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Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin reclassified as “Endangered” on the new IUCN Red List
The Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus gephyreus), a coastal subspecies found in southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, has been reclassified as “Endangered (EN)” in the October 2025 update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. In 2019, the subspecies had been assessed as Vulnerable (VU).
This decision reflects evidence of ongoing population decline and increasing pressures on its habitat, especially due to coastal degradation, incidental captures in gillnets, and pollution. The IUCN also highlights the impact of global warming and climate change on marine mammals worldwide.
Data collected by the Gephyreus Project, which monitors occurrences, interactions with fishing activities, and stranding events along the coasts of southern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina, were essential to support the assessment. This contribution reinforces the importance of collaborative work between research institutions and coastal communities for the conservation of the subspecies.
“The new classification reflects the joint effort of researchers and the urgent need for conservation measures,” states the Gephyreus Project technical team.
🔗 To learn more, see the official document on the IUCN Red List (2025).