A previously undescribed skin abnormality, referred to as “linear skin markings” (LSM), has been identified in free‐ranging common bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida (IRL). The lesions were identified during photo‐identification surveys conducted from 2002 and 2015. LSM presented as distinct, parallel lines running dorso‐ventrally on the torso and varied in length and width. The goal...

The European Union's Natura 2000 (N2000) is among the largest international networks of protected areas. One of its aims is to secure the status of a predetermined set of (targeted) bird and butterfly species. However, nontarget species may also benefit from N2000. We evaluated how the terrestrial component of this network affects the abundance of nontargeted, more common bird and butterfly species based on data from long‐term...

Climate change is a major global threat to biodiversity with widespread impacts on ecological communities. Evidence for beneficial impacts on populations is perceived to be stronger and more plentiful than that for negative impacts, but few studies have investigated this apparent disparity, or how ecological factors affect population responses to climatic change. We examined the strength of the relationship between species-spe...

Social network analysis has been shown to be effective in studying the social structure of cetacean populations. Common bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) inhabiting the Indian River Lagoon ( IRL ), Florida, have among the highest concentrations of total mercury ( TH g) in blood reported worldwide. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between TH g concentrations in IRL dolphins and their social aff...