Anthropogenic impacts in estuarine systems can influence marine mammal habitat use, population dynamics, fitness, and mortality events. The objective was to examine habitat use among the resident common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population inhabiting the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, and the influences of variation in environmental factors and prey availability in 2003–2015. We utilized photo‐identification surveys, stratified random samples of prey, and environmental variables collected monthly. Kernel density estimation was used to determine the magnitude‐per‐unit area of dolphins across the IRL by wet and dry seasons each year, the values were used as a response variable in classification and regression tree analyses with fish community and environmental variables as predictors. Spatial patterns in dolphin density in the IRL were associated with salinity and dissolved oxygen levels, which are in part associated with freshwater discharges of nutrient and algae laden waters from the region's storm water management system. These findings isolate locations of concern for management of dolphin habitat, and anthropogenic drivers of dolphin distributions requiring further research.

中文翻译：

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美国佛罗里达州印度河泻湖常见的宽吻海豚（Tursiops truncatus）栖息地使用的环境驱动因素

河口系统的人为影响可以影响海洋哺乳动物栖息地的利用，种群动态，适应性和死亡事件。目的是研究栖息的普通宽吻海豚（Tursiops truncatus）中的栖息地使用情况）居住在佛罗里达州印度河泻湖的人口，以及2003-2015年环境因素和猎物的可获得性变化的影响。我们利用了照片识别调查，分层的随机猎物样本以及每月收集的环境变量。内核密度估计用于确定每年IRL的干湿两季海豚的单位面积大小，该值用作分类和回归树分析中的响应变量，以鱼类群落和环境变量为预测指标。IRL中海豚密度的空间格局与盐度和溶解氧水平有关，这部分与该地区雨水管理系统中养分和藻类载水的淡水排放有关。