern Moray Firth, NE Scotland. Accordingly, only "marked" animals –individuals with dorsal edge nicks or tears – were used in this evaluation. The major steps of the extraction and matching process are described in detail in the handbook accompanying this software. However, a brief summarisation of the stages involved is illustrated in figure 1 a-c, below left.
Group size, composition, and association patterns of bottlenose dolphins using the southern coast... more Group size, composition, and association patterns of bottlenose dolphins using the southern coastline of the outer Moray Firth, NE Scotland, were investigated for the period June 1997 to August 2003. Group sizes were found to range from 1 to 44 animals (n = 132) with a mean of 11.07 ± 7.93 animals (median = 9.0). Using forty representative individuals (19 females, 17 males and 4 of unknown sex) identified 5 or more times, calculated coefficients of association (CoAs) ranged from 0.00 to 0.73 (mean = 0.11 ± 0.04). Associations between and within sex classes were found not to be significantly different from one another. Permutation tests for non-random associations indicated that dolphins in this population did not associate preferentially with some individuals or avoid others. Analyses of lagged association rates, however, suggested short-term association of individuals over periods of days with rapid disassociations, except for a smaller number of constant companions by the end of a...
Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède) are the smallest and most abundant of the bale... more Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède) are the smallest and most abundant of the baleen whales in European waters and a significant component of the marine ecosystem. This truly cosmopolitan species is found throughout the world’s oceans and seas – from the Poles to the tropics – but shows an apparent fondness for inshore, coastal waters. Due to their extensive distribution and preference for coastal waters, however, minke whales are subject to a range of detrimental anthropogenic impacts including direct and indirect interaction with fisheries, exposure to anthropogenic noise, ingestion of contaminants and debris and commercial whaling which is the most direct and contentious current concern. As such, a better knowledge of the behaviour and biology of this species, as well as its role in the marine environment, is considered vital for its effective protection. The main objective for this workshop was to bring together research groups and individuals currently studying m...
Fine-scale coastal studies of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the outer southern Moray F... more Fine-scale coastal studies of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the outer southern Moray Firth in northeast Scotland have revealed that the inshore waters of this large, North Sea embayment may provide a significant habitat for the species during the summer and autumnal months. In recent years, however, alarming declines in porpoise abundance have been noted for this region, suggesting that conservation measures need to be implemented for the identification and subsequent mitigation of those activities negatively impacting upon these communities. In the present paper, the options available for management of these small cetaceans are discussed. The combined and potentially synergistic effects of disease, induced-stress and contaminant exposure resulting from issues such as coastal pollution (domestic, industrial and acoustic), disturbance (e.g. recreational, shipping, dredging and coastal development) and over-fishing (resulting in prey depletion and habitat change) are conseq...
Information on the distribution and occurrence of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the coastal w... more Information on the distribution and occurrence of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the coastal waters of Scotland’s Moray Firth, in the north-west North Sea, remains fairly sparse to date, with few detailed studies being conducted on species other than the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Consequently, familiar coastal species such as the minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) have received far less attention in these waters, and yet these and other species may be of considerable conservation priority. In the present study, an examination of the animals using the southern coastal waters of the outer Moray Firth was carried out between May and October 2001 to 2005 inclusive. During 9,663 km of dedicated boat survey effort, 751 encounters were recorded with eight different species (six species of toothed whale, and two species of baleen whale) in an 880 km square coastal study area between Fraserburgh and Lossiemouth. The most common...
æThe recapturability of individuals exhibiting features other than dorsal edge markings (DEMs) wa... more æThe recapturability of individuals exhibiting features other than dorsal edge markings (DEMs) was low (approx. 2%) and apparently short-term, although unusual fin shapes and scarring (e.g. major scratches, lesions and parasite scars) were found to be useful supplements for the re-identification of whales with subtle DEMs. æ Very few of the juvenile or sub-adult animals encountered in this study displayed DEMs, and none of the juveniles which were identified from body scars alone were recaptured in any additional survey year.
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2008
In a four year study of bottlenose dolphins along the southern shore of the outer Moray Firth we ... more In a four year study of bottlenose dolphins along the southern shore of the outer Moray Firth we show that whilst dolphins were encountered along the majority of the survey area, there was a significant preference to the western section, which is the area directly adjacent to the current Special Area of Conservation (SAC). We also show that 80% of all groups encountered (N = 62) included calves, and that neonates were seen throughout the months of July, August, September and October. The mark–recapture abundance estimates for the southern outer Moray Firth were variable, with a highest annual estimate of 108 (95% CI = 79–129), which is similar to previous estimates for the number of animals using the entire Moray Firth. In contrast, the lowest annual estimate of 61 (95% CI = 48–74) suggests that not all individuals regularly use the entire geographical range of the population and that individual ranging patterns may vary across years. The findings of this study indicate that the sou...
Uploads