Kara Mickiewicz, a student from the University of New England, supervised by Dr. Michelle Caputo, recently presented a research poster at the university’s Spring 2025 CAS Symposium. The project, titled “Occurrence of Small Cetaceans in Mozambican Waters Using Spatial Distribution Models,” was developed using spatial data provided by BCSS.
The study focused on the Bazaruto Archipelago and analyzed habitat use patterns of four marine mammal species: dugongs, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, Indian Ocean humpback dolphins, and spinner dolphins. Using opportunistic sightings collected during BCSS fieldwork, the research employed spatial modeling tools including QGIS and RStudio to identify environmental variables influencing species distribution.
Species-specific differences were uncovered through Kruskal-Wallis tests, indicating that each cetacean species utilizes distinct environmental conditions such as depth, temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll concentration. These findings underscore the ecological value of the Bazaruto region and highlight the importance of preserving varied marine habitats amid increasing human activity.
If you’d like to get access to our data, get in touch.
