RISSO'S DOLPHIN (Grampus griseus): Western North Atlantic Stock

STOCK DEFINITION AND GEOGRAPHIC RANGE Risso's dolphin is distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate seas. Risso's dolphins generally have an oceanic range, and occur along the Atlantic coast of North America from Florida to eastern Newfoundland (Leatherwood et al. 1976; Baird and Stacey 1990). Off the northeast U.S. coast, Risso's dolphin is distributed along the continental shelf edge from Cape Hatteras northward to Georges Bank during the spring, summer, and autumn (CETAP 1982; Payne et al. 1984). In winter, the range begins at the mid-Atlantic bight and extends further into oceanic waters (Payne et al. 1984). In general, the population occupies the mid-Atlantic continental shelf edge year round, and is rarely seen in the Gulf of Maine (Payne et al. 1984). During 1990, 1991 and 1993, spring/summer surveys conducted in continental shelf edge and deeper oceanic waters had sightings of Risso's dolphins associated with strong bathymetric features, Gulf Stream warm-core rings, and the Gulf Stream north wall (Waring et al. 1992; Waring 1993). There is no information on stock differentiation of Risso's dolphin in the western North Atlantic.