Temporal variation in the occurrence of whale and dolphin species in the Azores from 2010 to 2017

Authors

  • Annelie Milou Bron Van Hall Larenstein
  • Okka Jansen Van Hall Larenstein
  • Miranda van der Linde Futurismo Azores Adventures

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25609/sure.v5.4170

Keywords:

whale watching, tourism, opportunistic data, Azores, sea surface temperature, global climate change.

Abstract

Global climate change (CC) affects marine mammals, such as cetaceans, by exposing them to an altered marine environment. Cetaceans are indirectly influenced by CC (e.g. through their prey, warmer environment). They are indicator species, significant to marine ecosystems and one of the most endangered vertebrate groups on this planet. Since oceanic water temperatures have increased, a noticeable shift in diversity of cetaceans present in marine hotspots is expected. In this paper, the community structure (occurrence) of cetacean species present around São Miguel Island, Portugal were investigated to contribute to the current understanding of the effects of CC on cetaceans.

Additional Files

Published

2019-12-03

How to Cite

Bron, A. M., Jansen, O., & van der Linde, M. (2019). Temporal variation in the occurrence of whale and dolphin species in the Azores from 2010 to 2017. Student Undergraduate Research E-Journal!, 5, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.25609/sure.v5.4170