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The impact of anthropogenic pollutants on the distribution of a marine top predator within a coastal estuarine system

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Abstract

Due to anthropogenic pressures, estuarine systems are among the most broadly impacted areas for marine top predator species. Given this, it is crucial to study the interaction between the vulnerable marine species that inhabit these regions with environmental and anthropogenic variables. This study aims to determine whether nutrient pollution is related to the presence of bottlenose dolphins in a coastal environment. Using a multi-year dataset and GAMs, we studied the relationship between marine pollutants and the presence of bottlenose dolphins in this highly impacted coastal marine environment. We observed that urban fertilizers were linked to the spatial distribution of bottlenose dolphins. There was a higher presence of bottlenose dolphins in areas with high levels of phosphoric acid. In contrast, at higher concentrations of nitrate, the presence of bottlenose dolphins decreased.

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Acknowledgements

This study would not have been possible without the cooperation of Niki Karagouni, Sara Simoes, Oriol Giralt Paradell and all BDRI members and volunteers who generously gave their time to help with field work. Data collection complies with the current laws of the country in which it was performed (Spain).

Funding

Funding for this research came from the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI).

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

    Cheyenne Bridge, Séverine Methion & Bruno Díaz López

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  1. Cheyenne Bridge
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Contributions

Cheyenne Bridge: conceptualization, writing—original draft, formal analysis, review and editing. Séverine Methion: conceptualization, investigation, data curation, writing—review and editing, project administration, funding acquisition. Bruno Díaz López: conceptualization, investigation, data curation, methodology, software, formal analysis, writing—review and editing, supervision, funding acquisition.

All authors have read, understood, and have complied as applicable with the statement on “Ethical responsibilities of Authors” as found in the Instructions for Authors and are aware that with minor exceptions, no changes can be made to authorship once the paper is submitted.

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Correspondence to Bruno Díaz López.

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Bridge, C., Methion, S. & Díaz López, B. The impact of anthropogenic pollutants on the distribution of a marine top predator within a coastal estuarine system. Environ Monit Assess 195, 898 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11477-2

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