Note
Bay, sound and estuary (BSE) populations of bottlenose dolphins are common along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts. NOAA Fisheries currently identifies 9 BSE stocks in the Atlantic and 32 in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Accurate abundance estimates for these stocks are an essential component of MMPA-mandated stock assessment, yet only three of these BSE stocks have up-to-date abundance estimates.