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Group size varies with climate and oceanographic conditions in bottlenose dolphins

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Abstract

An understanding of animal grouping patterns is essential to increase knowledge about their social systems. We used a 5-year continuous dataset to investigate grouping behavior in a free-ranging highly social mammal, the bottlenose dolphin. Our objective was achieved by examining the relationships between a set of oceanographic, climatic, topographic, anthropogenic and social variables and bottlenose dolphin group size. Modeling analysis revealed that bottlenose dolphin group dynamics was linked to both small-scale oceanographic variation and large-scale climatic variation. Larger groups of bottlenose dolphins were predicted with an elevated concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water column, a moderate concentration of chlorophyll-a 60 days before each encounter, and a neutral NAO index. The observed link between environmental variables and dolphin group size is likely associated to changes in dolphin prey availability. Bottlenose dolphin group dynamics are likely driven by multiple factors, and social variables may act synergistically with environmental parameters. Larger groups of bottlenose dolphins were indeed also predicted with a greater number of dependent calves, likely because of enhanced care towards the calves. This study illustrates the value of using multiple variables at different scales to explore the factors that shape animal societies. The current study therefore contributes to the growing body of literature on how environmental change, occurring at different spatio-temporal scales, is indirectly related to the social behavior of a marine top predator.

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Acknowledgements

This research is part of a long-term study supported by funding from the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (http://www.thebdri.com). We thank Niki Karagouni, Victoria Hope, Olga Mosca, Sara de Almeida Simões, and BDRI volunteers for their contribution to support field and laboratory work. We thank INTECMAR for making public the oceanographic data from their stations in the Ría de Arousa. Thank you to Olga Mosca for reviewing the English grammar of the manuscript. We also thank Ursula Siebert, Bernd Würsig and one anonymous reviewer for their helpful comments and suggestions on the manuscript. Data collection complies with the current laws of Spain, the country in which it was performed.

Funding

This work was supported by funding from the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (http://www.thebdri.com).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI, Avenida Beiramar 192, 36980, O Grove, Pontevedra, Spain

    Séverine Methion, Oriol Giralt Paradell & Bruno Díaz López

  2. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas, CSIC, Eduardo Cabello 6, 36208, Vigo, Spain

    Xosé Antonio Padín

  3. UMR CNRS 5805 EPOC, Université Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy St Hilaire, 33615, Pessac Cedex, France

    Thierry Corrège

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  1. Séverine Methion
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  2. Oriol Giralt Paradell
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  5. Bruno Díaz López
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Contributions

SM, BDL and TC conceived the research idea. SM and BDL obtained funding, designed the field study, and collected field data. OGP assisted with field data collection in 2017 and 2018. XAP processed the oceanographic data from the INTECMAR observation network (Instituto Tecnolóxico para o Control do Medio Mariño, http://www.intecmar.gal). BDL and OGP carried out GIS analysis. SM and BDL analyzed the data. SM wrote the manuscript. SM, BDL, OGP, XAP and TC reviewed, read, and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Séverine Methion.

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Methion, S., Giralt Paradell, O., Padín, X.A. et al. Group size varies with climate and oceanographic conditions in bottlenose dolphins. Mar Biol 170, 7 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-022-04154-4

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