Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals (LAJAM)
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Can Community-Based Ecotourism with the Amazon River dolphin contribute to its conservation in Brazil?
No full textIn Brazil, the Amazon River dolphin or boto (Inia geoffrensis) is considered a charismatic creature of the Amazonian culture and freshwater biodiversity, which attracts a lot of tourists searching for unique experiences with wildlife. Under several threats, boto’s population is declining and opportunities/alternatives to develop conservation actions are needed, advised, and urgent. This study aimed to investigate from local riverside perspective if the dolphin-watching Community-Based EcoTourism (CBET) is a good conservation alternative for boto. By applying semi-structured interviews and participant observation methods, we studied the perception of 68 riverside people from the Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve (MSDR), central Amazon. Some 88.3% of respondents considered the dolphin-watching tourism as an important conservation measure, since it helps in the dissemination of local knowledge about the species, restrains ‘outsider’ fishermen presence, and generates alternative income to communities. The same respondents understand as important the conservation of boto, and 68% said that keeping ecological relations between animal and environment helps in the conservation of its habitats. The economic benefits of dolphin-watching tourism in the MSDR were reported by 32.8% respondents. Community-based wildlife tourism is one of the widely used tools to promote species conservation and their habitats, when following good practices and promoting awareness, economic benefits, and scale up impacts. The results from this study provide information which may support strategies for the touristic management and conservation of botos in the Amazon
Four decades of pinniped records on the coast of São Paulo state, Southeastern Brazil (1981–2023)
No full textBeach monitoring is an essential method for documenting marine mammal strandings, and gathering valuable information on individual and population dynamics. This study reports occurrences of pinniped strandings along the coast of São Paulo state (23-25° S), Southeastern Brazil, with the aim of updating species records, analyzing seasonal, annual, and spatial stranding patterns and identifying the sex and maturity class of the individuals. Data were collected between 1980 and 2023, initially through sporadic records and non-systematic monitoring. From 2015 onward, data were systematically collected via daily monitoring conducted by the Santos Basin Beach Monitoring Project (PMP-BS). Throughout the study period, a total of seven species were recorded in the state, representing both the Otariidae and Phocidae families: South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens), South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis), Subantarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus tropicalis), Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella), southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina), leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx), and crabeater seal (Lobodon carcinophaga). The findings revealed that immature males of South American fur seal and mature males of Subantarctic fur seal were the most frequently encountered individuals. Strandings occurred year-round, with the highest number of occurrences observed in winter, the only season during which all listed species were recorded. Furthermore, the southern coast of São Paulo state exhibited the highest concentration of strandings. This study represents the first detailed account of pinniped records along the São Paulo coast
First acoustic description of Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) whistles in Mexican waters
No full textDr. Eric Angel Ramos - a shooting star that inspired marine mammalogists and beyond (1987 – 2024)
No full textReport on foraging behavior and conflicts of the Araguaia River dolphin in Goiás and Mato Grosso, Brazil
No full textStranding pattern and impact of fishing interaction in franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) in the north coast of São Paulo, Brazil – Contributions to the knowledge of the Franciscana Management Area (FMA IIa)
No full textThis study presents the age structure and growth patterns, spatial and seasonal distribution, and anthropic interactions of franciscana dolphin Pontoporia blainvillei, using data from stranded individuals through a nine-year effort of daily monitoring on the northern coast of São Paulo, an important area within the Franciscana Management Area (FMA IIa). The main results are compatible with the literature for the region, i.e., asymptotic growth, sexual maturity, and seasonality of stranding events, except with a higher frequency of calves and adults on the north coast of São Paulo than observed in other areas. Our results strengthen the relevance of this FMA as a region with a high occurrence of franciscana strandings, in addition to highlighting the high occurrence of the species’ interaction with gillnet fishing. Approximately 60% of registered individuals presented evidence of fishing interactions. Ubatuba was the area with the highest concentration of events, underlining the need for studies on carcass drift dynamics, population structure, and local fishing, to determine the mortality cause of this species and the significant fishing threat locations
Gross anatomy and histology of the heart and great vessels of a leopard seal (Hydrurga leptonyx)
No full textKeywords: pinniped physiology, cardiovascular system, diving adaptations, histolog