@article{fdi:010065411,
  title = {{C}o-occurrence and habitat use of fin whales, striped dolphins and {A}tlantic bluefin tuna in the northwestern {M}editerranean sea},
  author = {{B}auer, {R}. {K}. and {F}romentin, {J}. {M}. and {D}emarcq, {H}erv{\'e} and {B}risset, {B}. and {B}onhommeau, {S}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{D}ifferent dolphin and tuna species have frequently been reported to aggregate in areas of high frontal activity, sometimes developing close multi-species associations to increase feeding success. {A}erial surveys are a common tool to monitor the density and abundance of marine mammals, and have recently become a focus in the search for methods to provide fisheries-independent abundance indicators for tuna stock assessment. {I}n this study, we present first density estimates corrected for availability bias of fin whales ({B}alaenoptera physalus) and striped dolphins ({S}tenella coeruleoalba) from the {G}olf of {L}ions ({G}o{L}), compared with uncorrected estimates of {A}tlantic bluefin tuna ({ABFT}; {T}hunnus thynnus) densities from 8 years of line transect aerial surveys. {T}he raw sighting data were further used to analyze patterns of spatial co-occurrence and density of these three top marine predators in this important feeding ground in the {N}orthwestern {M}editerranean {S}ea. {T}hese patterns were investigated regarding known species-specific feeding preferences and environmental characteristics (i. e. mesoscale activity) of the survey zone. {ABFT} was by far the most abundant species during the surveys in terms of schools and individuals, followed by striped dolphins and fin whales. {H}owever, when accounted for availability bias, schools of dolphins and fin whales were of equal density. {D}irect interactions of the species appeared to be the exception, but results indicate that densities, presence and core sighting locations of striped dolphins and {ABFT} were correlated. {C}ore sighting areas of these species were located close to an area of high mesoscale activity (oceanic fronts and eddies). {F}in whales did not show such a correlation. {T}he results further highlight the feasibility to coordinate research efforts to explore the behaviour and abundance of the investigated species, as demanded by the {M}arine {S}trategy {F}ramework {D}irective ({MSFD}).},
  keywords = {{MEDITERRANEE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}los {O}ne},
  volume = {10},
  numero = {10},
  pages = {e0139218 [21 p.]},
  ISSN = {1932-6203},
  year = {2015},
  DOI = {10.1371/journal.pone.0139218},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010065411},
}