198
Keywords Dolphins • Opportunistic sightings • Bahia State • Brazil
8.1 Introduction
The distribution of the dolphins is clearly influenced by the marine environment,
being frequently related to a environmental factor scale, including the sea surface
temperature (Selzer and Payne 1988; Forney 2000; Baumgartner et al. 2001;
Hamazaki 2002), salinity (Selzer and Payne 1988; Forney 2000), depth (Gowans
and Whitehead 1995; Baumgartner 1997; Davis et al. 1998), and the bottom relief
(Selzer and Payne 1988; Gowans and Whitehead 1995; Baumgartner 1997; Davis
et al. 1998). However, the influence of these factors on the distribution of the animals seems to vary between regions and species (Hastie et al. 2005).
Information about dolphin sightings in all Southwestern Atlantic Ocean is scarce
and primarily composed by punctual registers (eg. Zerbini et al. 2004; Baracho et al.
2005; Rossi-Santos et al. 2006a, b; Magalhães et al. 2007; Baracho et al. 2008,
Carvalho and Rossi-Santos 2011).
The coast of the Bahia State, although it is the longest in Brazil, is still barely
studied on its biodiversity and potential sources of natural resources. Despite the
great variety of species and the existence of dolphin records by sightings and strandings (Lodi and Capistrano 1990; Hetzel and Lodi 1993; Batista et al. 2012), the
information had been published individually and temporally distant, limiting results
about the ecology and distribution of the respective species in the region.
There are few systematic cetacean research, which is centered mainly in the
Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) (for revision of common name see Flores et al.
2008) along the coast, basically in estuaries and bays, mainly in Ilhéus coast (eg;
Batista 2001; Santos 2001; Reis 2002; Batista et al. 2005; Rossi-Santos et al. 2007;
Santos 2007; Assis 2008; Rossi-Santos and Reis 2008; Schiavetti et al. 2008; Reis
et al. 2008; Izidoro 2009; Moraes 2010; Rossi-Santos et al. 2010; Santos 2010) and
in the humpback whale (eg. Martins et al. 2001; Morete et al. 2003; Simões et al.
2005; Zerbini et al. 2006; Morete et al. 2007; Rossi-Santos et al. 2008; Andriolo
et al. 2010; Wedekin et al. 2010; Andriolo et al. 2014).
This study aims to bring information about the occurrence and distribution of the
dolphins in the north coast of the Bahia State, through opportunistic sightings,
between 2001 and 2006.
M.S. de Carvalho et al.
Keywords Dolphins • Opportunistic sightings • Bahia State • Brazil
8.1 Introduction
The distribution of the dolphins is clearly influenced by the marine environment,
being frequently related to a environmental factor scale, including the sea surface
temperature (Selzer and Payne 1988; Forney 2000; Baumgartner et al. 2001;
Hamazaki 2002), salinity (Selzer and Payne 1988; Forney 2000), depth (Gowans
and Whitehead 1995; Baumgartner 1997; Davis et al. 1998), and the bottom relief
(Selzer and Payne 1988; Gowans and Whitehead 1995; Baumgartner 1997; Davis
et al. 1998). However, the influence of these factors on the distribution of the animals seems to vary between regions and species (Hastie et al. 2005).
Information about dolphin sightings in all Southwestern Atlantic Ocean is scarce
and primarily composed by punctual registers (eg. Zerbini et al. 2004; Baracho et al.
2005; Rossi-Santos et al. 2006a, b; Magalhães et al. 2007; Baracho et al. 2008,
Carvalho and Rossi-Santos 2011).
The coast of the Bahia State, although it is the longest in Brazil, is still barely
studied on its biodiversity and potential sources of natural resources. Despite the
great variety of species and the existence of dolphin records by sightings and strandings (Lodi and Capistrano 1990; Hetzel and Lodi 1993; Batista et al. 2012), the
information had been published individually and temporally distant, limiting results
about the ecology and distribution of the respective species in the region.
There are few systematic cetacean research, which is centered mainly in the
Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) (for revision of common name see Flores et al.
2008) along the coast, basically in estuaries and bays, mainly in Ilhéus coast (eg;
Batista 2001; Santos 2001; Reis 2002; Batista et al. 2005; Rossi-Santos et al. 2007;
Santos 2007; Assis 2008; Rossi-Santos and Reis 2008; Schiavetti et al. 2008; Reis
et al. 2008; Izidoro 2009; Moraes 2010; Rossi-Santos et al. 2010; Santos 2010) and
in the humpback whale (eg. Martins et al. 2001; Morete et al. 2003; Simões et al.
2005; Zerbini et al. 2006; Morete et al. 2007; Rossi-Santos et al. 2008; Andriolo
et al. 2010; Wedekin et al. 2010; Andriolo et al. 2014).
This study aims to bring information about the occurrence and distribution of the
dolphins in the north coast of the Bahia State, through opportunistic sightings,
between 2001 and 2006.
M.S. de Carvalho et al.