Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Mikurashima Tourism Association for providing
valuable samples and individual information for this study. We would
also like to express our sincere gratitude towards the successive
members of the Mikura-jima Bandouiruka Kenkyukai (MBK), and the Mikura
Dolphin team (MIDO) who have conducted the individual identification
survey as well as fecal sample collection. We also thank the people of
Mikura Island, especially the boat captains, guides of the dolphin
tours, and the people living on Mikura Island who have been supporting
and cooperating with the individual identification surveys and fecal
sample collections over the years.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to Hiromi Kobayashi,
Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University for her assistance and kind
support in the experiments. We thank Akihiro Ikuno, Mie University,
Japan for his advice on the experimental design during the conceptual
phase of this study and for the constructive discussions. We also
appreciate Haruka Ukai, Sakura Suda, and Saki Tsuboyama, students at
Tokai University, for their help with DNA extractions and shipping of
samples. We are grateful for the technical support from Sachiko Arizono,
Mie University and teaching us the first steps of the experimental
techniques. We would like to thank Noriko Funasaka, Taiga Yodo, and the
students of the Fish Stock Enhancement Laboratory, Mie University and
the Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University for their comments and
advice throughout the laboratory seminar.
This study was financially supported by JSPS KAKENHI, Grant Number
17K19426 (M.I-M), 21K12331(Y-F, K), and 22J12473 (GY) and was partially
supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 21K05726 (TM); Environment
Research and Technology Development Fund (JPMEERF20214001) of the
Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency of Japan (M.I-M);
Cooperative Research Program of Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto
University (GY); Tokai University General Research Organization Grant
(Y-F, K); Hokkaido Regional Research Center, Tokai University (THRRC)
(Y-F, K); Tokai University Supporters Association Research and Study
Grant (Y-F, K).