Indonesian Manta Ray Habitat Use disturbance to this threatened species by tourism, regulations for the number of boats and interactions, especially during key reproductive times should be considered. Further, strict fishing regulation in the area is recommended as fishing gear entanglement was identified as a threat to this population.

Identifying appropriate management units is vital for wildlife management. Here we investigate one potential management unit — resident communities of bottlenose dolphins — using information from ranging, occupancy, and association patterns. We identify a resident community of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the Swan Canning Riverpark, Western Australia based on: ranging patterns, sighting rates, Lagged Identification Rates (LIR), and three measures of social affinity and structure (Simple Ratio Index, preferred dyadic association analyses, and Lagged Association Rates (LAR)). The analyses yielded an estimated ‘community size’ of 17–18 individuals (excluding calves). High seasonal sighting rates (> 0.75 sightings per season) and a long mean residence time (ca. nine years) indicated year-round residency. The model best-fitting the LIR (emigration and mortality) also supported this. The social structure of dolphins was species-typical, characterized by significant dyadic associations within agesex classes (permutation test; P < 0.001), stronger associations among adult males than among adult females (LAR males > LAR females), and temporally stable associations (LAR > null LAR). Constant companions or long-lasting association models best explained adult male and female LARs. While behavioural information identified a resident community in the Riverpark, genetic and demographic information is needed to assess its appropriateness as a management unit.

No abstract

Summary Population structure must be considered when developing mark–recapture (MR) study designs as the sampling of individuals from multiple populations (or subpopulations) may increase heterogeneity in individual capture probability. Conversely, the use of an appropriate MR study design which accommodates heterogeneity associated with capture occasion varying covariates due to animals moving between ‘states’ (i.e. geographic sites) can provide insight into how animals are distributed in a particular environment and the status and connectivity of subpopulations. The multistate closed robust design (MSCRD) was chosen to investigate: (i) the demographic parameters of Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) subpopulations in coastal and estuarine waters of Perth, Western Australia; and (ii) how they are related to each other in a metapopulation. Using 4 years of year‐round photo‐identification surveys across three geographic sites, we accounted for heterogeneity of capture probability based on how individuals distributed themselves across geographic sites and characterized the status of subpopulations based on their abundance, survival and interconnection. MSCRD models highlighted high heterogeneity in capture probabilities and demographic parameters between sites. High capture probabilities, high survival and constant abundances described a subpopulation with high fidelity in an estuary. In contrast, low captures, permanent and temporary emigration and fluctuating abundances suggested transient use and low fidelity in an open coastline site. Estimates of transition probabilities also varied between sites, with estuarine dolphins visiting sheltered coastal embayments more regularly than coastal dolphins visited the estuary, highlighting some dynamics within the metapopulation. Synthesis and applications. To date, bottlenose dolphin studies using mark–recapture approach have focussed on investigating single subpopulations. Here, in a heterogeneous coastal–estuarine environment, we demonstrated that spatially structured bottlenose dolphin subpopulations contained distinct suites of individuals and differed in size, demographics and connectivity. Such insights into the dynamics of a metapopulation can assist in local‐scale species conservation. The MSCRD approach is applicable to species/populations consisting of recognizable individuals and is particularly useful for characterizing wildlife subpopulations that vary in their vulnerability to human activities, climate change or invasive species.

The forecast for the viability of populations depends upon metapopulation dynamics: the combination of reproduction and mortality within populations, as well as dispersal between populations. This study focuses on an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) population in coastal waters near Bunbury, Western Australia. Demographic modeling of this population suggested that recent reproductive output was not sufficient to offset mortality. Migrants from adjacent populations might make up this deficit, so that Bunbury would act as a "sink," or net recipient population. We investigated historical dispersal in and out of Bunbury, using microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA of 193 dolphins across five study locations along the southwestern Australian coastline. Our results indicated limited gene

