Contribution to the assessment of cetaceans in the Guadeloupe archipelago

• Main Author: Gandilhon, Nadège
• Other Authors: Université des Antilles (UA), Université des Antilles (UA) - Site de Guadeloupe, FRA, Olivier Adam, Max Louis
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: French
• Published: HAL CCSD 2012
• Subjects: Marine mammals; acoustics; cetaceans of the West Indies; Physiology; Marine Biology; Interactions; humpback whales; Mammifères marins; acoustique; cétacés des Antilles; Biologie marine; baleines à bosse; [SDU.STU.OC]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Oceanography; [SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology; environment/Ecosystems; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Dauphins; Faroe Islands; baleen whales; Humpback Whale; Iceland; Megaptera novaeangliae
• Online Access: https://hal.science/tel-03910549; https://hal.science/tel-03910549/document; https://hal.science/tel-03910549/file/GANDILHON_these-1.pdf

During 325 surveys, 518 visual and 202 acoustic observations made it possible to identify 4 families, 14 genera and 17 species, representing a total cumulative number of nearly 6000 cetaceans contacted within the limits of 15 nautical miles from the coasts of Guadeloupe. Dolphins (Delphinidës), constitute 33% of the 36 species currently known in the world. Six rarer species have been described. Among the baleen whales, the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrates in coastal waters from December to the end of May and remains the most encountered species. Thanks to individual monitoring by telemetry, it was possible to prove that at least one individual of this species could stay in the archipelago for more than eight days. In 2010, a humpback whale from Moule Bay was tracked over 6300 kilometers to the south of Iceland, towards the Faroe Islands. A first stock estimate over the period from 2008 to 2011 suggests that 442 humpback whales %CV 19.29 95% CI [302-645] would evolve in the coastal archipelago. Carnivores are the most abundant, with among them the pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata) whose estimate indicates that 270 to 300 individuals would evolve over 1361 km2 with a high relative density (0.052 individuals/km>, %CV 90 ,16), mainly on the leeward coast. The analysis of the spatial distribution and environmental factors indicates a marked geographical sectoring of the populations in the coastal zone, with distributions influenced specifically by the bathymetry, the latitude, the distances to the coast and to the isobath 200, for information main and according to the species. Au cours de 325 relevés, 518 observations visuelles et 202 acoustiques ont permis de recenser 4 familles, 14 genres et 17 espèces, représentant un effectif total cumulé de près de 6000 cétacés contactés dans les limites de 15 mille nautiques des côtes en Guadeloupe. Les dauphins (Delphinidës), constituent 33% des 36 espèces actuellement connues dans le monde. Six espèces plus rares ont été décrites. Parmi les ...