The acoustic repertoire of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) can reveal important information about dolphin populations, behaviors, and even group dynamics. Variations in these acoustics may be associated with a plethora of geographical, environmental, social, and behavioral factors. The aim of this study was to characterize the whistles emitted by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the waters around Ischia Island and to further expand on this by investigating the impacts of certain geographical and socio-behavioral factors on the whistle parameters.
A large variety of whistle parameters were explored. These included duration of the whistles, maximum and minimum frequency, frequency range, number of inflections, peaks, and cavities of whistles. Parameters were then compared with geographical factors such as depth and distance from the coast, as well as socio-behavioral factors including group size, group composition, behavior along with the presence or absence of ‘charismatic individuals’. Our results revealed that all whistle parameters (except number of inflections) differed significantly in relation to both geographical factors and all socio-behavioral factors except the presence or absence of charismatic individuals. This led us to the conclusion that the above-mentioned factors have an impact on the whistle structures; they can be crucial in understanding the behaviors and social dynamics of bottlenose dolphins. Thusly, these factors should be given due consideration when managing social species like bottlenose dolphins
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