Identification of Two Common Bottlenose Dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) Ecotypes in the Guadeloupe Archipelago, Eastern Caribbean
The common bottlenose dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) exhibits significant intraspecific diversity globally, with distinct ecotypes identified in various regions. In the Guadeloupe archipelago, the citizen science NGO OMMAG has been monitoring these dolphins for over a decade, docume...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Rachel Haderlé Laurent Bouveret Bruno Serranito Paula Méndez-Fernandez Olivier Adam Mélodie Penel Jérôme Couvat Iwan Le Berre Jean-Luc Jung |
| author_facet | Rachel Haderlé Laurent Bouveret Bruno Serranito Paula Méndez-Fernandez Olivier Adam Mélodie Penel Jérôme Couvat Iwan Le Berre Jean-Luc Jung |
| author_sort | Rachel Haderlé |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The common bottlenose dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) exhibits significant intraspecific diversity globally, with distinct ecotypes identified in various regions. In the Guadeloupe archipelago, the citizen science NGO OMMAG has been monitoring these dolphins for over a decade, documenting two distinct morphotypes. This study investigates whether these morphotypes represent coastal and oceanic ecotypes, which have not been previously identified in the region. We characterized morphological differences between the two morphotypes, analyzed genetic variation in individuals stranded around Guadeloupe over the past ten years, and modeled their habitats. Results revealed that these morphotypes align with the ecotypes described in the Atlantic Ocean, forming two distinct genetic groups corresponding to Caribbean ecotypes. Habitat modeling showed differences in habitat preferences between the morphotypes. These findings provide strong evidence for the existence of two distinct ecotypes of <i>T. truncatus</i> in Guadeloupe. Considering the varied risks of exposure to maritime traffic, our study suggests that these ecotypes should be managed as separate units within the species to better inform conservation strategies in the region. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-bf1c96ad0a2744878bb21cf982cf2a2e2025-08-20T02:37:09ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-01-0115110810.3390/ani15010108Identification of Two Common Bottlenose Dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) Ecotypes in the Guadeloupe Archipelago, Eastern CaribbeanRachel Haderlé0Laurent Bouveret1Bruno Serranito2Paula Méndez-Fernandez3Olivier Adam4Mélodie Penel5Jérôme Couvat6Iwan Le Berre7Jean-Luc Jung8Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles, 75005 Paris, FranceObservatoire des Mammifères Marins de l’Archipel Guadeloupéen (OMMAG), 97117 Port-Louis, FranceStation Marine de Dinard du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 35800 Dinard, FranceObservatoire Pelagis, UAR 3462 La Rochelle Université—CNRS, 17000 La Rochelle, FranceInstitut d’Alembert UMR 7190, LAM, Sorbonne University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, FranceCampus de Fouillole, Université des Antilles et de la Guyane, 97159 Pointe-à-Pitre, FranceSanctuaire Agoa pour les Mammifères Marins, Office Français de la Biodiversité, 97229 Les Trois Ilets, FranceUMR LETG-Brest CNRS-6554, IUEM Université de Bretagne Occidentale, 29280 Brest, FranceInstitut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE-PSL, Université des Antilles, 75005 Paris, FranceThe common bottlenose dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) exhibits significant intraspecific diversity globally, with distinct ecotypes identified in various regions. In the Guadeloupe archipelago, the citizen science NGO OMMAG has been monitoring these dolphins for over a decade, documenting two distinct morphotypes. This study investigates whether these morphotypes represent coastal and oceanic ecotypes, which have not been previously identified in the region. We characterized morphological differences between the two morphotypes, analyzed genetic variation in individuals stranded around Guadeloupe over the past ten years, and modeled their habitats. Results revealed that these morphotypes align with the ecotypes described in the Atlantic Ocean, forming two distinct genetic groups corresponding to Caribbean ecotypes. Habitat modeling showed differences in habitat preferences between the morphotypes. These findings provide strong evidence for the existence of two distinct ecotypes of <i>T. truncatus</i> in Guadeloupe. Considering the varied risks of exposure to maritime traffic, our study suggests that these ecotypes should be managed as separate units within the species to better inform conservation strategies in the region.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/1/108<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>ecotypesCaribbeancoastaloceanicphoto-identification |
| spellingShingle | Rachel Haderlé Laurent Bouveret Bruno Serranito Paula Méndez-Fernandez Olivier Adam Mélodie Penel Jérôme Couvat Iwan Le Berre Jean-Luc Jung Identification of Two Common Bottlenose Dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) Ecotypes in the Guadeloupe Archipelago, Eastern Caribbean Animals <i>Tursiops truncatus</i> ecotypes Caribbean coastal oceanic photo-identification |
| title | Identification of Two Common Bottlenose Dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) Ecotypes in the Guadeloupe Archipelago, Eastern Caribbean |
| title_full | Identification of Two Common Bottlenose Dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) Ecotypes in the Guadeloupe Archipelago, Eastern Caribbean |
| title_fullStr | Identification of Two Common Bottlenose Dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) Ecotypes in the Guadeloupe Archipelago, Eastern Caribbean |
| title_full_unstemmed | Identification of Two Common Bottlenose Dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) Ecotypes in the Guadeloupe Archipelago, Eastern Caribbean |
| title_short | Identification of Two Common Bottlenose Dolphin (<i>Tursiops truncatus</i>) Ecotypes in the Guadeloupe Archipelago, Eastern Caribbean |
| title_sort | identification of two common bottlenose dolphin i tursiops truncatus i ecotypes in the guadeloupe archipelago eastern caribbean |
| topic | <i>Tursiops truncatus</i> ecotypes Caribbean coastal oceanic photo-identification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/1/108 |
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