Research Project
Researchers: Simon Allen (Principal investigator, Principal or Chief Investigator)
Full description This project reviewed current knowledge on Australia’s tropical inshore dolphins to inform future assessment of their conservation status. It focused on the Australian humpback dolphin (_Sousa sahulensis_), snubfin dolphin (_Orcaella heinsohni_), Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (_Tursiops aduncus_) and the spinner dolphin (_Stenella longirostris_) complex. The project was undertaken as a desktop review of peer-reviewed literature, research projects and reports, including environmental impact assessments associated with major port developments from 2013 to 2019. It synthesised available information on species distribution, abundance, trends, habitat use, population structure and anthropogenic threats. The review found that knowledge had improved for several tropical inshore dolphin species, but was uneven across regions and species. Available data were largely concentrated in discrete study areas, limiting national-scale assessment. Identified threats included habitat loss and degradation associated with coastal development, bycatch in fishing gear and shark nets, and climate change impacts such as ocean warming, acidification and extreme weather events. Key recommendations included the use of scenario modelling and sensitivity analysis to support assessment of national population size and conservation status under uncertainty.
