![]() In the first questionnaire these experts identified potential indicators of stranded cetacean welfare and survival likelihood. ![]() ![]() Two online questionnaires were conducted. The Delphi method was applied to gather international and interdisciplinary expert opinion to provide face validity to potential indicators of stranded cetacean welfare and survival likelihood. Valid indicators that are practical to measure are needed to assess welfare status and survival likelihood for stranded cetaceans. Management of live cetacean strandings generally focuses on refloating animals, yet there is a lack of scientific data to inform decision-making. These findings show the need for paradigm shifts to create comprehensive, standardized, and generalized definitions of residency, which can be compared across different populations of marine mammals around the world. Indicators of site fidelity were more consistent with each other, and the best performing indicators of residency combined monthly, seasonal, and annual data. ![]() Simulations showed sensitivity to different survival estimates, in addition to those of already known catchability. These main differences were associated with patterns of temporal use and the thresholds for classifying individuals. We found 30 indicators of residency, where 20 were based on capturerecapture data, and 8 contained categories. Simulations of capture-recapture histories based on real scenarios of wild populations of dolphins were used to evaluate residency metrics by varying the parameters in a JollySeber model. This project investigated the factors that influence measurements of residency and site fidelity in dolphins through a retrospective, ~20 year (1990-2019), literature review. However, due to interspecific differences and logistical restrictions for the study of cetaceans, there is no consensus on the definitions and ways to evaluate these parameters. Cetaceans with welldefined patterns of residency and site fidelity may be more vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances and the study of these parameters makes it possible to assess such impacts. Residency and site fidelity are important parameters in the population ecology of many species, as they indicate temporal and spatial use of individuals. This paper reviews the historical approaches to dolphin health assessments, present day achievements, and development of future conservation goals. Future studies aim to build on current knowledge to influence management decisions and species conservation. The ability to use bottlenose dolphins as a model for studying marine mammal health has been pivotal in our understanding of anthropogenic effects on multiple marine mammal species. Expanding scientific knowledge enables effective long-term conservation management strategies by facilitating informed decision making and improving social understanding of the anthropogenic effects. In addition, long-term monitoring provides opportunities for insights into population shifts over time, with retrospective application of novel diagnostic tests on archived samples. Baseline data enable comparison of stressors between geographic locations and associated changes in individual and population health status. Over the last four decades, health assessments have evolved into essential conservation management tools of free-ranging dolphin populations. Bottlenose dolphin health assessments initially started as stock assessments prior to acquisition. Health assessment examinations have developed a comprehensive knowledge base of dolphin biology, population structure, and environmental or anthropogenic stressors affecting their dynamics. ![]() The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is a global marine mammal species for which some populations, due to their coastal accessibility, have been monitored diligently by scientists for decades. ![]()
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