Anthropogenic food patches and association patterns of Tursiops truncatus at Lampedusa island, Italy

摘要: Anthropogenic food patches in the marine environment, such as aquaculture farms and active trawlers, may impact on behavior of mammals through modification habitats, changes predation pressure, or alterations distribution, availability, predictability, affecting related social interactions population demographics. This study examined patterns association a common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) around Lampedusa Island (Italy) during 1996‐ 2006 tested hypothesis that trawl fishery presence an farm could affect patterns. Here, we used measures between pairs individuals to assess this unit composition/cohesion some analytical techniques describe structure dolphin networks temporal stability associations. Association information for 71 regularly sighted was obtained from photo-identification surveys within groups observed not at ‘‘feeding stations.’’ We found were nonrandom. The seems be arranged into 6 clusters organized communities composed animals either never seen with feeding stations (N individuals) those are (Y individuals), although mixed assemblages also recorded. Both showed long-term preferred companions, different degrees cohesion—as resulted by network analysis. Delineating community has offered basic further investigations area, providing novel evidences how disparities