Towards improved conservation of the east coast of Scotland bottlenose dolphin population: quantifying and understanding a major range expansion into

* 英格兰东北部。自1989年以来，作为合作项目的一部分，一直在研究东海岸的短吻海豚（Tursiops truncatus）种群，该项目集中在两个主要研究区域，即马里湾特别保护区（SAC）和泰河口及邻近沃茨（例如，切尼等人2018年，Arso Civil等人2019年）。根据公众目击和公民科学摄影数据，该种群目前正在从苏格兰向英格兰东北部进行大规模的扩张。然而，缺乏苏格兰-英格兰边界以南动物丰度和分布的经验数据，这对评估这一受保护种群的保护状况构成了挑战，这是英格兰（2017年）和苏格兰（1994年）各自的《动物保护条例》所要求的。此外，这一数据差距阻碍了对潜在威胁的充分评估，例如沿着英国东海岸不断增加的海上风电开发。在整个增加的分布范围内的连接水平仍然未知，对运动和分布模式的任何个体变化的理解也是如此，以及这些变化如何与整体分布或社会结构的变化相关。确定种群范围扩大的原因具有挑战性。该项目旨在通过多学科方法提高对这一问题的认识和理解。首先，需要根据专门船只调查的新数据，确定英格兰东北部动物的分布和丰度。这将有助于调查英格兰和苏格兰之间的连通性水平，以更好地了解范围内不同地区之间的运动，并确定哪些动物正在利用苏格兰南部的栖息地。该项目还将设法了解人口动态的各个方面，例如年龄结构和增长率的时间和空间变化，能否部分解释这一最近的现象。这一人口的分布范围的变化性质，除了周围的不确定性英国环境法后Brexit提出的问题，成功管理这一受保护的物种。将对相关文献和政策进行全面审查，以评估当前的管理，并提出该项目的定量产出如何影响东海岸海豚种群和一般移动的海洋物种的未来政策。参考文献：Arso Civil M，Quick NJ，切尼B，Pirotta E，Thompson PM和哈蒙德PS（2019）。苏格兰东海岸海豚种群分布的变化和区域管理的挑战。水生保护：海洋和淡水生态系统，29，178 -196。切尼B，格雷厄姆IM，巴顿TR，哈蒙德PS和汤普森PM（2018）。在马里湾特别保护区内对海豚进行现场状况监测：2014- 2016年。苏格兰自然遗产研究报告第1021号。因弗内斯，英国：苏格兰自然遗产。

*northeast England.The east coast bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population has been studied since 1989 as part of a collaborative project focused in two main study areas, the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the Tay estuary and adjacent waters (e.g. Cheney et al. 2018, Arso Civil et al. 2019). The population is currently undergoing a major range expansion from Scotland into northeast England, as indicated from public sightings and citizen science photographic data. However, the lack of empirical data on abundance and distribution of animals south of the Scottish-English border represents a challenge to assessing the conservation status of this protected population, as required by law under respective Habitats Regulations in England (2017) and Scotland (1994). Furthermore, this data gap prevents adequate assessment of potential threats such as offshore wind developments which are increasing along the east coast of the UK. Levels of connectivity throughout the increased distributional range remain unknown, as do understanding of any individual variation in movements and ranging patterns, and how these relate to changes in overall distribution or social structure. Determining the causes of a population range expansion is challenging. This project aims to improve knowledge and understanding of this through a multi-disciplinary approach. Firstly, the distribution and abundance of animals in northeast England needs to be established, based on new data from dedicated boat surveys. This will enable investigation of levels of connectivity between England and Scotland to better understand movements between different areas within the range, and to characterise which animals are utilizing habitat south of Scotland. This project will also seek to understand whether aspects of population dynamics such as temporal and spatial variation in age structure and growth rates can partly explain this recent phenomenon. The shifting nature of this population's distributional range in addition to uncertainty surrounding UK environmental law post-Brexit pose questions for the successful management of this protected species. A comprehensive review of the relevant literature and policy will be undertaken to assess current management and to propose how the quantitative outputs from this project can shape future policy for the east coast bottlenose dolphin population, and for mobile marine species in general. Refs:Arso Civil M, Quick NJ, Cheney B, Pirotta E, Thompson PM and Hammond PS (2019). Changing distribution of the east coast of Scotland bottlenose dolphin population and the challenges of area-based management. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 29,178-196. Cheney B, Graham IM, Barton TR, Hammond PS and Thompson PM (2018). Site condition monitoring of bottlenose dolphins within the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation: 2014- 2016. Scottish Natural Heritage Research Report No. 1021. Inverness, UK: Scottish Natural Heritage.