Better educational signage could reduce disturbance of resting dolphins

Spinner dolphins on Hawai'i Island's west coast (Stenella longirostris longirostris) rest by day in protected bays that are increasingly popular for recreation. Because more frequent interactions of people with these dolphins is likely to reduce rest for dolphins and to explain recent decl...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2021-04, Vol.16 (4), p.e0248732-e0248732
Main Authors: Donnelly, Roarke E, Prots, Alex, Donnelly, Christl A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Aquatic mammals
Bays
Best practice
Biodiversity
Biology
Biology and Life Sciences
Boats
Cetacea
Conservation
Conservation of Natural Resources
Consumer education
Dolphins
Dolphins & porpoises
Drafting software
Earth Sciences
Editing
Education
Educational aspects
Environmental impact statements
Epidemiology
Funding
Hawaii
Humans
Infectious diseases
Legislation
Marine mammals
Methods
People and Places
Recreation
Regulation
Research and Analysis Methods
Rest
Safety signs
Signs
Spinners
Statistical analysis
Stenella - physiology
Swimming
Tourism
Wildlife
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife tourism
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Summary:Spinner dolphins on Hawai'i Island's west coast (Stenella longirostris longirostris) rest by day in protected bays that are increasingly popular for recreation. Because more frequent interactions of people with these dolphins is likely to reduce rest for dolphins and to explain recent decline in dolphin abundance, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed stricter rules regarding interactions with spinner dolphins near the main Hawaiian Islands and plans to increase enforcement. Simultaneous investment in public education about both interaction rules and their biological rationale has been and is likely to be relatively low. To test the hypothesis that more educational signage will reduce human-generated disturbance of dolphins, a paper questionnaire was distributed to 351 land-based, mostly unguided visitors at three dolphin resting bays on Hawai'i Island's west coast. Responses indicated that visitors wanted to see dolphins, were ignorant of interaction rules, were likely to read signs explaining rules and their biological rationales, and were likely to follow known rules. Therefore, investment in effective educational signage at dolphin resting bays is recommended as one way to support conservation of spinner dolphins on Hawai'i Island's west coast and similar sites in the Hawaiian archipelago.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0248732