Abundance and distribution patterns of cetaceans and their overlap with vessel traffic in the Humboldt Current Ecosystem, Chile

The Humboldt Current Ecosystem (HCE) is one of the most productive marine ecosystems, sustaining one of the largest fishing industries in the world. Although several species of cetaceans are known to inhabit these productive waters, quantitative assessments of their abundance and distribution patterns are scarce and patchy. Here, we present the first abundance and distribution estimates for fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), southeast Pacific blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus), sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus), and common dolphin (Delphinus spp.) in the entire Chilean portion of the HCE. Line transect surveys were conducted during 2016–2021 between 18° S and 41° S and up to ~ 200 km offshore, and data were analyzed using distance sampling methods. Group counts were modelled as a function of environmental variables using single step Bayesian Binomial N-mixture model (BNMM), which allows full uncertainty propagation between model components. By using spatially explicit predictions of cetacean densities and observed vessel densities in the HCE, we provide quantitative assessments on the relative probability of cetaceans encountering vessels (RPCEV). Dusky dolphin and fin whale showed the largest distribution overlap with industrial and artisanal fishery fleets. Our results highlight areas where effort should be prioritized to address the extant but unquantified negative interactions between vessels and cetaceans in Chilean HCE.