Investigating the presence of different bottlenose dolphin ecotypes in the Mediterranean Sea

Michela Bellingeri; Alice Nebuloni; Gabriella La Manna; Aylin Akkaya; Jessica Alessi; Antonella Arcangeli; Davide Ascheri; Tim Awbery; Georges Azzinari; Caroline Azzinari; Marta Azzolin; Micaela Bacchetta; Ibrahem Ben Amer; Giuseppa Buscaino; Giulia Calogero; Ilaria Campana; Ana Maria Canadas; Roberto Carlucci; Alberto Castelli; Carla Alvarez Chicote; Valentina Corrias; Léa David; Ayhan Dede; Eduard Degollada; Valentina De Santis; Frank Dhermain; Bruno Diaz Lopez; Nathalie Di Meglio; Elena Fontanesi; Tilen Genov; Cristina Giacoma; Fabio Giardina; Oriol Giralt Paradell; Joan Gonzalvo; Hélène Labach; Caterina Lanfredi; Cecilia Mancusi; Alberta Mandich; Maria Assunta Menniti; Yaly Mevorach; Clara Monaco; Barbara Mussi; Silvio Nuti; Daniela Silvia Pace; Elena Papale; Miriam Paraboschi; Giulia Pedrazzi; Giuliana Pellegrino; Fabio Ronchetti; Roberto Rutigliano; Francesca Cornelia Santacesaria; Marie-Catherine Santoni; Lisa Stanzani; Aviad Scheinin; Paola Tepsich; Beatriz Tintore; Nicolas Tomasi; Arda M. Tonay; Beatriu Tort; Letterio Mario Tringali; Alessandro Verga; Morgana Vighi; Biagio Violi; Jure Železnik; Guido Gnone

doi:10.1038/s41598-025-88605-0

Investigating the presence of different bottlenose dolphin ecotypes in the Mediterranean Sea

Michela Bellingeri, Alice Nebuloni, Gabriella La Manna, Aylin Akkaya, Jessica Alessi, Antonella Arcangeli, Davide Ascheri, Tim Awbery, Georges Azzinari, Caroline Azzinari, Marta Azzolin, Micaela Bacchetta, Ibrahem Ben Amer, Giuseppa Buscaino, Giulia Calogero, Ilaria Campana, Ana Maria Canadas, Roberto Carlucci, Alberto Castelli, Carla Alvarez ChicoteValentina Corrias, Léa David, Ayhan Dede, Eduard Degollada, Valentina De Santis, Frank Dhermain, Bruno Diaz Lopez, Nathalie Di Meglio, Elena Fontanesi, Tilen Genov, Cristina Giacoma, Fabio Giardina, Oriol Giralt Paradell, Joan Gonzalvo, Hélène Labach, Caterina Lanfredi, Cecilia Mancusi, Alberta Mandich, Maria Assunta Menniti, Yaly Mevorach, Clara Monaco, Barbara Mussi, Silvio Nuti, Daniela Silvia Pace, Elena Papale, Miriam Paraboschi, Giulia Pedrazzi, Giuliana Pellegrino, Fabio Ronchetti, Roberto Rutigliano, Francesca Cornelia Santacesaria, Marie-Catherine Santoni, Lisa Stanzani, Aviad Scheinin, Paola Tepsich, Beatriz Tintore, Nicolas Tomasi, Arda M. Tonay, Beatriu Tort, Letterio Mario Tringali, Alessandro Verga, Morgana Vighi, Biagio Violi, Jure Železnik, Guido Gnone

