Occurrence of cetacean strandings on the coast of São Paulo, Brazil: a spatio-temporal assessment from 2017 to 2021

Authors

  • Alexandre Martinelli Mineral Engenharia e Meio Ambiente
  • Daniela Ferro de Godoy
  • Yaçanã Luana Wiener
  • Claudio de Souza Vieira Júnior
  • Claudia Carvalho do Nascimento
  • Daniela Sá de Mello
  • Caio Noritake Louzada
  • Renata Maria Taufer

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5597/lajam00327

Abstract

This study is part of the Projeto de Monitoramento de Praia– Bacia de Santos - (PMP-BS, Santos Basin Beach Monitoring Project) and is based on data from stranded cetaceans collected during beach monitoring in the state of São Paulo, between 2017 and 2021. Our aim was to assess the temporal and spatial patterns of strandings, including the main recorded species, stranding locations, and their distribution throughout the year. The analysis covered 258 beaches along the coast of São Paulo, which was divided into three mesoregions: South Coast (LSP), Central Coast (LCP), and North Coast (LNP). We calculated the number of regularly monitored beach kilometers and the number of cetacean records for each of these mesoregions. These records were termed ‘Strandings per Unit of Sampling Effort’ (EPUE). The total regular daily monitoring covered 430,596.36 kilometers along the beaches, with a record of 2,055 stranded individuals belonging to 18 cetacean species. On average, there were 411 ± 38 stranded individuals per year, ranging from 387 in 2019 to 470 in 2021. The species most frequently encountered were Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei), Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), and Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis). The Franciscana and Guiana dolphins accounted for 86% of records. Forty-three percent of strandings (877) was located in LSP , 33% (670) in LCP, and 25% (508) in LNP. These results were expected and supported by previous studies, as LSP encompasses important priority conservation areas with a diversity of ecosystems and the presence of endemic and endangered species.

Keywords: beach monitoring, cetaceans, conservation, mesoregions, São Paulo coast, strandings

Downloads

Published

2024-11-27

How to Cite

Martinelli, A., Ferro de Godoy, D., Luana Wiener, Y., de Souza Vieira Júnior, C., Carvalho do Nascimento, C., Sá de Mello, D., Noritake Louzada, C., & Maria Taufer, R. (2024). Occurrence of cetacean strandings on the coast of São Paulo, Brazil: a spatio-temporal assessment from 2017 to 2021. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals, 19(2), 190-201. https://doi.org/10.5597/lajam00327

Issue

Vol. 19 No. 2 (2024)

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).