93
parameters (e.g. equipment height above sea level tide, Earth curvature). Most software map animals and their displacement. Some merge technologies with GPS,
acoustics devices, internet communication, mapping, and even cloud storage. Nowa- days, with the ease of creating computer programs and advanced technological
tools, software’s may be ephemeral and become obsolete quickly, whilst novel and
more elaborate ones arise.
It is possible to register data in a paper spreadsheet at the field and to entry the
data afterwards into the dedicated computers programs. However, besides being a
great source of writing errors and mistakes, it is necessary enormous effort and long
periods to type and prepare data. So it is strongly advised to register data straight
into the computer at the field.
4.3 Land-Based Studies in Latin American Countries
In this section, an overview of land-based studies of aquatic mammals conducted in
Latin-American (LA) countries is presented. In order to provide a wide review, a
web survey using the platform Survey Monkey (https://surveymonkey.com) was
applied. The survey was released through the internet: by e-mail to certain researchers groups, through Aquatic Mammals’ discussion list (MARMAM) and Aquatic
Mammals Societies websites (SOLAMAC). Although the goal was to gather information about every LBS in Latin America, it is not possible to ensure that all have
been comprised here.
Latin American sums up to 48 countries and territories. According to the review,
land-based studies have been developed in at least 11 of them: Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and
Venezuela (Fig. 4.8). Twenty-seven species of aquatic mammals were studied from
land, six Mysticetes, 18 Odontocetes, two Pinnipeds and a Sirenian (Table 4.2).
It is usually thought that land-based stations are just for marine cetaceans observations, however it is interesting to note that the Araguaian River dolphin (Inia
araguaiaensis) at Tocantins River (Araújo and Wang 2012
1
) and Amazon River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) at Guamá River (Santos et al. 2012) habitat use and behavioral studies were developed from land-based stations. The West Indian manatee
(Trichechus manatus) is also studied from land station at different locations at
Brazilian north and north-east coast (Box 4.1). Besides, there are two Pinnipeds
species studied from land-based station: South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) at Cobquecura breeding colony at Central Coast of Chile (Sepúlveda et al.
2012), Isla Chañaral, North Central Chile (Pavez et al. 2011) and at Isla de Lobos,
Uruguay (Franco-Trecu et al. 2015) where South American fur seal (Arctocephalus
australis) (Box 4.2) are also studied (e.g. Franco-Trecu et al. 2010, 2014, 2016a).
1 Note, at the time the study was conducted and published in 2012 there was no taxonomical differences between Inia geoffrensis and Inia araguaiaensis. This differentiation was accepted in 2014
(Hrbek et al. 2014).
4 Land-Based Station Studies of Aquatic Mammals in Latin America: Understanding…
parameters (e.g. equipment height above sea level tide, Earth curvature). Most software map animals and their displacement. Some merge technologies with GPS,
acoustics devices, internet communication, mapping, and even cloud storage. Nowa- days, with the ease of creating computer programs and advanced technological
tools, software’s may be ephemeral and become obsolete quickly, whilst novel and
more elaborate ones arise.
It is possible to register data in a paper spreadsheet at the field and to entry the
data afterwards into the dedicated computers programs. However, besides being a
great source of writing errors and mistakes, it is necessary enormous effort and long
periods to type and prepare data. So it is strongly advised to register data straight
into the computer at the field.
4.3 Land-Based Studies in Latin American Countries
In this section, an overview of land-based studies of aquatic mammals conducted in
Latin-American (LA) countries is presented. In order to provide a wide review, a
web survey using the platform Survey Monkey (https://surveymonkey.com) was
applied. The survey was released through the internet: by e-mail to certain researchers groups, through Aquatic Mammals’ discussion list (MARMAM) and Aquatic
Mammals Societies websites (SOLAMAC). Although the goal was to gather information about every LBS in Latin America, it is not possible to ensure that all have
been comprised here.
Latin American sums up to 48 countries and territories. According to the review,
land-based studies have been developed in at least 11 of them: Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and
Venezuela (Fig. 4.8). Twenty-seven species of aquatic mammals were studied from
land, six Mysticetes, 18 Odontocetes, two Pinnipeds and a Sirenian (Table 4.2).
It is usually thought that land-based stations are just for marine cetaceans observations, however it is interesting to note that the Araguaian River dolphin (Inia
araguaiaensis) at Tocantins River (Araújo and Wang 2012
1
) and Amazon River dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) at Guamá River (Santos et al. 2012) habitat use and behavioral studies were developed from land-based stations. The West Indian manatee
(Trichechus manatus) is also studied from land station at different locations at
Brazilian north and north-east coast (Box 4.1). Besides, there are two Pinnipeds
species studied from land-based station: South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) at Cobquecura breeding colony at Central Coast of Chile (Sepúlveda et al.
2012), Isla Chañaral, North Central Chile (Pavez et al. 2011) and at Isla de Lobos,
Uruguay (Franco-Trecu et al. 2015) where South American fur seal (Arctocephalus
australis) (Box 4.2) are also studied (e.g. Franco-Trecu et al. 2010, 2014, 2016a).
1 Note, at the time the study was conducted and published in 2012 there was no taxonomical differences between Inia geoffrensis and Inia araguaiaensis. This differentiation was accepted in 2014
(Hrbek et al. 2014).
4 Land-Based Station Studies of Aquatic Mammals in Latin America: Understanding…