Eduardo Morteo- Oceanologist, MSc, Dr.
- Senior Researcher at University of Veracruz
Eduardo Morteo
- Oceanologist, MSc, Dr.
- Senior Researcher at University of Veracruz
Director at Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas (IIB) (2021-2025)
About
93
Publications
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Introduction
I aim to provide knowledge on marine mammal species in terms of their diversity, distribution, abundance, population structure, as well as their adaptations and evolution, including behavior and life strategies, social organization, learning capabilities and communication. I wish to contribute in determining the consequences of human activities on marine mammal populations, to improve management and conservation policies. I also train specialists on the study and management of marine mammals.
Current institution
Additional affiliations
January 2018 - present
Position
- Principal Investigator
Description
- Director of the Institute of Biological Research (IIB) at Universidad Veracruzana (UV). Part of the Marine Mammal Laboratory (LabMMar, IIB-ICIMAP), a joint collaboration workgroup by IIB and the Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries (ICIMAP, UV).
January 2003 - January 2004
Position
- Research Assistant
Description
- I was awarded with a grant as Researcher Assistant by PhD Saúl Álvarez-Borrego, sponsored by the National Researchers System (SNI).
April 2005 - December 2012
Education
August 2005 - March 2011
August 2002 - August 2004
Field of study
- Departamento de Ecología Marina
August 1995 - June 2000
Publications
Publications (93)
Cetaceans are highly mobile species with complex social structures, aspects that play an important role in their fitness such as survival and offspring pro- duction. Population dispersal influences the dynam- ics of social species, which may vary with age, sex, or individual status, thus resulting in segregation; however, sex-related dispersal and...
Studying interactions between cetaceans and humans is fundamental to assess their ecological significance and the impact of human activities on marine wildlife. Delphinids have historically been associated with human maritime activities, and while evidence suggests that such interactions are becoming more frequent worldwide, these remain poorly stu...
Mark-recapture techniques are fundamental for assessing marine mammal population dynamics and individual temporal patterns. Since biases imposed by field conditions are generally unknown, we simulated variations in sampling effort (m) and maximum individual catchability (r max) to analyze their effects on residency levels measured through the numbe...
Twelve boat-based photoidentification surveys were carried out along the coast to the south of San Quintín Bay, in Baja California, Mexico, from July 1999 to June 2000; effort was 276.76 km and 31.7 h at sea. Twenty-two schools were encountered and 12.9 h of total observation were spent with 242 dolphins in these schools. The average school size wa...
Movements and behavior of cetaceans are shaped by their habitat, but reproductive physiology can further influence residency and spatial use, especially in gestating and calf-rearing females. We analyzed a long-term photo-ID dataset to assess differences in residency and behavior among the reproductive stages (gestation, dependent calf, and interbr...
n el presente libro, que constituye el tercero de esta saga, se continúa con la tarea de integrar los conocimientos recientes sobre el Corredor Arrecifal, al mismo tiempo que se amplia la visión hacia la relación que mantienen los arrecifes con los aportes continentales y los ecosistemas costeros. De tal forma, el lector encontrará aquí desde una a...
n el presente libro, que constituye el tercero de esta saga, se continúa con la tarea de integrar los conocimientos recientes sobre el Corredor Arrecifal, al mismo tiempo que se amplia la visión hacia la relación que mantienen los arrecifes con los aportes continentales y los ecosistemas costeros. De tal forma, el lector encontrará aquí desde una a...
Behavioural and acoustic plasticity allow cetaceans to exploit a variety of habitats developing strategies to overcome increasingly demanding anthropogenic pressures. Bottlenose dolphins are known to compete with artisanal fishing along the southwestern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, but the extent of marine traffic impacts on the species is unknown....
Residency (R) and site fidelity (SF) are important parameters in population ecology, yet their quantification poses challenges in marine mammals. Based on a previous review, this study used simulated and empirical mark-resight data to assess the variations and performance of the most used R (n = 8) and SF (n = 11) indices in peer-reviewed literatur...
