This study is the first assessment on how short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) move within the Gulf of Mexico. In April 2018, seven adult animals were tagged using location-only satellite transmitters in the south-western Gulf (18°59′N and 95°19′W). When tagged, all animals were in a medium-size aggregation that split after a week and followed two routes, indicating that the initial aggregation was consisted of at least two social units. Regardless of the route, short-finned pilot whales moved at a low travel rate (mean = 3.4 km/hr; 50% IC: 1.5–4.8) on the south-western continental shelf-break, between the 500- and 800-m isobaths. The oceanography and hydrographic features of the south-western Gulf's continental shelf-break would favour the aggregation of prey, influencing the low dispersion observed during the transmission period, as well as the co-occurrence of several social units. However, given the relatively short period covered (up to 87 days) and the few animals tagged, the movement patterns described here could vary at longer temporal and spatial scales.

中文翻译：

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对墨西哥湾短鳍领航鲸水平运动的初步见解

这项研究是首次评估短鳍领航鲸 ( Globicephala macrorhynchus) 在墨西哥湾内移动。2018 年 4 月，在西南海湾（18°59'N 和 95°19'W）使用仅定位卫星发射器标记了七只成年动物。标记后，所有动物都处于中等规模的聚集中，一周后分裂并遵循两条路线，表明最初的聚集至少由两个社会单位组成。无论路线如何，短鳍领航鲸在西南大陆架断裂处以 500 米和 800 米之间的低旅行速度移动（平均值 = 3.4 公里/小时；50% IC：1.5-4.8）等深线。西南海湾大陆架断裂的海洋学和水文特征将有利于猎物的聚集，影响传播期间观察到的低分散性以及几个社会单位的共存。然而，