Offshore transport data (Mt/sec/100 km) were obtained from the NOAA/NMFS, 

 Pacific Environmental Laboratory, Monterey, California, for locations corresponding to the 

 mid-point of each statistical area at the 10 fm contour (Figure 1). A negative value 

 indicated a net shoreward movement. These data were available for all five sections (Table 

 2) and stranding data from each section was analyzed by regression with offshore transport. 



Statistical Analyses 



Single factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine differences in 

 bottlenose dolphin stranding rate among months and years. ANOVA was used to examine 

 environmental variables for significant differences among months and years. Possible 

 relationships between monthly stranding rates and environmental variables were evaluated 

 using linear regression and ANOVA. Pairwise comparisons were performed using the 

 Student-Newman-Keuls test (SNK test) if ANOVA determined significant differences. 

 Significance was determined with o = 0.05. 



Results 



Stranding rates 



Bottlenose dolphin stranding in the Texas Gulf Coast peaked annually in March 

 during the period January 1986 through June 1990 (Figure 4). Stranding rates did not differ 

 significantly among the months January-June except for during March when the stranding 

 rate was significantly higher (P < 0.01, N = 30). Comparison of monthly stranding rates for 

 January through May, 1986-1990 and December 1985-1989, using ANOVA detected no 

 significant difference in stranding rates among years (P = 0.46, N = 30); however, the 

 relatively low power of the ANOVA (1 - B - 0.55) suggested that there might be significant, 

 but undetected, differences between years. Using the upper 95% confidence interval on the 

 1986-1990 monthly stranding means as a boundary criteria for detecting significant 

 differences, the number of strandings during January-March 1990 appeared significantly 

 greater than during the preceding four years (Figure 4). Table 3 lists bottlenose dolphin 

 strandings by month for the period January-June, 1986-1990, along the Texas coast. 



37 



