time, 218 individual dolphins may utilize the small 13 km^ shaded region of 

 Figure 15. 



HEALING OF BIOPSIES 



Biopsy marks of 16 individual dolphins were photographed 1-4 times 

 post-biopsy, spanning from eight to 476 days elapsed time (Appendix 6) 

 yielding 27 post-biopsy photographs. Table 10 groups observations from these 

 27 photos, plus two photos of fresh biopsies, into four stages of wedge biopsy 

 healing. 



Biopsies were approximately 30-mm long by 20-mm wide. A fresh biopsy 

 app>eared pink to red, oval shaped and several mm deep. Eight to 18 days post- 

 biopsy, the oval wound was whitish with some pinkish coloration 

 remaining. The center of the wound was a darker spot measuring 4-5 mm in 

 diameter. The skin at the edge of some of these stage 1 wounds was darker 

 than the surrounding normal skin in a 2.7-3.3 mm band. The wound, 

 including dark band, may also be surrounded by a halo of lighter gray skin, 

 gradually fading into normally pigmented skin. By days 15-26 post-biopsy 

 (stage 2) all pink coloration was absent. The central dark spot (3.6 mm 

 diameter) and light gray halo (3.9 mm band) remained. In stage 3, at 

 40-42 days, a white spot remained, with no other discoloration. By stage 4 

 (> 61 days), pigmentation of the wounds was normal or nearly so. An 

 indentation a few mm deep was still present in the blubber layer of one 

 individual, FB517, recovered dead (see Appendix 3). 



Epidermis appears to have covered the entire wound by day 40 (stage 3) 

 and at least by day 61 (stage 4), but pxjssibly as early as day eight or 15 (stage 2), 

 judged by the absence of pinkish coloration and smooth appearance of the 

 wound. The new epidermal layer, which covers the wound before the 

 underlying blubber layer is fully filled-in, is repigmented in stage 3. 



DORSAL FIN NOTCHES 



The number of notches on the trailing edge of a dolphin's dorsal fin was 

 not different between males and females (P = 069, Mann-Whitney U, 

 n = 20 males, 16 females). The exclusion of calves did not affect this analysis. 

 Mean number of notches was 5.9 ± 2.77 (SD) (range 0-10, n = 36 dolphins). 

 There was a tendency for older males to have more notches than younger 

 males (P = 0.0014, R^ = 0.44, simple linear regression). This trend was not 

 noticeable in females (P = 0.12, R^ = 0.16). Females (excluding calves) with 

 more female freeze-branded affiliates showed a tendency to have more 

 notches than those with fewer female affiliates (P = 0.06, R^ = 0.61). No trend 



20 



