Occurrence, site fidelity, and abundance of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Western Ligurian Sea

This study represents the first complete assessment of population dynamics and residency common bottlenose dolphins in Western Ligurian Sea, an area where dolphin sightings have been rare past. Despite being greatly affected by human pressure, information about this is poor sporadic. The took place from April 2018 to December 2020. One hundred seventy‐one dedicated boat surveys were performed year‐round resulting 95 sightings, 123 individuals identified through mark‐recapture photo‐identification techniques. Dolphins found be present year‐round. Most animals (79) used sporadically only 19.5% (24) seen regularly. Bottlenose abundance was estimated at 248 using open POPAN models (CI 95% = 217–284). These results help fill a knowledge gap highlighting regular presence area. Moreover, they represent baseline for future studies investigating trends conservation status