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Occurrence and distribution of cetaceans in São Tomé and Príncipe tropical archipelago and their relation to environmental variables

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 April 2009

C. Picanço ,
I. Carvalho  and
C. Brito
C. Picanço*
Affiliation:
UBC—Unidade de Biologia da Conservação, Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Valverde, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal Projecto Delfim—Centro Português de Estudos dos Mamíferos Marinhos, Rua Alto do Dugue, 45, 1400-009, Lisboa, Portugal
I. Carvalho
Affiliation:
Projecto Delfim—Centro Português de Estudos dos Mamíferos Marinhos, Rua Alto do Dugue, 45, 1400-009, Lisboa, Portugal Faculdade de Ciências do Mar e Ambiente—Universidade do Algarve, Campus Gambelas, 8000-139 Faro, Portugal Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
C. Brito
Affiliation:
Escola de Mar, Rua Actriz Virgínia, 17 C, 1900-026 Lisboa, Portugal
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: C. Picanço, Projecto Delfim, Rua Alto do Duque, 45, 1400-009 Lisboa, Portugal email: cristina.picanco@gmail.com
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Abstract

São Tomé and Príncipe is an archipelago located in the Gulf of Guinea. This archipelago seems to be an important area for cetaceans, probably due to large concentrations of prey, as well as the existence of several small bays and shallow water that constitute preferred rest areas. In comparison to other areas of the world, little is known about cetacean communities in this archipelago. Boat-based surveys to record sightings of cetaceans were conducted between 2002 and 2005, which represents the first approach to study the occurrence of whales and dolphins in this tropical region. Sightings of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata), killer whales (Orcinus orca), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) and pilot whales (Globicephala melas) were recorded. Cetaceans were found throughout a range of sea surface temperature between 24 and 29°C and a wide range of depths. Significant differences were found regarding the occurrence of some species. Humpback whales showed a preference for shallower waters between 20 and 100 m. Bottlenose dolphins occurred most commonly along the continental shelf (20 to 100 m) and pantropical spotted dolphins occurred in deep slope waters (>1000 m).

Keywords

occurrencedistributioncetaceansSão ToméPríncipeenvironmental variables
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 89 , Special Issue 5: Cetaceans , August 2009 , pp. 1071 - 1076
Copyright
Copyright © Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 2009

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