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• Autor(a) principal: Daura-Jorge, Fábio Gonçalves
• Data de Publicação: 2004
• Outros Autores: Wedekin, Leonardo Liberali, Simões-Lopes, Paulo César
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Biotemas (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/biotemas/article/view/23277

The resident population of estuarine dolphins (Sota/ia guianensis) in the North Bay, Santa Catarina Island, southern Brazil, was studied from September 2001 until July 2003 through periodical boat surveys. Using focal-group and sequential sampling, information such as geographical position and behavioral patterns were registered at 5-minute intervals. All the information collected was inserted in a GIS database of the study area. Since patterns of seasonal variation concerning home range and behavior had been established in previous works, we aimed at evaluating the existence of seasonal intensity of movements, therefore strengthening the proposed hypothesis of higher spatial requirements when food resources are low. The daily mean speed of the dolphin's group was used as an index of the intensity of movements, and its seasonal variation throughout the study period was analyzed. We found a statistically significant seasonal variation in the intensity of movement. The dolphins tended to move more in the cold seasons, in contrast with the hot seasons, when the dolphins tended to move less. Thus, previous studies are corroborated, supporting the hypothesis of higher spatialrequirements when there are fewer food resources.