Residency and site fidelity are important parameters in population ecology for many species as they indicate the temporal and spatial use for individuals. Although both terms are clearly different , they are used interchangeably due to lack of clarity in their definitions and the ways to assess them, especially in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp....
Live-strandings of cetaceans are uncommon in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. However, an adult female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with normal body condition was recorded at Pelicano’s Beach on the coast of Veracruz State. Health assessment showed multiple external injuries, possibly caused by the stranding event, as well as potential b...
La Ensenada de La Paz forma parte del hábitat de tursiones (Tursiops truncatus), especie gregaria que forma grupos determinados por factores socio-demográficos. Los tursiones son el componente principal en la riqueza de odontocetos en la zona, por lo que es importante actualizar el conocimiento acerca de la especie y, con ello, generar herramientas...
Marine mammals are very diverse because of the oceanographic conditions of Mexican waters (where 36% of the current species worldwide are found); however, scientific research on many of these taxa is still at the basic stages. The goal of this study was to assess the scientific information available for these species and to determine research prior...
We conducted a retrospective bibliometric analysis of the Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals (LAJAM), the scholarly publication of the Latin American Society of Specialists of Specialists in Aquatic Mammals (SOLAMAC) for the last 20 years. The goal was to describe the state of the research, trends, changes, and priorities to provide a deeper...
Introduction: The harmful effects of tobacco are well known and a smoker's diet is generally less balanced. University students live a critical period for the development of habits and lifestyles that will mark their future health. Objective: To determine the relationship between eating habits and taste perception in university students who use tob...
Resumen Considerando el creciente deterioro del medio ambiente y los efectos nocivos que alteran la riqueza de especies, es importante encontrar la metodología adecuada para el estudio de la diversidad y su manejo. La presente revisión presenta una breve reseña histórica del análisis de redes tróficas, los distintos tipos y métodos de análisis de é...
Resumen Considerando el creciente deterioro del medio ambiente y los efectos nocivos que alteran la riqueza de especies, es importante encontrar la metodología adecuada para el estudio de la diversidad y su manejo. La presente revisión presenta una breve reseña histórica del análisis de redes tróficas, los distintos tipos y métodos de análisis de é...
Harassment behavior has been observed in different species worldwide and the Gulf of Mexico is no exception. A relevant event was witnessed in the southwest of the State of Veracruz with two oceanic species, the sperm (Physeter macrocephalus) and the short-finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorrynchus). We describe how two sperm whales (mother and...
Mycotic diseases are considered a worldwide growing concern related to public health. Lobomycosis like disease (LLD) (Lacazia loboi) is a chronic and progressive infection in skin of humans and small cetaceans present in both sides of the Americas, including Mexico but information is still limited. Marine predators are indicators of potential risks...
Residency and site fidelity are important parameters in the population ecology of many species, as they indicate temporal and spatial use of individuals. 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....
Competition between fisheries and bottlenose dolphins is a globally relevant conflict given its socioeconomic and ecological implications. Understanding the factors driving the interactions between dolphins and fishery activities is key to the development of appropriate mitigation strategies. Our study aimed to assess whether these interactions are...
Los roedores y los soricomorfos son dos de los órdenes de mamíferos mejor representados en México, su relevancia ecológica radica en ser la base para las cadenas tróficas de vertebrados mayores y suelen ser especies representativas de la salud del ecosistema. No obstante, las perturbaciones ambientales por actividades humanas, han afectado sus pobl...
Despite being one of the most common odontocetes off Sinaloa (Mexican Pacific coast), basic studies on the ecology of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are scarce in the region. This study aimed to describe changes in the relative abundance, group size, and behavior of this species during 2007 – 2012. We used boat-based surveys and sa...
In coastal populations of the common bottlenose dolphin, resident females are usually more abundant and have more restricted home ranges than males. Here, we studied sex-specific population dynamics of bottlenose dolphins off the Alvarado Lagoon System, southwestern Gulf of Mexico. We used standard photo-identification and capture-mark-recapture me...
