Delayed response to environmental conditions and infra-seasonal dynamics of the short-beaked common dolphin distribution

Cetaceans adjust their distribution and abundance to encountered conditions across years and seasons, but we poorly understand such small-scale changes for many species, especially in winter. Crucial challenges yet weight on some populations during this season, such as the high levels of fisheries-induced mortality faced by the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) in the North-East Atlantic shelves. For such species, comprehend the winter fine-scale dynamics is crucial. We aimed at identifying the dolphin distribution drivers within the winters 2020 and 2021, with a focus on determining the lag between changes in oceanographic conditions and in dolphin distribution. They were related with temporal delays specific to the nature and the cascading effects oceanographic processes had on the trophic chain. By determining the most important conditions and lags to dolphin distributions, we shed light on the yet poorly understood intrusions of dolphins within coastal waters during winter: they displayed a strong preference for the coastal-shelf waters front and extensively followed its spatial variations, their overall densities increasing over the period and peaking in March-April. The results presented here provided invaluable information on the winter distribution dynamics and should inform management decisions to help reducing the unsustainable mortalities of this species in fisheries by-catch.