Patterns of association and distribution of estuarine-resident common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) with photographs and environmental parameters in North Carolina, USA from 2018-01-08 to 2018-01-26 (NCEI Accession 0254384)

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: October 13, 2025 | Last Modified: 2022-07-13T00:00:00.000+00:00

The NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center conducted surveys within the southern North Carolina estuarine system from 2018-01-08 to 2018-01-26 to provide an updated estimate of abundance for the Southern North Carolina Estuarine System Stock (SNCESS) of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) using photographic-identification capture-mark-recapture (photo-ID) techniques. The surveys were strategically planned for winter when little overlap in distribution with the Northern North Carolina Estuarine System Stock (NNCESS) or coastal migratory stocks of bottlenose dolphins was expected. Because the sighting histories of individual dolphins have been an important tool for identifying or confirming stock membership, we also compared dolphins that were photo-identified during the 2018 surveys to dolphins that were included in a long-term photo-ID catalog dating back to 1995-07-10. Using the 2018 photographs and the long-term photo-ID catalog, we also evaluated the use of differences in Xenobalanus globicipitis infestation captured in photographs among individuals and groups as support for stock definition. This dataset contains the spatiotemporal sighting histories, photographs, observations of Xenobalanus globicipitis presence/absence, and environmental data for common bottlenose dolphin groups observed during the 2018 surveys. Data for individual dolphins observed during the 2018 surveys that were previously included in the long-term photo-ID catalog were provided as a subset with corresponding photographic matches. The sighting history and photographs of individuals matching from the long-term catalog are included with the exception of those dates indicated as capture events, as such photographs were not digitized.

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0254384 ANIMALS - GROUP - NUMBER IN GROUP biological data cetacean LATITUDE LONGITUDE MARINE MAMMALS MARINE SPECIES INVENTORY SALINITY SEA STATE SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE species abundance water depth camera GPS laboratory analysis multi-parameter water quality sensor photo-identification techniques photograph visual analysis visual estimate visual observation in situ survey - biological visual estimate visual observation NMFS/SEFSC - Beaufort Lab NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center North Atlantic Ocean oceanography DOC/NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC > Southeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MAMMALS > CETACEANS EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MARINE MAMMALS EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > WATER DEPTH EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > SEA STATE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SALINITY/DENSITY > SALINITY Beaufort Sea-State Scale Common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus Xenobalanus globicipitis barnacle dorsal fin distinctiveness habitat mark-recapture parasite photo quality CAMERA > CAMERA GPS RECEIVERS > GPS RECEIVERS Photo-Identification Techniques VISUAL OBSERVATIONS > VISUAL OBSERVATIONS Garmin GPSMAP 942xs with Garmin GT23M-TM transom mounted transducer Garmin GT21-TM Transom Mounted transducer Garmin echoMAP GPS OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN Coastal Waters of North Carolina CFRY33

Complete Metadata

describedByType	application/octet-steam
identifier	gov.noaa.nodc:0254384
issued	2022-07-13T00:00:00.000+00:00
landingPage	https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language	[]
references	[ "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0270057", "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/67350", "https://doi.org/10.7289/v5vh5ks8" ]
rights	otherRestrictions
spatial	-75.56587,33.54914,-79.01505,36.00227
temporal	2018-01-08T00:00:00+00:00/2018-01-26T00:00:00+00:00