Sightings of Risso’s dolphins and design of line-transect surveys (see de Boer et al. 2013 for more details).
For the first time ever, researchers have used photo identification to reveal long-distance movements by Risso’s dolphins. General migration patterns have remained a mystery for this wide-ranging animal, but this research provides some useful clues. Researchers took advantage of the prolific scaring typical of Risson’s dolphins and used a combination of opportunistic observation/photography along with systematic surveys. The work will likely provide important information for comprehensive, year-round, conservation, possibly including the establishment of marine protected areas. The findings were recently published in the open-access periodical Open Journal of Marine Science.