Camera-trapping and capture-recapture models are the most widely used tools for estimating densities of wild felids that have unique coat patterns, such as Eurasian lynx. However, studies dealing with this species are predominantly on a short-term basis and our knowledge of temporal trends and population persistence is still scarce. By using systematic camera-trapping and spatial capture-recapture models, we estimated lynx densities and evaluated density fluctuations, apparent survival, transition rate and individual's turnover during five consecutive seasons at three different sites situated in the Czech–Slovak–Polish borderland at the periphery of the Western Carpathians. Our density estimates vary between 0.26 and 1.85 lynx/100 km2 suitable habitat and represent the lowest and the highest lynx densities reported from the Carpathians. We recorded 1.5–4.1-fold changes in asynchronous fluctuated densities among all study sites and seasons. Furthermore, we detected high individual’s turnover (on average 46.3 ± 8.06% in all independent lynx and 37.6 ± 4.22% in adults) as well as low persistence of adults (only 3 out of 29 individuals detected in all seasons). The overall apparent survival rate was 0.63 ± 0.055 and overall transition rate between sites was 0.03 ± 0.019. Transition rate of males was significantly higher than in females, suggesting male-biased dispersal and female philopatry. Fluctuating densities and high turnover rates, in combination with documented lynx mortality, indicate that the population in our region faces several human-induced mortalities, such as poaching or lynx-vehicle collisions. These factors might restrict population growth and limit the dispersion of lynx to other subsequent areas, thus undermining the favourable conservation status of the Carpathian population. Moreover, our study demonstrates that long-term camera-trapping surveys are needed for evaluation of population trends and for reliable estimates of demographic parameters of wild territorial felids, and can be further used for establishing successful management and conservation measures.

We trialed the collection of blow samples using a waterproof electric multirotor (quadcopter) drone from two free‐ranging dolphin species, the abundant and approachable bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) and the less common and boat shy humpback dolphin (Sousa sahulensis). This drone was fast, maneuverable, and quiet compared to other drones commonly used in studies of cetaceans and relative to their hearing thresholds. We were successful in collecting blow samples from four individual dolphins (three bottlenose dolphins and one humpback dolphin) in two groups. The success of obtaining samples was dependent on the individual dolphin's activity. We were successful in sampling when dolphins were resting and socializing but found that socializing dolphins were not predictable in their surfacing and direction and therefore do not recommend drone sampling socializing dolphins. The suitability and preference of the sampling technique over biopsy sampling is highly dependent on the dolphin activity. We also attempted to extract DNA from the blow samples with the aim of assessing the feasibility of using blow sampling by drone for population genetic studies. We were unsuccessful in extracting DNA and recommend that others attempting to sample dolphin blow with a drone should prioritize collecting a larger volume of blow that may yield adequate concentrations of DNA to be amplified. Blow sample volume could potentially be increased by sampling with more absorbent materials.

Identifying population structure and boundaries among communities of wildlife exposed to anthropogenic threats is key to successful conservation management. Previous studies on the demography, social and spatial structure of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) suggested four nearly discrete behavioral communities in Perth metropolitan waters, Western Australia. We investigated the genetic structure of these four communities using highly polymorphic microsatellite markers and part of the hypervariable segment of the mitochondrial control region. Overall, there was no evidence of spatial genetic structure. We found significant, yet very small genetic differentiation between some communities, most likely due to the presence of highly related individuals within these communities. Our findings of high levels of contemporary migration and highly related individuals among communities point toward a panmictic genetic population with continuous gene flow among each of the communities. In species with slow life histories and fission-fusion dynamics, such as Tursiops spp., genetic and socio-spatial structures may reflect different timescales. Thus, despite genetic similarity, each social community should be considered as a distinct ecological unit to be conserved because they are exposed to different anthropogenic threats and occur in different ecological habitats, social structure being as important as genetic information for immediate conservation management. The estuarine community, in particular, is highly vulnerable and appropriate conservation measures are needed in order to maintain its connectivity with the adjacent, semi-enclosed coastal communities.