Cetaceans rely primarily on sound production for communication, navigation and foraging purposes. Recently, Static Acoustic Monitoring (SAM) has been extensively applied in the study of these animals and has provided unique insights in ecological patterns visually undetected. SAM has also been particularly useful to address behavioural and communication-related questions. In this study, records from simultaneous visual and static acoustic monitoring (hydrophone) techniques were used to characterise bottlenose dolphins’ habitat use the Shannon Estuary Special Area of Conservation (SAC) at Moneypoint Co. Clare. Modelling of acoustic data demonstrates significant temporal trends in occurrence of bottlenose dolphins across tidal cycle, diel cycle and tidal phase, while visual observations confirm the critical importance of the site for foraging activities. Analysis of whistle contour characteristics highlights a correlation between whistle shape and behavioural context recorded by observers, but no influence of environmental cycles on whistle acoustic properties. The present work pursues the characterisation of dolphin’s repertoire initiated in the Estuary by documenting a wider range of behaviours and preliminary results provide interesting bases for the use of whistle as habitat-use monitoring tools. It contributes to our understanding of acoustic data collected in the estuary and participate to improve their interpretation when informing future conservation plans.
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