Modeling potential distribution of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in the Beibu Gulf, China
- Published
- Accepted
- Subject Areas
- Biodiversity, Conservation Biology, Ecology, Marine Biology
- Keywords
- Species Distribution Modeling (SDM), the Beibu Gulf, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis), Maxent modeling
- Copyright
- © 2016 Chen et al.
- Licence
- This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ Preprints) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited.
- Cite this article
- 2016. Modeling potential distribution of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) in the Beibu Gulf, China. PeerJ Preprints 4:e2101v2 https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.2101v2
Abstract
Background. Mapping key habitats of marine mega-vertebrates with high mobility is crucial for species conservation. Due to difficulties in obtaining sound data in the field, Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) provides an effective alternative to identify habitats. As a keystone and flagship species in inshore waters in southern China, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) play an important role in coastal ecosystems. However, our knowledge on their key habitats remained unclear in some waters including the Beibu Gulf of South China Sea.
Methods. We used a maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling approach to predict potential habitats for Sousa chinensis in the Beibu Gulf of China. Models were based on eight independent oceanographic variables derived from Google Earth Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Landsat images, and presence-only sighting data from boat-based surveys and literatures during 2003-2013.
Results. Three variables, distance to major river mouths, to coast and to 10-m isobaths, were the strongest predictors, consistent with other studies on the dolphin habitat selection. Furthermore, we confirmed that influence of estuaries was the most important and irreplaceable. Besides two known distribution areas as well as data sources, a new area close to the boundary of China and Vietnam, Beilunhe Estuary (BE), was predicted as a potential habitat.
Discussion. Influence of estuaries is likely to indicate feeding preference of the humpback dolphins. The “new” habitat BE should be a key area connecting China and Vietnam dolphins, and deserved to be examined and preserved.
Author Comment
We adjusted format of figures, modified some grammer mistakes and improved consistency of the context in the revised version. This version has been submitted to PeerJ for review.