title: Humpback Dolphin (Genus Sousa) Behavioural Responses to Human Activities.
abstract: Humpback dolphins (genus Sousa) use shallow, near-shore waters throughout their range. This coastal distribution makes them vulnerable to recreational and commercial disturbances, especially near heavily populated and industrialized areas. Most research focusing on Sousa and human activities has emphasized direct impacts and threats, involving injury and death, with relatively little focus on indirect effects on dolphins, such as changes in behaviour that may lead to deleterious effects. Understanding behaviour is important in resolving human-wildlife conflict and is an important component of conservation. This chapter gives an overview of animal behavioural responses to human activity with examples from diverse taxa; reviews the scientific literature on behavioural responses of humpback dolphins to human activity throughout their range, including marine vessel traffic, dolphin tourism, cetacean-fishery interactions, noise pollution, and habitat alteration; and highlights information and data gaps for future humpback dolphin research to better inform behaviour-based management decisions that contribute to conservation efforts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, USA. Electronic address: sarahpiwetz@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piwetz
authors.affiliation: New Zealand Department of Conservation, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lundquist
authors.affiliation: Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, USA; Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Würsig
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004289:Dolphins / Q000502:physiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D056727:Endangered Species; D005398:Fisheries; D006802:Human Activities; D009622:Noise; D012767:Ships; D014873:Water Pollutants
chemical_list: D014873:Water Pollutants
keywords: Anthropogenic effect; Behavioural response; Cetacean–fishery interactions; Conservation; Dolphin tourism; Habitat alteration; Human activity; Humpback dolphins; Noise pollution; Sousa spp.; Vessel traffic