Population estimate and distribution pattern of Indian Ocean humpback dolphin in northwestern Persian Gulf

Original provider:
Mohammad Sadeghsaba

Dataset credits:
Marine & Wetlands Division, Department Of the Environment

Abstract:
The habitat specialist Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) is
the second most common cetacean in the Persian Gulf. Mousa Bay in the
northwestern Persian Gulf is an important, but highly industrialised habitat
for this species. We developed a systematic and comprehensive distance
sampling survey carried out from 2014 to 2016 to estimate abundance and
population density of humpback dolphin in this bay. To evaluate
distribution pattern of the species, eight environmental variables were
measured and employed in a zero-inflated generalised additive model
(ZINB GAM). With an estimated abundance of 92 animals (64–131, 95% CI)
and density of 0.123 animal / km2 (0.086–0.176, 95% CI), our results
revealed Mousa Bay as one of the largest population of humpback dolphin
in northern latitudes of its global range.