The presence of transient and temporary individuals in capture-mark-recapture studies may violate the assumption on equal catchability, and thus yield biased estimates. We investigated the effects of residency patterns on population parameters of bottlenose dolphins inhabiting the coastal waters off the Alvarado Lagoon System (ALS), Veracruz, Mexic...
Until recently, minke whale sightings in the northern Atlantic Ocean (NA) were thought to belong exclusively to the common species Balaenoptera acutorostrata (CMW). Historical records confirm the presence of the CMW in the north-eastern Caribbean Sea during the winter months. However, the Antarctic minke whale (B. bonaerensis) (AMW) has been recent...
The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is possibly the best known dolphin worldwide and their ecology and biology has been widely documented; however, research on this species in Mexico is re- cent, and the populations of the Gulf of Mexico have been less studied. In this work, we documented the fundamental aspects of the population ecology (d...
Behavioural plasticity in animals is tested whenever competitive interactions for space and/or food resources occur between wildlife and human activities. This study uses the concepts of operational and non-operational interactions between bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) and artisanal fisheries in Alvarado, to search for differences in b...
Desde tiempos antiguos la miel ha sido utilizada como un remedio tradicional contra infecciones microbianas, inhibiendo el crecimiento o destruyendo algunos patógenos. Su capacidad antimicrobiana y antioxidante se atribuye a compuestos fenólicos, a su alto contenido de azúcar, la osmolaridad, pH, la producción de peróxido de hidrógeno y la presenci...
Resumen
Este ensayo revisa los alcances de la oceanografía social tal como fue presentada y discutida en la Primera Reunión de Oceanografía Social organizada en el Centro de Estudios en Geografía Humana de El Colegio de Michoacán en septiembre de 2017. La oceanografía social es un campo innovador e híbrido de estudio, situado en el umbral entre la...
This essay reviews the scope and aims of Social Oceanography as presented and discussed at the First Social Oceanography Meeting held at the Center for Human Geography Studies of El Colegio de Michoacán in September 2017. Social Oceanography is a hybrid field of study at the interface between the natural and social sciences focused on understanding...
Introduction. Several studies have shown that the inci- dence and prevalence of obesity in Mexico increased progres- sively in recent years.
Objective. Assess the nutritional quality of school snacks of a primary school in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, and the nu- tritional status of students. Material and methods. Retrospective, observational and anal...
Cetacean-fisheries interactions are a recurring problem. These interactions are conflict prone, especially between fishers and those seeking marine mammal conservation. In the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, a large fleet of artisanal fisheries operates using a range of different techniques. We recorded 90 fishing operations in two different fishing a...
Cetacean–fishery interactions are a recurring problem. These interactions are conflict prone, especially between fishers and those seeking marine mammal conservation. In the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, a large fleet of artisanal fisheries operates using a range of different techniques. We recorded 90 fishing operations in two different fishing are...
Bats are organisms considered both beneficial and harmful animals. However, there are diverse anthropogenic factors (persecution or vandalism, pesticides, and habitat destruction) that affect them. For this reason, it is important to have a current diagnosis of the situation of the bat community that lives in different refuges. As an alternative to...
Este ensayo revisa los alcances de la oceanografía social tal como fue presentada y discutida en la Primera Reunión de Oceanografía Social organizada en el Centro de Estudios en Geografía Humana de El Colegio de Michoacán en septiembre de 2017. La oceanografía social es un campo innovador e híbrido de estudio, situado en el umbral entre las ciencia...
The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is one of the most common species of odontocetes in Mexican coastal waters. Its presence off Mazatlan, Sinaloa has been documented since 2006; however, studies on this species are scare in the region. The goal of this work was to characterize the main parameters of their population ecology. Data was obtai...
Geographic variation in external morphology is thought to reflect an interplay between genotype and the environment. Morphological variation has been well-described for a number of cetacean species, including the bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ). In this study we analyzed dorsal fin morphometric variation in coastal bottlenose dolphins to...
