The First International Conference on Marine Mammal Protected Areas

Bryde’s whales in Southeast Brazil – integrating research with MPA management
Mabel Augustowski
<strong>The</strong> broad continental shelf along the southeastern coast of Brazil supports a large
sardine fishery, especially off the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. <strong>The</strong> many
islands of the region serve as natural barriers for water circulation and contribute to the
upwelling of nutrients, thus enhancing the availability of plankton for sardines. Bryde’s
whales feed in this region, mainly during the spring and summer. Little was known until
recently by scientists, MPA managers, and the general public about the Bryde’s whales of
this region.
<strong>The</strong> Bryde’s Whale Project developed by CEMAR began in 2001 in Laje de Santos
Marine State Park, an MPA used mostly by divers about 25 mi offshore. With the
cooperation and involvement of dive tour operators and using the dive boats as
platforms of opportunity, data have been collected on the occurrence and behavior of
Bryde’s whales in all months and in areas both inside and outside the park. Also, cruises
offshore to the 3,000 m isobath aboard the oceanographic vessel of the Instituto
Oceanografico/Universidade de Sao Paulo have enabled observations of possible
breeding behavior by Bryde’s whales. Sites near coastal islands with potential for whale
watching have been identified. Oil and gas development is regarded as a primary threat.
Another potential threat, entanglement in commercial fishing, has yet to be evaluated.
<strong>The</strong> Bryde’s Whale Project emphasizes the development and maintenance of close
working relationships with local villages and cities. Also, efforts are made to ensure that
team members are included on MPA advisory or management boards. <strong>The</strong> government
of Sao Paulo State recently designated three new multiple-use MPAs, covering almost
the entire coast from shore to depths of 25-50 m, thus encompassing much of the
habitat used by Bryde’s whales. A research program established to support management
of these MPAs involves, at least in principle, formal links with universities and other
scientific and technical institutions. <strong>The</strong> program’s success will, as always, depend on
adequate, sustained funding.
Understanding our waters – A proposed Protected Area Network for Cetacean Diversity in Bangladesh
Rubaiyat Mansur Mowgli
<strong>The</strong> Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project has
conducted a wide range of research on cetaceans in estuarine, coastal, and submarine
canyon waters. <strong>The</strong> results include: (1) a population estimate of Ganges and Irrawaddy
dolphins in the Sundarbans mangrove forest, (2) an assessment of occurrence and
distributional ecology of near-shore marine cetaceans, with abundance estimates for
Irrawaddy dolphins and finless porpoises, (3) an investigation of habitat selection of
freshwater-dependent cetaceans and the potential effects of declining freshwater flows
and sea-level rise in waterways of the Sundarbans, (4) a study of fishing gear
entanglement of Ganges River dolphins in the Sundarbans, and (5) identification of
channel characteristics and locations of hotspots for freshwater-dependent cetaceans in
the eastern Sundarbans.
ICMMPA <strong>Conference</strong> Proceedings
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