Passive Acoustic Monitoring the Diel, Lunar, Seasonal and Tidal Patterns in the Biosonar Activity of the Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in the Pearl River Estuary, China

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141807
• Publication Date: 2015-11-18T19:01:31Z
• Authors: Zhi-Tao Wang; Paul E. Nachtigall; Tomonari Akamatsu; Ke-Xiong Wang; Yu-Ping Wu; Jian-Chang Liu; Guo-Qin Duan; Han-Jiang Cao; Ding Wang
• Keywords: Diel vertical migration; Human echolocation; Indo-Pacific

A growing demand for sustainable energy has led to an increase in construction of offshore windfarms. Guishan windmill farm will be constructed the Pearl River Estuary, China, which sustains world’s largest known population Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis). Dolphin conservation is urgent issue this region. By using passive acoustic monitoring, a baseline distribution data on species Estuary during pre-construction period had been collected. biosonar detection and its diel, lunar, seasonal tidal patterns were examined Generalized Linear Model. Significant higher echolocation detections at night than day, winter-spring summer-autumn, high tide flood recognized. new moon recognized time. The lunar encounter duration also significantly varied. These could due spatial-temporal variability dolphin prey illumination conditions. information useful driving further effective action facilitating later assessments effects windfarm by comparing post mitigation efforts.