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CANBERRA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) – The number of dolphins in Darwin Harbor, in the Northern Territory of Australia (TN), has been halved since 2011, according to one expert.
Carol Palmer, a senior scientist with the NWT's Department of the Environment, has seen a steady decline in the number of dolphins in Darwin Harbor since 2011.
The harbor is home to three species of dolphins hugging the tropical coast; Australian snubfin almost threatened, Australian humpback whale and coastal bottler.
"For the Australian humpback dolphin, for which we have the best data, it was most widely seen in Darwin Harbor, and the population dropped from the mid-1940s to the twenties," Palmer told Australian radio. Corporation (ABC) on Friday.
In the Greater Darwin area, the mogul population has increased from 88 in 2011 to 50 in 2017.
The bottlenose dolphin population has declined from 28 to 23 and the dolphin dolphin population from 32 to 24.
Palmer has identified climate change and the increased underwater noise that dolphins are very sensitive to, probably as causes.
"A potentially growing underwater noise, prey availability and a number of climate change-related issues are causing it," she said.
"In 2016, we had the highest sea surface temperatures recorded at Darwin Harbor and in northern Australia, and we know, from work done overseas, this may affect fish reproduction and prey availability. "
"And we do not really understand the influence of shipping and a whole range of things."
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