Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Matching Signature Whistles with Photo-Identification of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the Fremantle Inner Harbour, Western Australia

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Acoustics Australia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Swan–Canning River System is home to an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) community of currently 17 adult and juvenile individuals. While a complete photo-identification catalogue exists, visual monitoring requires repeated boat-based surveys and is thus laborious and expensive. Bottlenose dolphins are known to emit individually distinctive signature whistles, and therefore, passive acoustic monitoring could be a reliable and more efficient tool. Archived acoustic and photographic data from the Fremantle Inner Harbour were reviewed for instances when dolphin whistles and individual identifying images were simultaneously available. As dolphin whistles are commonly used in social encounters, dolphins producing whistles in this study were always in groups. Consequently, to assess whether distinctive whistles could be attributed to individual dolphins, conditional probabilities for recording a specific whistle in the presence of certain individuals, as well as Bayesian posterior probabilities for encountering a specific individual at times of certain whistles were computed. While a larger sample size is needed to capture all individuals in diverse groupings, this study provides the first step in developing a passive acoustic program for monitoring this small dolphin community, in order to ultimately inform its conservation management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. https://www.riverguardians.com/projects/dolphin-watch.

References

  1. Wilson, B., Hammond, P.S., Thompson, P.M.: Estimating size and assessing trends in a coastal bottlenose dolphin population. Ecol. Appl. 9(1), 288–300 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1890/1051-0761(1999)009%5b0288:esaati%5d2.0.co;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Currey, R.J.C., Dawson, S.M., Slooten, E., Schneider, K., Lusseau, D., Boisseau, O.J., Haase, P., Williams, J.A.: Survival rates for a declining population of bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand: an information theoretic approach to assessing the role of human impacts. Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst. 19(6), 658–670 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.1015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Gormley, A.M., Slooten, E., Dawson, S., Barker, R.J., Rayment, W., du Fresne, S., Bräger, S.: First evidence that marine protected areas can work for marine mammals. J. Appl. Ecol. 49(2), 474–480 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2012.02121.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Caldwell, M.C., Caldwell, D.K.: Statistical evidence for individual signature whistles in the Pacific whitesided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens. Cetology 3, 1–9 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Janik, V.M., Sayigh, L.S.: Communication in bottlenose dolphins: 50 years of signature whistle research. J. Comp. Physiol. A 199(6), 479–489 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-013-0817-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Herzing, D.L.: Vocalizations and associated underwater behaviour of free-ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins, Stenella frontalis and bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. Aquat. Mamm. 22(2), 61–79 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Erbe, C., Dunlop, R., Jenner, K.C.S., Jenner, M.-N.M., McCauley, R.D., Parnum, I., Parsons, M., Rogers, T., Salgado-Kent, C.: Review of underwater and in-air sounds emitted by Australian and Antarctic marine mammals. Acoust. Aust. 45, 179–241 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40857-017-0101-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Caldwell, M.C., Caldwell, D.K.: The whistle of the Atlantic Bottlenosed Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)—ontogeny. In: Winn, H.E., Olla, B.L. (eds.) Behavior of Marine Animals: Current Perspectives in Research, pp. 369–401. Springer, Boston (1979)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  9. Hill, M.L.: Signature Whistle Production, Development, and Perception in Free-ranging Bottlenose Dolphins. M.Sc. Thesis, University of North Carolina (2002)

  10. Fripp, D., Owen, C., Quintana-Rizzo, E., Shapiro, A., Buckstaff, K., Jankowski, K., Wells, R., Tyack, P.: Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) calves appear to model their signature whistles on the signature whistles of community members. Anim. Cogn. 8(1), 17–26 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-004-0225-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Sayigh, L.S., Esch, H.C., Wells, R.S., Janik, V.M.: Facts about signature whistles of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. Anim. Behav. 74, 1631–1642 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.02.018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Cook, M.L.H., Sayigh, L.S., Blum, J.E., Wells, R.S.: Signature-whistle production in undisturbed free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Proc. R. Soc. Lond. Ser. B Biol. Sci. 271(1543), 1043–1049 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2003.2610