Mathematical relations among the morphometric indices of dorsal fin shapes
The procedure to reconstruct average dorsal fin contours from point measurements.
Summary of statistical tests and graphs
Sheet (1) The Variation Coefficients computed to generate the General Index of Variability (GIV) for Fig. 4 in the manuscript.
Sheet (2) The normality tests along with the box & whiskers plot for the log transformed measurement ratios.
Sheet (3) The summary of the Factor analysis for Table 2 in the manuscript...
Dataset
Raw digital measurements of dorsal fin samples from each study area.
Movements of many cetacean species are commonly related to temporal and spatial variations in food resources and human activities. Worldwide evidence shows that anthropogenic pressures faced by coastal dolphin populations are increasing; however, the lack of reliable baseline information generally prevents the assessment of such interactions. We st...
Geographic variation in external morphology is thought to reflect an interplay between genotype and the environment. Morphological variation has been well-described for a number of cetacean species, including the bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ). In this study we analyzed dorsal fin morphometric variation in coastal bottlenose dolphins to...
Geographic variation in external morphology is thought to reflect an interplay between genotype and the environment. Morphological variation has been well-described for a number of cetacean species, including the bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ). In this study we analyzed dorsal fin morphometric variation in coastal bottlenose dolphins to...
Geographic variation in external morphology is thought to reflect an interplay between genotype and the environment. Morphological variation has been well-described for a number of cetacean species, including the bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ). In this study we analyzed dorsal fin morphometric variation in coastal bottlenose dolphins to...
Geographic variation in external morphology is thought to reflect an interplay between genotype and the environment. Morphological variation has been well-described for a number of cetacean species, including the bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ). In this study we analyzed dorsal fin morphometric variation in coastal bottlenose dolphins to...
Geographic variation in external morphology is thought to reflect an interplay between genotype and the environment. Morphological variation has been well-described for a number of cetacean species, including the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). In this study we analyzed dorsal fin morphometric variation in coastal bottlenose dolphins to se...
LAJAM Special Volume on Tursiops in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean is introduced.
Introducción: El aprovechamiento de fauna silvestre es una actividad practicada desde tiempos remotos por comunidades rurales; por tanto, entender su aprovechamiento y su uso tradicional, proporciona una visión amplia y objetiva que puede emplearse en la elaboración de programas de manejo. Este trabajo documenta el uso de mamíferos silvestres en el...
Introducción: El aprovechamiento de fauna silvestre es una actividad practicada desde tiempos remotos por comunidades rurales; por tanto, entender su aprovechamiento y su uso tradicional, proporciona una visión amplia y objetiva que puede emplearse en la elaboración de programas de manejo. Este trabajo documenta el uso de mamíferos silvestres en el...
Stocks are relevant for effective management and conservation actions, but this concept is rare in Mexican policies and studies involving marine mammals, where "populations" are often defined arbitrarily and commonly based on a single attribute. This study attempts to determine if bottlenose dolphins inhabiting the Veracruz Reef System (VRS) and th...
El estudio de las condiciones ambientales y su relación con la abundancia y distribución de los cetáceos incluye raramente las actividades humanas, las cuales pueden tener efectos negativos sobre los organismos. En este estudio se caracterizó la relación entre la distribución temporal y espacial de las operaciones marinas (pesquera, comercial y rec...
Coral reef systems are biologically diverse and provide feeding resources for many species, including coastal dolphins; the function of such systems is relevant in areas under governmental protection, which aim to warrant the continuity of the ecological processes but also that of the species inhabiting these areas, including the ones under protect...
Boat-based photo-identification research has been carried out on bottle- nose dolphins in eastern North Pacific coastal waters off northern Baja California, Mexico and southern and central California, USA from 1981 to 2001. Within these waters, bottlenose dolphins routinely travel back and forth between coastal locations while generally staying wit...
Introduction: Societies in mammal species are influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect the temporality of the associations among individuals. Coastal bottlenose dolphins generally live in small fluid aggregations variable in composition, but the nature of their associations is commonly unknown. Our goal was to determine if school s...