SAMS UHI

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Abstract

The common bottlenose dolphin is a cosmopolitan species that can be found worldwide in all oceans except polar and sub-polar waters. This wide distribution is associated with a certain level of morphological variation, which seems consistent with the presence of a globally distributed pelagic/offshore ecotype and several coastal/inshore ecotypes distributed along the continental shelf. In the Mediterranean Sea, the common bottlenose dolphin is a regularly occurring species and the second most sighted cetacean after the striped dolphin. According to some studies, the Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin is more closely related to the Atlantic coastal ecotype, while others suggest a closer link with the pelagic ecotype. This apparent contradiction could stem from the coexistence of two ecotypes also within the Mediterranean Sea, as suggested by genetic analyses. We analysed data collected from 2004 to 2019 by 43 different research groups, distributed in different areas of the basin, and shared on the web-based GIS platform Intercet. We analysed the distribution and movements of 4919 bottlenose dolphins, individually identified through their natural dorsal fin markings, in relation to bathymetry and in particular to the 200-meter isobath that marks the edge of the continental shelf. In addition, we reconstructed the associations between individuals within connectivity networks, to identify possible segregations between ecotypes. Our results show that most bottlenose dolphin geographical units find their habitat over the continental shelf, while the analysed data do not support the coexistence of different ecotypes (pelagic vs. coastal) living in parapatry, as described in the adjacent waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Original language	English
Article number	5526
Number of pages	18
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	15
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88605-0
Publication status	Published - 14 Feb 2025

Keywords

Tursiops truncatus
ecology
Mediterranean Sea
encounter rate
network
ecotype

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Investigating the presence of different bottlenose dolphin ecotypes in the Mediterranean Sea
© The Author(s) 2025 This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
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Bellingeri, M., Nebuloni, A., La Manna, G., Akkaya, A., Alessi, J., Arcangeli, A., Ascheri, D., Awbery, T., Azzinari, G., Azzinari, C., Azzolin, M., Bacchetta, M., Amer, I. B., Buscaino, G., Calogero, G., Campana, I., Canadas, A. M., Carlucci, R., Castelli, A., ... Gnone, G. (2025). Investigating the presence of different bottlenose dolphin ecotypes in the Mediterranean Sea. Scientific Reports, 15(1), Article 5526. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88605-0

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title = "Investigating the presence of different bottlenose dolphin ecotypes in the Mediterranean Sea",

abstract = "The common bottlenose dolphin is a cosmopolitan species that can be found worldwide in all oceans except polar and sub-polar waters. This wide distribution is associated with a certain level of morphological variation, which seems consistent with the presence of a globally distributed pelagic/offshore ecotype and several coastal/inshore ecotypes distributed along the continental shelf. In the Mediterranean Sea, the common bottlenose dolphin is a regularly occurring species and the second most sighted cetacean after the striped dolphin. According to some studies, the Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin is more closely related to the Atlantic coastal ecotype, while others suggest a closer link with the pelagic ecotype. This apparent contradiction could stem from the coexistence of two ecotypes also within the Mediterranean Sea, as suggested by genetic analyses. We analysed data collected from 2004 to 2019 by 43 different research groups, distributed in different areas of the basin, and shared on the web-based GIS platform Intercet. We analysed the distribution and movements of 4919 bottlenose dolphins, individually identified through their natural dorsal fin markings, in relation to bathymetry and in particular to the 200-meter isobath that marks the edge of the continental shelf. In addition, we reconstructed the associations between individuals within connectivity networks, to identify possible segregations between ecotypes. Our results show that most bottlenose dolphin geographical units find their habitat over the continental shelf, while the analysed data do not support the coexistence of different ecotypes (pelagic vs. coastal) living in parapatry, as described in the adjacent waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean.",

keywords = "Tursiops truncatus, ecology, Mediterranean Sea, encounter rate, network, ecotype",

