A ocorrência do boto-cinza Sotalia guianensis (van Bénéden, 1864) no litoral de Fortaleza, Estado do Ceará: uma revisão narrativa

Abstract

The Sotalia guianensis predominantly inhabits coastal and estuarine waters in the regions of South and Central America. It is a species often found in naturally protected areas such as estuaries, bays, and coves. The presence of the guiana dolphin extends along the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts, starting from Florianopolis in the southernmost part of Brazil to the central region of Honduras. However, anthropogenic activities directly impact marine mammals and indirectly affect their populations due to reduced fish stocks, decreased available food, and habitat loss. This Thesis aims to conduct a review of the occurrence of the gray dolphin on the coast of Fortaleza, as well as to analyze existing knowledge. The narrative review of existing records allows for the identification of the evolution of the guiana dolphin's occurrence in the city of Fortaleza, as well as potential conflicts such as regional fishing and marine pollution. Ten studies on the guiana dolphin on the coast of Fortaleza were identified from 1992 to 2013. The found works indicated that environmental monitoring of the guiana dolphin and the population ecology of the species are the main research topics. Therefore, this Thesis had the objective of investigating the conservation of the guiana dolphin, Sotalia guianensis, in the city of Fortaleza through the approach of a narrative review of published scientific research. The results of this study contribute to understanding the relationship between anthropogenic activities and the conservation of the guiana dolphin, providing relevant information for decision-making and protective measures for this species on the urban coast of one of the largest Brazilian cities. Additionally, it highlights the lack of studies on the monitoring of the species in the city of Fortaleza in the last 13 years.