Los delfines son importantes depredadores tope en las tramas tróficas de los ecosistemas marinos y el estudio de sus poblaciones puede reflejar el estado de salud de su hábitat, particularmente en las Áreas Naturales Protegidas (ANP). Desde la llegada de los conquistadores españoles, la zona arrecifal de Veracruz ha albergado diversas actividades p...
Coastal bottlenose dolphins develop dynamic associations related to different factors (e.g., sex, age, environment); the goal of this research was to test if partner election was also related to dolphin activities. We conducted 80 photo-identification surveys along the coastal waters off Alvarado over four years (2002-2003, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 20...
Dolphin-fisheries interactions are increasing worldwide, but direct assessment on their reciprocal impacts are uncommon. Fishers in the Alvarado coast consider dolphins as a plague, and every year they injure or kill these animals incidentally or on purpose. In order to compare perceived and real impacts in fisheries, we applied open questionnaires...
Markrecapture techniques are fundamental for assessing marine mammal population dynamics and individual temporal patterns. Since biases imposed by field conditions are generally unknown, we simulated variations in sampling effort (m) and maximum individual catchability (rmax) to analyze their effects on residency levels measured through the number...
Relationships between some species and their environment may differ by age, sex, hierarchy or individual status within populations; however, despite the changes in coastal environments caused by anthropogenic factors, these are commonly ignored. A two-year study (2006-8) with 41 standard line-transect and photo-Id surveys was designed to determine...
The Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) comprises a multigene family encoding glycoproteins involved in adaptive immune responses in vertebrates through presentation of pathogen-derived peptides to T-cells. The high level of polymorphism observed in MHC loci is often explained in terms of its susceptibility to infectious diseases and its protect...
Delphinids have historically been associated with human maritime activities. While evidence suggests that such interactions are increasing worldwide, these remain poorly studied. We assessed the differences in dolphin affinity to interact with fishing operations off the productive Alvarado lagoon, in the western Gulf of Mexico. From May 2006 to Apr...
The study of environmental conditions and their relation to the abundance and distribution of cetaceans rarely includes human activities, which may have negative effects on the organisms. Therefore, we characterized such activities within the Veracruz Reef System National Park (VRSNP), focusing on the temporal and spatial distribution of marine ope...
El presente trabajo estudia la ecología social de la comunidad de tursiones presentes en las aguas costeras de Alvarado, basándose en el estatus migratorio y el sexo de los individuos. El primer capítulo estudia la dinámica poblacional (patrones temporales de abundancia absoluta, tasas de migración, fidelidad al sitio y residencia) de los delfines,...
PLANTEAMIENTO DEL PROBLEMA. La emaciación puede definirse como la condición física caracterizada por una reducción en el estado energético de un individuo, en el que estará delgado y será incapaz de sobrevivir al estrés ambiental. La grasa desempeña un papel importante en la sobrevivencia de los cetáceos; en el caso del tursión (Tursiops truncatus)...
El término-balano‖ es el nombre común para describir a más de 900 especies marinas de la subclase Cirripedia; ésta agrupa a organismos crustáceos cuya forma adulta es sésil, por lo que se les encuentra adheridos a una gran variedad de sustratos y en ocasiones como comensales de mamíferos marinos sin causar daño alguno. Para Tursiops truncatus se ti...
El tursión (Tursiops truncatus) es uno de los mamíferos marinos más estudiados en todo el mundo (Wells y Scott, 2008). Este delfín tiene una vida larga (hasta 50 años, Wells y Scott, 2008) y habita común-mente el mar abierto, bahías, esteros, lagunas e incluso ríos (Jefferson et al., 1993). Además, su uso como bioindicador es cada vez más frecuente...
El Complejo Principal de Histocompatibilidad (MHC) es una familia multigénica que codifica glicoproteínas involucradas en la respuesta inmune de los vertebrados. El nivel de polimorfismo en estos genes está estrechamente ligado a la susceptibilidad a enfermedades infecciosas, por lo que niveles altos usualmente se asocian con una mayor capacidad in...
