Capture-recapture abundance estimate of Guiana dolphins in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study was to estimate the abundance of Sotalia guianensis in Sepetiba Bay, southeastern Brazil, based on photographic identification of animals. Estimates of population size were obtained using capture-recapture models for a closed population. Photo-identification data were analyzed using a model-fitting approach in the computer programs CAPTURE and MARK, and the Schnabel and Schumacher-Eschmeyer estimators were used to calculate the abundance of individuals with natural marks. These estimates were corrected to include unmarked individuals using data of the proportion of identifiable individuals in this population. During the surveys conducted between April 2006 and April 2007, a total of 9990 photographs of dolphins were taken and, of these, 2567 images were of sufficient quality for analysis; 382 dolphins were identified and catalogued from distinctive nicks and notches on their dorsal fins and, among them, 153 dolphins were photographed on more than one occasion. The resulting abundance estimates, corrected to account for the proportion (0.47) of unmarked dolphins in the population, showed an overlap among estimators ranging from 1004 to 1099 individuals. This is the largest estimated abundance for a population of S. guianensis reported to date using the capture-recapture technique.