sample size of dolphin strandings by area from the beach surveys was too low to derive any 

 reliable inferences as to monthly trends or differences between areas. However, the beach 

 surveys did show an overaD increase during 1990 in the total number of stranded bottlenose 

 dolphins and in their stranding rate (1.8 times the 1988-89 average). The beach surveys 

 provided an independent measure of the number of strandings and the stranding rate and 

 confirmed the observations of the TMMSN. 



Tabic 2 Toos beach turveys conducted from 198S-90 (Januaiy-May) by area reporting number of miles surveyed and number 

 ef stranded botilenose dolphins per mile surveyed. 



Table 3. Numbers of bottlenose dolphins reponed stranded by the Tecas beach surveys and by the Marine Mammal Stranding 

 Network (MMSN) during January-Arril, 1988-90. 



13 