author = "Michela Bellingeri and Alice Nebuloni and {La Manna}, Gabriella and Aylin Akkaya and Jessica Alessi and Antonella Arcangeli and Davide Ascheri and Tim Awbery and Georges Azzinari and Caroline Azzinari and Marta Azzolin and Micaela Bacchetta and Amer, {Ibrahem Ben} and Giuseppa Buscaino and Giulia Calogero and Ilaria Campana and Canadas, {Ana Maria} and Roberto Carlucci and Alberto Castelli and Chicote, {Carla Alvarez} and Valentina Corrias and L{\'e}a David and Ayhan Dede and Eduard Degollada and {De Santis}, Valentina and Frank Dhermain and {Diaz Lopez}, Bruno and {Di Meglio}, Nathalie and Elena Fontanesi and Tilen Genov and Cristina Giacoma and Fabio Giardina and {Giralt Paradell}, Oriol and Joan Gonzalvo and H{\'e}l{\`e}ne Labach and Caterina Lanfredi and Cecilia Mancusi and Alberta Mandich and Menniti, {Maria Assunta} and Yaly Mevorach and Clara Monaco and Barbara Mussi and Silvio Nuti and Pace, {Daniela Silvia} and Elena Papale and Miriam Paraboschi and Giulia Pedrazzi and Giuliana Pellegrino and Fabio Ronchetti and Roberto Rutigliano and Santacesaria, {Francesca Cornelia} and Marie-Catherine Santoni and Lisa Stanzani and Aviad Scheinin and Paola Tepsich and Beatriz Tintore and Nicolas Tomasi and Tonay, {Arda M.} and Beatriu Tort and Tringali, {Letterio Mario} and Alessandro Verga and Morgana Vighi and Biagio Violi and Jure {\v Z}eleznik and Guido Gnone",

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Bellingeri, M, Nebuloni, A, La Manna, G, Akkaya, A, Alessi, J, Arcangeli, A, Ascheri, D, Awbery, T, Azzinari, G, Azzinari, C, Azzolin, M, Bacchetta, M, Amer, IB, Buscaino, G, Calogero, G, Campana, I, Canadas, AM, Carlucci, R, Castelli, A, Chicote, CA, Corrias, V, David, L, Dede, A, Degollada, E, De Santis, V, Dhermain, F, Diaz Lopez, B, Di Meglio, N, Fontanesi, E, Genov, T, Giacoma, C, Giardina, F, Giralt Paradell, O, Gonzalvo, J, Labach, H, Lanfredi, C, Mancusi, C, Mandich, A, Menniti, MA, Mevorach, Y, Monaco, C, Mussi, B, Nuti, S, Pace, DS, Papale, E, Paraboschi, M, Pedrazzi, G, Pellegrino, G, Ronchetti, F, Rutigliano, R, Santacesaria, FC, Santoni, M-C, Stanzani, L, Scheinin, A, Tepsich, P, Tintore, B, Tomasi, N, Tonay, AM, Tort, B, Tringali, LM, Verga, A, Vighi, M, Violi, B, Železnik, J & Gnone, G 2025, 'Investigating the presence of different bottlenose dolphin ecotypes in the Mediterranean Sea', Scientific Reports, vol. 15, no. 1, 5526. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88605-0

TY - JOUR

T1 - Investigating the presence of different bottlenose dolphin ecotypes in the Mediterranean Sea