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Caldwell, M.C., Caldwell, D.K., Tyack, P.L.: Review of signature-whistle hypothesis for the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. In: Leatherwood, S., Reeves, R.R. (eds.) The Bottlenose Dolphin, pp. 199–234. Academic Press, San Diego (1990)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  14. Janik, V., King, S., Sayigh, L., Wells, R.: Identifying signature whistles from recordings of groups of unrestrained bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Mar. Mamm. Sci. 29(1), 109–122 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00549.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Ward, R., Parnum, I., Erbe, C., Salgado-Kent, C.P.: Whistle characteristics of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the Fremantle Inner Harbour, Western Australia. Acoust. Aust. 44(1), 159–169 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40857-015-0041-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Guardians, River: FinBook: An Identification Catalogue for Dolphins Observed in the Swan Canning Riverpark, 7th edn. River Guardians, Perth (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Chabanne, D., Finn, H., Salgado-Kent, C., Bejder, L.: Identification of a resident community of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the Swan Canning Riverpark, Western Australia, using behavioural information. Pac. Conserv. Biol. 18(4), 247–262 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1071/PC120247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Salgado Kent, C.P., Parnum, I., Landero Figueroa, M., Saunders, B., Hawkins, L.: Dolphin Foraging Behaviour and Their Response to Pile Driving in the Fremantle Inner Harbour, Western Australia. Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, Perth (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Lo, H.N.: Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in the Swan River, Western Australia: Community Size and Composition, Residency Patterns, and Social Structure. Honour’s thesis, Curtin University (2009)

  20. McCauley, R.D., Thomas, F., Parsons, M.J.G., Erbe, C., Cato, D., Duncan, A.J., Gavrilov, A.N., Parnum, I.M., Salgado-Kent, C.: Developing an underwater sound recorder. Acoust. Aust. 45(2), 301–311 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40857-017-0113-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Madhusudhana, S., Gavrilov, A., Erbe, C.: A generic system for the automatic extraction of narrowband signals of biological origin in underwater audio. Proc. Meet. Acoust. 29(1), 010002 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1121/2.0000377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Marley, S.A., Salgado Kent, C.P., Erbe, C.: Occupancy of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in relation to vessel traffic, dredging, and environmental variables within a highly urbanised estuary. Hydrobiologia 792(1), 243–263 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-3061-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Paiva, E.G., Salgado Kent, C.P., Gagnon, M.M., McCauley, R., Finn, H.: Reduced detection of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in an inner harbour channel during pile driving activities. Aquat. Mamm. 41(4), 455–468 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.41.4.2015.455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Lehner, P.N.: Handbook of Ethological Methods, 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Shane, S.H.: Behavior and ecology of the bottlenose dolphin at Sanibel Island, Florida. In: Leatherwood, S., Reeves, R.R. (eds.) The Bottlenose Dolphin, pp. 245–265. Academic Press, San Diego (1990)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  26. Daura-Jorge, F.G., Wedekin, L.L., Piacentini, V.D.Q., Simões-Lopes, P.C.: Seasonal and daily patterns of group size, cohesion and activity of the estuarine dolphin, Sotalia guianensis (P.J. van Bénéden) (Cetacea, Delphinidae), in southern Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 22(4), 1014–1021 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1590/s0101-81752005000400029

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Marley, S.A., Erbe, C., Salgado Kent, C.P.: Underwater recordings of the whistles of bottlenose dolphins in Fremantle Inner Harbour, Western Australia. Sci. Data 4, 170126 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Marley, S.A., Salgado-Kent, C.P., Erbe, C., Parnum, I.: Effects of vessel traffic and underwater noise on the movement, behaviour and vocalisations of bottlenose dolphins in an urbanised estuary. Sci. Reports 7, 13437 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13252-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Deecke, V.B., Janik, V.M.: Automated categorization of bioacoustic signals: avoiding perceptual pitfalls. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 119(1), 645–653 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1121/1.2139067

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Kershenbaum, A., Sayigh, L.S., Janik, V.M.: The encoding of individual identity in dolphin signature whistles: how much information is needed? PLoS ONE 8(10), e77671 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0077671

