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Investigating stock structure and trophic relationships among island-associated dolphins in the oceanic waters of the North Atlantic using fatty acid and stable isotope analyses

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Abstract

Short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) are the two most abundant cetacean species in the oceanic waters of Madeira and the Azores. They are of similar size, occur in similar habitats and are regularly observed in mixed-species groups to forage together. Genetic analyses suggested that, within each species, dolphins ranging around both archipelagos belong to the same panmictic population. We tested the hypotheses that (1) within each species, individuals from the two archipelagos belong to a single ecological stock; (2) between species, common and spotted dolphins have distinct trophic niches; using fatty acid (FA) and stable isotope (SI) analyses. Fatty acids and stable isotopes were analysed from 86 blubber and 150 skin samples of free-ranging dolphins, respectively. Sex-related differences were not significant, except for common dolphin FA profiles. In S. frontalis, FA and SI differences between archipelagos suggested that individuals belonged to different ecological stocks, despite the existence of gene flow between the two archipelagos. In D. delphis, differences were more pronounced, but it was not possible to distinguish between stock structure and a seasonal effect, due to differential sampling periods in the Azores and Madeira. Inter-specific comparisons were restricted to the Azores where all samples were collected during summer. Differences in FA proportions, noticeably for FA of dietary origin, as well as in nitrogen SI profiles, confirmed that both species feed on distinct resources. This study emphasizes the need for an integrated approach including both genetic and biochemical analyses for stock assessment, especially in wide-ranging marine top predators.

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Acknowledgments

Authors are very grateful to the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and the FEDER programme for funding the GOLFINICHO project (POCI/BIA-BDE/61009/2004), S.Q.’s postdoctoral grants (IMAR/FCT-PDOC-006/2001-MoleGen and SFRH/BPD/19680/2004), A.R.C and I.C.’s investigation assistant grants (IMAR/FCT/GOLFINICHO/001/2005, 003/2006 and 004/2006) and I.C.’s doctoral grant (SFRH/BD/41192/2007). They also acknowledge FCT for its pluri-annual funding to Research Unit #531. They wish to thank two anonymous referees who commented on an earlier version of the manuscript, as well as S. Borràs, J. Wiszniewski and all the persons who contributed to this project, with special thanks to the skippers (P. Martins, V. Rosa, R. Bettencourt, N. Serpa, H. Vieira and J. Viveiros), whose dexterity greatly helped sample collection. Sample collection and analysis complied with the current Portuguese laws. Samples were obtained under sampling permits 06/CN/2002, 11/CN/2003, 3/CN/2004 and 7/CN/2005 of the Environment Directorate of the Regional Government of the Azores, and Of. 668/04 Inf 711/04 DAC/DSCN, Credential no. 103-107/2006/CAPT from the Instituto de Conservação da Natureza.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, LARSyS—Associated Laboratory, Centre of IMAR of the University of the Azores, 9901-862, Horta, Azores, Portugal

    Sophie Quérouil, Ana Rita Cordeiro, Irma Cascão & Ricardo Serrão Santos

  2. Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISE-M), IRD-UMR226, Université Montpellier 2, CC063, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095, Montpellier Cedex 5, France

    Sophie Quérouil

  3. Marine Sciences Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA

    Jeremy Kiszka

  4. IPMA, Instituto de Investigação do Mar e da Atmosfera, Avenida Brasília, 1449-006, Lisbon, Portugal

    Ana Rita Cordeiro & Narcisa M. Bandarra

  5. Museu da Baleia da Madeira, Rua da Pedra d’Eira, 9200-031, Caniçal, Madeira, Portugal

    Luís Freitas, Ana Dinis & Filipe Alves

  6. CIMAR/CIIMAR, Centre of Interdisciplinary Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, 4050-123, Porto, Portugal

    Luís Freitas, Ana Dinis & Filipe Alves

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  1. Sophie Quérouil
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Correspondence to Sophie Quérouil.

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Communicated by U. Siebert.

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Quérouil, S., Kiszka, J., Cordeiro, A.R. et al. Investigating stock structure and trophic relationships among island-associated dolphins in the oceanic waters of the North Atlantic using fatty acid and stable isotope analyses. Mar Biol 160, 1325–1337 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2184-x

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