The coastal waters off Alvarado are highly abundant in bottlenose dolphins but are also heavily used for human activities. Systematic research on the species began in 2002 and was continued during 2006-8. However, knowledge on the ecology of these animals was very limited. The goal of this study is to determine the status of this dolphin community....
Para determinar la posibilidad de identificar diferencias ambientales a través de evidencias visuales en el cuerpo de los delfines, se analizaron las marcas en aletas dorsales de 169 individuos de Nautla y 118 de Alvarado fotografiados simultáneamente durante 2002-3. Ambos sitios se encuentran a 300 km de distancia y sólo se encontraron 9 individuo...
Identificados como cetáceos curiosos, amables y amistosos, los delfines se encuentran entre los mamíferos marinos que más nos atraen. En México hay una discusión acerca de las políticas de conservación que deben regir sobre estas especies, pues su presencia en nuestras costas varía desde grandes poblaciones en ciertas regiones, hasta grupos muy dis...
The fishing activities and marine traffic were characterized to determine relationships among distribu- tion, abundance and behavior of bottlenose dolphins in the Veracruz Reef System (VRS). This is the first work on bottlenose dolphins within the study area, and the first in Mexico with these characteristics. Between June-November 2006, 20 line tr...
Capture-recapture methods for Individual identification through photographs of natural markings have been widely used in a number of cetacean species, resulting in data resembling presence, permanence and site fidelity. Ballance (1990) used these data to develop a procedure to assess the “degree of residency”, and her method has been used worldwide...
Bottlenose dolphin populations in the Mexican coasts of the Gulf of Mexico have not been as extensively studied as those from the Pacific. The few available studies comprise mostly the Caribbean, thus the western Gulf of Mexico has only one research conducted more than 10 years ago. Between July 2002-2003, 26 boat-based surveys were conducted withi...
Twelve boat-based photoidentification surveys were carried out along the coast to the south of San Quintín Bay, in Baja California, Mexico, from July 1999 to June 2000; effort was 276.76 km and 31.7 h at sea. Twenty-two schools were encountered and 12.9 h of total observation were spent with 242 dolphins in these schools. The average school size wa...
The flexible behavior and adaptability of bottlenose dolphins allows them to use different habitat types. This facilitates demographical differentiation among populations. Due to their wide distribution, the genus Tursiops presents high levels of phenotypic plasticity and its morphology can change abruptly in regions of high proximity. However, mos...
Due to the terrestrial origin of the actual cetaceans, the dorsal fin is considered a derived trait (lost in some groups); though no detailed information could be obtained about its shape in the older cetaceans. The shape of the dorsal fin has been considered important for two reasons: thermoregulation and hydrodynamics. Data on physiology and hydr...
The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) is an important natural resource and knowing the basic aspects of its ecology is becoming increasingly urgent. The goal of this study was to determine the distribution and movements of bottlenose dolphins along the southern coast of San Quintín Bay in Baja California, Mexico. Twelve boat-based photo ident...
El tursión (Tursiops truncatus) es un recurso natural susceptible de aprovechamiento, por ello el conocer al menos los aspectos más básicos de su ecología se hace cada vez más urgente. El objetivo del estudio fue establecer la distribución y los movimientos de tursiones al sur de Bahía San Quintín mediante fotoidentificación. Entre julio de 1999 y...
The response to marine mammal strandings along the coast of Ensenada, Baja California, became the main objective of ICMME since 1997. Due to the great incidence of pinniped and cetacean strandings in Bahia Todos Santos, data collection for each taxon had to be standardized, as well as the way the environmental variables and the geographic character...
ICMME in cooperation with UABC, PROFEPA and the community of Ensenada, have developed a local marine mammals stranding net, which consists in attending the call of a stranded animal, assisting the place and filling up the forms designed by ICMME (based on the IWC). Afterwards the animal is buried as community service. The forms are filled up with u...