AU - Bellingeri, Michela

AU - Nebuloni, Alice

AU - La Manna, Gabriella

AU - Akkaya, Aylin

AU - Alessi, Jessica

AU - Arcangeli, Antonella

AU - Ascheri, Davide

AU - Awbery, Tim

AU - Azzinari, Georges

AU - Azzinari, Caroline

AU - Azzolin, Marta

AU - Bacchetta, Micaela

AU - Amer, Ibrahem Ben

AU - Buscaino, Giuseppa

AU - Calogero, Giulia

AU - Campana, Ilaria

AU - Canadas, Ana Maria

AU - Carlucci, Roberto

AU - Castelli, Alberto

AU - Chicote, Carla Alvarez

AU - Corrias, Valentina

AU - David, Léa

AU - Dede, Ayhan

AU - Degollada, Eduard

AU - De Santis, Valentina

AU - Dhermain, Frank

AU - Diaz Lopez, Bruno

AU - Di Meglio, Nathalie

AU - Fontanesi, Elena

AU - Genov, Tilen

AU - Giacoma, Cristina

AU - Giardina, Fabio

AU - Giralt Paradell, Oriol

AU - Gonzalvo, Joan

AU - Labach, Hélène

AU - Lanfredi, Caterina

AU - Mancusi, Cecilia

AU - Mandich, Alberta

AU - Menniti, Maria Assunta

AU - Mevorach, Yaly

AU - Monaco, Clara

AU - Mussi, Barbara

AU - Nuti, Silvio

AU - Pace, Daniela Silvia

AU - Papale, Elena

AU - Paraboschi, Miriam

AU - Pedrazzi, Giulia

AU - Pellegrino, Giuliana

AU - Ronchetti, Fabio

AU - Rutigliano, Roberto

AU - Santacesaria, Francesca Cornelia

AU - Santoni, Marie-Catherine

AU - Stanzani, Lisa

AU - Scheinin, Aviad

AU - Tepsich, Paola

AU - Tintore, Beatriz

AU - Tomasi, Nicolas

AU - Tonay, Arda M.

AU - Tort, Beatriu

AU - Tringali, Letterio Mario

AU - Verga, Alessandro

AU - Vighi, Morgana

AU - Violi, Biagio

AU - Železnik, Jure

AU - Gnone, Guido

N1 - © The Author(s) 2025 This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

PY - 2025/2/14

Y1 - 2025/2/14

N2 - The common bottlenose dolphin is a cosmopolitan species that can be found worldwide in all oceans except polar and sub-polar waters. This wide distribution is associated with a certain level of morphological variation, which seems consistent with the presence of a globally distributed pelagic/offshore ecotype and several coastal/inshore ecotypes distributed along the continental shelf. In the Mediterranean Sea, the common bottlenose dolphin is a regularly occurring species and the second most sighted cetacean after the striped dolphin. According to some studies, the Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin is more closely related to the Atlantic coastal ecotype, while others suggest a closer link with the pelagic ecotype. This apparent contradiction could stem from the coexistence of two ecotypes also within the Mediterranean Sea, as suggested by genetic analyses. We analysed data collected from 2004 to 2019 by 43 different research groups, distributed in different areas of the basin, and shared on the web-based GIS platform Intercet. We analysed the distribution and movements of 4919 bottlenose dolphins, individually identified through their natural dorsal fin markings, in relation to bathymetry and in particular to the 200-meter isobath that marks the edge of the continental shelf. In addition, we reconstructed the associations between individuals within connectivity networks, to identify possible segregations between ecotypes. Our results show that most bottlenose dolphin geographical units find their habitat over the continental shelf, while the analysed data do not support the coexistence of different ecotypes (pelagic vs. coastal) living in parapatry, as described in the adjacent waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

AB - The common bottlenose dolphin is a cosmopolitan species that can be found worldwide in all oceans except polar and sub-polar waters. This wide distribution is associated with a certain level of morphological variation, which seems consistent with the presence of a globally distributed pelagic/offshore ecotype and several coastal/inshore ecotypes distributed along the continental shelf. In the Mediterranean Sea, the common bottlenose dolphin is a regularly occurring species and the second most sighted cetacean after the striped dolphin. According to some studies, the Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin is more closely related to the Atlantic coastal ecotype, while others suggest a closer link with the pelagic ecotype. This apparent contradiction could stem from the coexistence of two ecotypes also within the Mediterranean Sea, as suggested by genetic analyses. We analysed data collected from 2004 to 2019 by 43 different research groups, distributed in different areas of the basin, and shared on the web-based GIS platform Intercet. We analysed the distribution and movements of 4919 bottlenose dolphins, individually identified through their natural dorsal fin markings, in relation to bathymetry and in particular to the 200-meter isobath that marks the edge of the continental shelf. In addition, we reconstructed the associations between individuals within connectivity networks, to identify possible segregations between ecotypes. Our results show that most bottlenose dolphin geographical units find their habitat over the continental shelf, while the analysed data do not support the coexistence of different ecotypes (pelagic vs. coastal) living in parapatry, as described in the adjacent waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

KW - Tursiops truncatus

KW - ecology

KW - Mediterranean Sea

KW - encounter rate

KW - network

KW - ecotype

U2 - 10.1038/s41598-025-88605-0

DO - 10.1038/s41598-025-88605-0

M3 - Article

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 15

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

IS - 1

M1 - 5526

ER -

Investigating the presence of different bottlenose dolphin ecotypes in the Mediterranean Sea

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