SEFSC Dolphin Photo ID

Original provider:
NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC)

Dataset credits:
NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, South Florida Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-identification Cooperative

Abstract:
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible for monitoring the populations of bottlenose dolphins (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) in the southeastern United States waters. The main goals of this monitoring are detection of large-scale change in bottlenose dolphin abundance and establishment of archival databases for long-term trend detection.

In 1990, the National Oceanographic Administration (NOAA), NMFS, Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) Miami Laboratory initiated low-level monitoring of bottlenose dolphins, <i>Tursiops truncatus</i>, in Biscayne Bay, Florida using photographic identification (photo-ID) methods to gather information on the numbers of bottlenose dolphins that utilize this area.

Biscayne Bay has been greatly influenced by the development of the Miami area in the past 75 years. Information from 12 years of photo-ID surveys has confirmed the presence of a relatively large, long-term resident, core population of bottlenose dolphins in the bay. Their role as apex predators characterizes these animals as excellent indicators of the overall health of Biscayne Bay.

This dataset includes sighting information for both identified and unidentified dolphins, dating from 1990 to 2004.

原始提供方：
美国国家海洋和大气管理局东南渔业科学中心（NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, SEFSC）

数据集致谢：
美国国家海洋和大气管理局东南渔业科学中心、南佛罗里达宽吻海豚照片识别合作项目（South Florida Bottlenose Dolphin Photo-identification Cooperative）

摘要：
美国国家海洋渔业局（National Marine Fisheries Service, NMFS）负责对美国东南部海域的宽吻海豚（*Tursiops truncatus*）种群开展监测工作。本次监测的核心目标为识别宽吻海豚种群丰度的大规模变化，并建立存档数据库以支持长期种群趋势检测。

1990年，美国国家海洋和大气管理局（National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA）下属的美国国家海洋渔业局（National Marine Fisheries Service, NMFS）东南渔业科学中心迈阿密实验室启动了针对佛罗里达州比斯坎湾宽吻海豚（*Tursiops truncatus*）的低强度监测项目，采用照片识别（photographic identification, photo-ID）技术收集该海域栖息的宽吻海豚种群数量相关信息。

过去75年间，迈阿密地区的开发活动对比斯坎湾造成了显著影响。为期12年的照片识别调查数据证实，比斯坎湾内存在一个规模较大的宽吻海豚常驻核心种群。作为顶级捕食者，这类海豚是评估比斯坎湾整体生态健康状况的优质指示物种。

本数据集涵盖了1990年至2004年间已识别和未识别海豚的目击记录信息。