Diversity of cetaceans in coastal seascape Golfo Dulce, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

作者：Oviedo Lenin^*; Herra Miranda David; Diego Pacheco Polanco Juan; Figgener Christine; Marquez Artavia Amaru; Quiros Pereira Wagner; Iniguez Miguel

来源：Revista de Biologia Tropical, 2015, 63: 395-406.

• cetacean community
• Delphinidae
• Balaenopteridae
• Cetacea
• Eastern Tropical Pacific

Golfo Dulce is a fiord-lilke embayment located in the southern Pacific of Costa Rica, this coastal-marine ecosystem harbors an important wealth in marine biodiversity, including cetaceans. In this study we describe the cetacean community of Golfo Dulce, in relation to the diversity of habitats constituting the seascape. Sighting data collected in periodic systematic surveys has yielded 943 records (2005-2014 approximate to 3 490h approximate to 64 533km), of 12 species of cetaceans. A gradient of cetacean diversity is observed from the inner basin to the transitional-oceanic area at the entrance of the Gulf, with coastal bottlenose dolphin and spotted dolphin dominating the inner basin, and bottlenose dolphins and migratory humpback whales the sill area. Transitional oceanic habitat holds the greatest species diversity dominated by oceanic species, particularly piscivorous delphinids, including the off-shore form of bottlenose dolphins and the "Central American" spinner dolphin. We hypothesize the potential occurrence of a morphotype of pantropical spotted dolphins within Golfo Dulce, in contrast with S. attenuatta graffmani outside in open Pacific coastal waters. The pattern of cetacean community structure is established by the dynamic of area use by the species, which should be considered for the establishment of management and conservation strategies.

• 出版日期2015-4