Table 1. Comparison of demographics for common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) stranded in Mississippi and Alabama during shared large-scale mortality years (LSMY) 1990 and 2011.
| LSMYs previous to versus during the ongoing GoM UME | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 1990 | 2011 | P value |
| Sex (% female) | 17/49 (34.7%) | 36/77 (46.8%) | 0.18 |
| Percent perinates | 14/76 (18.4%) | 40/96 (41.7%) | < 0.01 |
| Mean body length (cm) | 193 | 149 | < 0.01 |
| Alabama | 1990 | 2011 | |
| Sex (% female) | 21/49 (42.9%) | 21/49 (42.9%) | 1.0 |
| Percent perinates | 7/52 (13.5%) | 30/56 (53.6%) | < 0.01 |
| Mean body length (cm) | 201 | 140 | < 0.01 |
| LSMYs during the ongoing GoM UME | |||
| Louisiana | 2010 | 2011 | P value |
| Sex (% female) | 37/75 (49.3%) | 25/88 (28.4%) | < 0.01 |
| Percent perinates | 7/102 (6.9%) | 20/134 (14.9%) | 0.05 |
| Mean body length (cm) | 158 | 182 | 0.06 |
| Louisiana vs. Mississippi & Alabama | LA 2011 | MS & AL 2011 | |
| Sex (% female) | 25/88 (28.4%) | 57/126 (45.2%) | 0.01 |
| Percent perinates | 20/134 (14.9%) | 70/152 (46.1%) | < 0.01 |
| Mean body length (cm) | 182 | 146 | < 0.01 |
Louisiana 2011 was compared to Mississippi and Alabama 2011 due to Louisiana’s relative longevity of high stranding rates. The ongoing dolphin Gulf of Mexico (GoM) unusual mortality event (UME) includes years 2010 and 2011.