Advances in marine vertebrate research in Latin America: technological innovation and conservation

Description

This book gathers the most recent research findings on ecology and conservation of marine vertebrates in Latin America, making use of high technological methods to show readers the diversity of the marine research that has been conducted in these countries over the last decades. The book brings authors from more than 23 institutions of 7 different countries developing the most diverse research aiming at ocean conservation through the ecology of different vertebrate animals, such as whales, dolphins, manatees, turtles, seabirds and fish. This book deals with technological advances and innovation in the ecology and conservation of marine vertebrates in Latin America. This eclectic collection is broad in scope but provides detailed summaries of new methods that are deployed in the study of marine environmental conservation. Key issues revolve around the development and application of educational methodologies in the field of marine vertebrate research, which provide a rational basis for better management of marine environments using modern techniques associated with GIS, satellite tracking, aerial systems, bioacoustics, biogeochemistry, genetics, underwater videography, species photoidentification, molecular biology, trophic ecological methods, ethological methods, and behavioural ecology, among others. Discussion and elucidation of these kinds of techniques are aimed at university-level students and post-graduate researchers. The scope of this volume includes whales, sharks, rays, dolphins, tropical fishes, turtles, manatees as well as aspects of Latin American marine ecosystem conservation. Researchers in this biogeographic region, as well as others involved with marine vertebrate research, will find this work essential reading.;Preface; Contents; About the Editors; Part I: Historical Development of Aquatic Mammal Research in Latin America; Chapter 1: Mastozoology History and Perspectives in Latin America: Marine and Freshwater Mammals in Spotlight; 1.1 Introduction; 1.1.1 Beginnings; 1.1.2 The Twentieth Century: An Emerging Science; 1.2 Results; 1.2.1 Retrospective of the Last 32 Years; 1.2.2 Perspectives in Latin America; References; Chapter 2: Long-Term Monitoring of Dolphins in a Large Estuarine System of Southeastern Brazil; 2.1 Historic Background; 2.2 Target Species; 2.3 Study Area; 2.4 Morphology. Preface Contents About the Editors Part I: Historical Development of Aquatic Mammal Research in Latin America Chapter 1: Mastozoology History and Perspectives in Latin America: Marine and Freshwater Mammals in Spotlight 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 Beginnings 1.1.2 The Twentieth Century: An Emerging Science 1.2 Results 1.2.1 Retrospective of the Last 32 Years 1.2.2 Perspectives in Latin America References Chapter 2: Long-Term Monitoring of Dolphins in a Large Estuarine System of Southeastern Brazil 2.1 Historic Background 2.2 Target Species 2.3 Study Area 2.4 Morphology. 2.5 Age Evaluation2.6 Population Parameters and Habitat Index 2.7 Behavior 2.8 Acoustic 2.9 Conservation References Chapter 3: An Integrated Framework to Assess the Carrying Capacity of Humpback Whale-ƯWatching Tourism in Praia do Forte, Northeastern Brazil 3.1 Introduction 3.2 From Humpback Whaling to Whale-Watching in Brazil 3.2.1 Humpback Whale-Watching in Praia do Forte 3.3 The Negative Impacts of Whale-Watching on Humpback Whales 3.4 The Sustainable Management of Whale-Watching 3.5 Limiting Growth and the Concept of Carrying Capacity. 3.5.1 Social Carrying Capacity -- The Tourists3.5.2 Biological Carrying Capacity -- The Whales 3.5.3 Economic Carrying Capacity -- The Whale-Watching Companies 3.5.4 Management Carrying Capacity -- The Enforcement Authorities 3.6 An Integrated Framework to Assess Whale-Watching Carrying Capacity 3.7 Discussion 3.8 Recommendations 3.9 Conclusions References Part II: Technological Innovation for Marine Vertebrate Research in Latin America Chapter 4: Land-Based Station Studies of Aquatic Mammals in Latin America: Understanding Behavior for Conservation 4.1 Introduction. 4.2 Land-Based Studies Overview4.2.1 Land-Base Station Aspects and Limitations 4.2.2 Land-Base Station Spot and Tips 4.2.3 Land-Based Station Sampling Methods 4.2.4 Preliminary Observations, Pilot Study, Protocol 4.2.5 Ethogram 4.2.6 Land-Based Station Equipment 4.2.7 Spotting Scope and Binoculars 4.2.8 Theodolite and Total Station 4.3 Land-Based Studies in Latin American Countries 4.3.1 Argentina 4.3.2 Brazil 4.3.3 Chile 4.3.4 Colombia 4.3.5 Ecuador 4.3.6 Mexico 4.3.7 Uruguay 4.3.8 Venezuela 4.4 Conclusions References. Chapter 5: Marine Mammal Bioacustics Using Towed Array Systems in the Western South Atlantic Ocean5.1 Introduction 5.2 Towed Array Equipment 5.3 Basic Bioacoustics Data Analysis 5.3.1 Whistles 5.3.2 Echolocation Clicks 5.3.3 Burst Sounds 5.4 Cetaceans Species Recorded and Identified in the Western South Atlantic 5.4.1 Risso's Dolphin (Grampus griseus) 5.4.2 Rough-Toothed Dolphin (Steno bredanesis) 5.4.3 Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) and Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis) 5.4.4 Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).