Scientists galvanise to conserve Endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins

Like these in Dubai, UAE, humpback dolphins live very close to shore, often close to cities (Photographer: Ada Natoli).

Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (Sousa plumbea) are assessed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, meaning they are among the species of greatest conservation concern globally.  The species range spans from the southern tip of Africa to the southern tip of India, including the Red Sea, Arabian/Persian Gulf and some islands, such as Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Zanzibar, Socotra and Mayotte. Many of the 23 range countries are low-income states.

These dolphins occur mainly in shallow water less than 25m deep, and they favour estuaries, coral reef and rocky shore habitats, lagoons, and shallow sheltered bays.  In most places where data are available, populations are small and declining because of their proximity to highly populated coastlines and exposure to numerous threats.  Significant gaps exist in knowledge, capacity and resources.

To galvanise conservation action, in early 2024, researchers and conservationists working on the species formed the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Conservation Network (HuDoNet). In total, 72 scientists from 17 countries in the western Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea are now working together under HuDoNet’s umbrella.

The aim of HuDoNet is to foster and facilitate collaborative research and management efforts by sharing expertise and working together across the species range, attracting resources to support local initiatives. By unifying and amplifying the voices of individual researchers the hope is to draw attention to the needs of humpback dolphins.  The network created a logo (see below) and website: hudonet.org.

The main immediate task of the group is to set short- and medium-term targets for action in the form of a Network Action Plan. To do this, HuDoNet has established five working groups:

Indian Ocean Humpback dolphins in Tanzania (Photographer: Gill Braulik)

• Biological Research;
• Threats and Solutions;
• Policy;
• People; and
• Network Success.

Each working group is undertaking the process of:
1) collating and synthesising available data to highlight gaps and opportunities for action;
2) identifying leverage points and weighing up the costs, benefits and feasibility of potential interventions, and
3) specifying the resources and capacity required for prioritised actions.

Working group meetings have been convened throughout October and November and connections are being made within this large, culturally diverse, widely dispersed group of people – a crucial step towards achieving HuDoNet’s mission of ensuring a future for Indian Ocean humpback dolphins throughout their range.  To learn more or to provide assistance or support please explore the website: www.hudonet.org.

Shipping and associated infrastructure are among the many threats to the Endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphins (Photographer: Brett Atkins)