Connectivity in the network macrostructure of <i>Tursiops truncatus</i> in the Pelagos Sanctuary (NW Mediterranean Sea): does landscape matter?

Abstract

Abstract The bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus Montagu, 1821) is a regularly observed species in the Mediterranean Sea, but its network organization has never been investigated on a large scale. We described the network macrostructure of the bottlenose dolphin (meta)population inhabiting the Pelagos Sanctuary (a wide protected area located in the north‐western portion of the Mediterranean basin) and we analysed its connectivity in relation to the landscape traits. We pooled effort and sighting data collected by 13 different research institutions operating within the Pelagos Sanctuary from 1994 to 2011 to examine the distribution of bottlenose dolphins in the Pelagos study area and then we applied a social network analysis, investigating the association patterns of the photo‐identified dolphins (806 individuals in 605 sightings). The bottlenose dolphin (meta)population inhabiting the Pelagos Sanctuary is clustered in discrete units whose borders coincide with habitat breakages. This complex structure seems to be shaped by the geo‐morphological and ecological features of the landscape, through a mechanism of local specialization of the resident dolphins. Five distinct clusters were identified in the (meta)population and two of them were solid enough to be further investigated and compared. Significant differences were found in the network parameters, suggesting a different social organization of the clusters, possibly as a consequence of the different local specialization.