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，东海岸宽吻海豚（Tursiops truncatus）种群一直被研究，作为一个合作项目的一部分，重点研究两个主要研究领域，即Moray Firth特别保护区（SAC）和Tay河口及邻近水域（例如Cheney等人2018年，Arso Civil等人2019年）。从公众目击和公民科学摄影数据可以看出，目前这种动物正在从苏格兰向英格兰东北部大规模扩张。然而，缺乏苏格兰-英格兰边境以南动物丰度和分布的经验数据，这对评估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）各自栖息地条例的法律要求。此外，这种数据差距阻碍了对潜在威胁的充分评估，例如英国东海岸不断增加的海上风电开发。在增加的分布范围内，连通性的水平仍然未知，对运动和范围模式的任何个体变化的理解，以及这些变化与总体分布或社会结构的变化之间的关系也是未知的。确定种群范围扩大的原因是具有挑战性的。本项目旨在通过多学科方法提高对这方面的认识和理解。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数量。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诸如年龄结构和增长率的时空变化等人口动态方面是否可以部分解释这一最近的现象。这种种群分布范围的变化，加上英国脱欧后环境法的不确定性，为成功管理这种受保护物种提出了问题。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宽吻海豚种群和一般流动海洋物种的未来政策。裁判：Arso Civil M， Quick NJ, Cheney B, Pirotta E， Thompson PM和Hammond PS（2019）。苏格兰东海岸宽吻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）。2014- 2016年马里湾特别保育区内宽吻海豚的现场情况监测。苏格兰自然遗产研究报告第1021号。英国因弗内斯：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.