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Sivia, D.S., Skilling, J.: Data Analysis: A Bayesian Tutorial, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford (2006)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  32. Fouda, L., Wingfield, J.E., Fandel, A.D., Garrod, A., Hodge, K.B., Rice, A.N., Bailey, H.: Dolphins simplify their vocal calls in response to increased ambient noise. Biol. Let. (2018). https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Heiler, J., Elwen, S.H., Kriesell, H.J., Gridley, T.: Changes in bottlenose dolphin whistle parameters related to vessel presence, surface behaviour and group composition. Anim. Behav. 117, 167–177 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.04.014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. La Manna, G., Manghi, M., Pavan, G., Lo Mascolo, F., Sara, G.: Behavioural strategy of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in response to different kinds of boats in the waters of Lampedusa Island (Italy). Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst. 23(5), 745–757 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. May-Collado, L.J., Quinones-Lebron, S.G.: Dolphin changes in whistle structure with watercraft activity depends on their behavioral state. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 135(4), EL193–EL198 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4869255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Rako Gospić, N., Picciulin, M.: Changes in whistle structure of resident bottlenose dolphins in relation to underwater noise and boat traffic. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 105(1), 193–198 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.02.030

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. van Ginkel, C., Becker, D.M., Gowans, S., Simard, P.: Whistling in a noisy ocean: bottlenose dolphins adjust whistle frequencies in response to real-time ambient noise levels. Bioacoustics 27(4), 391–405 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/09524622.2017.1359670

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Buckstaff, K.C.: Effects of watercraft noise on the acoustic behaviour of bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, in Sarasota Bay, Florida. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 20(4), 709–725 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2004.tb01189.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Zwamborn, E.M.J., Whitehead, H.: The baroque potheads: modification and embellishment in repeated call sequences of long-finned pilot whales. Behaviour 154(9–10), 963–979 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539X-00003451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Acevedo-Gutierrez, A., Stienessen, S.C.: Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) increase number of whistles when feeding. Aquat. Mamm. 76(4), 1226–1237 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.30.3.2004.357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Ridgway, S., Dibble, D.S., Alstyne, K.V., Price, D.: On doing two things at once: dolphin brain and nose coordinate sonar clicks, buzzes and emotional squeals with social sounds during fish capture. J. Exp. Biol. 218, 3987–3995 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.130559

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Rehn, N., Filatova, O.A., Durban, J.W., Foote, A.D.: Cross-cultural and cross-ecotype production of a killer whale ‘excitement’ call suggests universality. Naturwissenschaften 98(1), 1–6 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-010-0732-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Sayigh, L.S., Tyack, P.L., Wells, R.S., Scott, M.D.: Signature whistles of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus: stability and mother-offspring comparisons. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 26(4), 247–260 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00178318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Smolker, R., Pepper, J.W.: Whistle convergence among allied male bottlenose dolphins (Delphinidae, Tursiops sp.). Ethology 105(7), 595–617 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0310.1999.00441.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Tsai, Y.-J.J., Mann, J.: Dispersal, philopatry, and the role of fission-fusion dynamics in bottlenose dolphins. Mar. Mamm. Sci. 29(2), 261–279 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2011.00559.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the Australian Acoustical Society for supporting underwater acoustic recording and analysis in the Swan–Canning River System. In addition, we would like to thank the Dolphin Watch and River Guardian programs, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), and the Fremantle Port Authority for their ongoing support of dolphin research in the Swan–Canning River System.

Funding

Funding was provided by the Australian Acoustical Society (Grant No. RES-SE-CMS-CD-59214-1).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Marine Science and Technology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia

    Christine Erbe, Chandra Salgado-Kent, Simone de Winter & Rhianne Ward

  2. Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia

    Chandra Salgado-Kent

  3. Oceans Blueprint, Coogee, WA, Australia

    Chandra Salgado-Kent

  4. Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK

    Sarah Marley

Authors
  1. Christine Erbe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chandra Salgado-Kent
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Simone de Winter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Sarah Marley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Rhianne Ward
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

CSK supervised all fieldwork. RNW (2013), SAM (2014), and CSK (2017) collected the visual and acoustic data. SW transcribed fieldwork logs. SW, RNW, and CE extracted whistles from recordings and measured whistle features. CE, SW, and RNW classified whistles. CE led the project to match whistles with photographs. SW and CSK identified dolphins in photographs. CE, CSK, and SW undertook the statistical analyses. All authors contributed to writing and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christine Erbe.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Erbe, C., Salgado-Kent, C., de Winter, S. et al. Matching Signature Whistles with Photo-Identification of Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the Fremantle Inner Harbour, Western Australia. Acoust Aust 48, 23–38 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40857-020-00178-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40857-020-00178-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation