In Memoriam

  1. Sousa-Lima, R. May-Collado, L. J., Brady, B. and N. Castelblanco-Martinez. 2025. “Force of Nature”-Eric Angel Ramos. Aquatic Mammals. 51(2), 193-195. 
  2. May-Collado, L. J., Kiszka, J. J., Castelblanco-Martínez, D. N., Brady, B., Rieucau, G., Gonzalez-Socoloske, D., Sousa-Lima, R., Reiss, D., Magnasco, M., Mast, R., Sentman, W., & Reidenberg, J. S. 2025. Dr. Eric Angel Ramos - a shooting star that inspired marine mammalogists and beyond (1987 – 2024). Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals.20(1), 76-81.

Peer Reviewed Publications.
Google Scholar metrics: h-index=29, i10-index=49

  1. Tardin, R. et al. Optimistic climate mitigation scenario halves projected range loss in a neotropical dolphin. 2025. Ocean and Coastal Management. Ocean and Coastal Management. 269: 107800. 
  2. Austin, M., Oswald, J. N., Rege-Colt, M, Gagne, E., Ramos, E. A., De Weerdt, J., Ransome, N. and L. J. May-Collado.2025. A computational framework to characterize and compare the tonal repertoires of toothed whales. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 00:1–19.
  3. May-Collado, L. ., Rasmussen, K., Palacios Alfaro, J. D., & Garita Alpizar, F. 2024. First record of humpback whales in the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals 19 (2), 231-236.  
  4. Antichi, S., Rege-Colt, M., Austin, M., May-Collado, L.J., Carlon-Beltran, O., Urban, J., Martinez-Aguilar, S., and L. Viloria-Gomora. 2024. Whistles contour variation between two sympatric dolphin species in the Gulf of California. Hydrobiology. 852:2755-2768.
  5. Ramos, E. A., Tellez, M., Castelblanco-Martinez, N. and L.J. May-Collado. 2024. Antillean manatees feed on floating Halophila baillonii in Placencia, Lagoon, Belize. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals 19 (1): 133-140.  
  6. Beth Brady, Carly Sarbacker, Jake Andrew Lasala, Maria Maust-Mohl, Kristi Ashley Collom, Linda Searle, Laura J. May-Collado and Eric Angel Ramos. 2023. Manatees display diel trends in acoustic activity at two microhabitats in Belize.  PloS One18(11): e0294600​
  7. May-Collado, L. J., Bottoms, S., Durant, G., Palacios-Alfaro, J.D., and J. J. Alvarado. 2023. Singing activity of the Breeding Stock G humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) (Artiodactyla: Balaenopteridae) at Caño Island Biological Reserve, Costa Rica before, during, and after COVID-19 lockdowns. Revista Biologia Tropical, Special Volume on the Aquatic Mammals of Central America. e57280:2215-2075. 
  8. Manali Rege-Colt, Julie N. Oswald, Joelle De Weerdt, Jose David Palacios-Alfaro, Maia Austin, Emma Gagne, Jacqueline Maythé Morán Villatoro, Catherine Teresa Sahley, Gilma Alvarado-Guerra, and Laura J. May-Collado*.2023. Whistle repertoire and structure reflect ecotype distinction of pantropical spotted dolphins in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. Scientific Reports.13:13449
  9. Antichi, S., Austin, M., May-Collado, L.J., Urban, J. R., Martinez-Aguilar, S., and L. Viloria-Gomora. 2023. Differences in the whistles of two ecotypes of bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of California. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America- Express Letters. 3:051201.
  10. Agnarsson, I., Coddington, J. A., Caicedo-Quiroga, L., May-Collado, L. J., and S. Palsson. 2023. Deep mtDNA sequence divergences and possible species radiation of whip spiders (Arachnida, Amblypigi, Phrynidae, Phrynus/Paraphrynus) among Caribbean Oceanic and Cave Islands. Taxonomy 3: 133-147. 
  11. Ramirez, J. D., Sanchez, R., May-Collado, L. J., Gonzalez Maya, J.F., and B. Rodriguez Herrera. 2023. Lista actualizada, estado de conservación, y endemismo de los mamíferos de Costa Rica. Therya Asociación Mexicana de Mastozoología. 14(2):233-244.
  12. Nino-Torres, C., Olivera-Gomez, J., Ramos, E., Castelblanco-Martinez, D. N., Blanco-Parra, M. P., May-Collado, L. J., and R. Sellares. 2022. High similarities in dorsal fin ratios of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Caribbean Sea. Marine Mammal Science.  39:533-552.
  13. Brady, B., Ramos, E. A., May-Collado, L. J., Landrau-Giovannetti, N., Lace, N., Arreola, M. R., Melo-Santos, G., Ferreira da Silva, V. M., and R. S. Sousa-Lima. 2022. Manatee calf call contour and acoustic structure varies by species and body size. Scientific Reports 12:19567. 
  14. Gagne, E*. Perez-Ortega, B., Hendry, A. P.,  Melo-Santos, G., Walmsley, S. F.,  Rege-Colt, M.,  Austin, M. and L J. May-Collado*.Dolphin communication during widespread systematic noise reduction-a natural experiment amid COVID-19 lockdown. 2022. Frontiers Remote Sensing. 3:934608
  15. Luis, A. R., May-Collado, L. J., Rako-Gospic, N., Gridley, T., Papale, E., Azevedo, A., Silva, M. A., Buscaino, G., Herzing, D., and dos Santos, M. E. 2021. Vocal universals and geographic variations in the acoustic repertoire of the common bottlenose dolphin. Scientific Reports 11847.
  16. Perez-Ortega, B., Daw R., Paradee, B., Gimbrere, E. and L. J. May-Collado. 2021. Dolphin-watching boats affect whistle frequency modulation in bottlenose dolphins.  Frontiers in Marine Science. 8:618420
  17. May-Collado, L. J. 2020. Coastal Resources of Bocas del Toro, Panama: Tourism and Development pressures and the quest for sustainability. Coastal Management 48(3):232-233. 
  18. Kassamali-Fox, A., Christiansen, F., May-Collado, L. J., Ramos, E. A., and B. A. Kaplin. 2020. Tour boats impact the activity patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Bocas del Toro, Panama.  Peer J. 8:e8804
  19. Luo, Y., Li  D., Gonzaga M., Santos A., Aiko, T., Yoshida, H., Haddad C., May-Collado, L., Turk, E., Gregoric, M., Kuntner M., and I. Agnarsson. In press. 2020. Global Diversification of Anelosimus Spiders Driven by Long Distance Overwater Dispersal and Neogene Climate Oscillations. Systematic Biology 69(6):1122-1136.
  20. Chereski, E., LJ., Beck, L., Gamboa-Poveda, M., Palacios-Alfaro, J. D., Monge-Arias, R., Chase, A. R., Coven, B. M., Guzman, A., McManus, N., O’Halloran, R. A., Neuhauss, A. P., Rosen, S. G., and L. J. May-Collado. Online publication 2019. Song structure and singing activity of two separate humpback whales populations wintering off the coast of Caño Island in Costa Rica. JASA Express Letters. 146: EL509–EL515.
  21. Dalia C. Barragán-Barrera, Andrea Luna-Acosta, Laura J. May-Collado, Carlos Polo-Silva, Federico G. Riet-Sapriza, Paco Bustamante, María Paula Hernández-Ávila, Natalia Vélez, Nohelia Farías-Curtidor and Susana Caballero. 2019. Foraging habits and levels of mercury in a resident population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Caribbean Sea, Panama. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 145: 343-356. 
  22. Melo-Santos​, G.,  Angélica Lúcia Figueiredo Rodrigues, Rodrigo Hipólito Tardin, Israel de Sá Maciel, Miriam Marmontel, Maria Luisa Da Silva, Laura Johanna May-Collado. 2019.The newly described Araguaian river dolphins, Inia araguaiaensis (Cetartyodactyla, Iniidae), produce a diverse repertoire of acoustic signals. Peer J. 7:e6670
  23. Barragan-Barrera, D. C., May-Collado, L. J., Tezanos-Pinto, G., Islas-Villanueva, V., Correa-Cardenas, C. A., and S. Caballero. 2017. High genetic structure and low mitochondrial diversity in bottlenose dolphins of the Archipelago of Bocas del Toro, Panama: a population at risk? ​PloS One 12:e0189370.
  24. May-Collado, LJ. Marisol Amador-Caballero, José Julio Casas, Mónica P. Gamboa-Poveda, Frank Garita-Alpízar, Tim Gerrodette, Rocío González-Barrientos, Gabriela Hernández-Mora, Daniel M. Palacios, José D. Palacios-Alfaro, Betzi Pérez, Kristin Rasmussen, Lissette Trejos-Lasso, Javier Rodríguez-Fonseca. 2017. Chapter 12. Ecology and Conservation of Cetaceans of Costa Rica and Panama. In Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research in Latin America (M. Rossi-Santos and C. Finkl eds). Springer Press.
  25. Sitar, A., May-Collado, LJ., Wright, A. J., Peters-Burton, E., Rockwood, L., and E.C.M. Parsons. 2017. Tourists’perspectives on dolphin watching in Bocas del Toro. Tourism in Marine Environments. 12:79-94 
  26. Sitar, A., May-Collado, LJ., Wright, A. J., Peters-Burton, E., Rockwood, L., and E.C.M. Parsons. 2016. Boat operators in Bocas del Toro, Panama display low levels of compliance with national whale-watching regulations. Marine Policy. 68: 221-228.
  27. May-Collado, L. J., I. Agnarsson, & C. Zambrana. 2016. Global Spatial Analyses of Phylogenetic Conservation Priorities for Aquatic Mammals. In Biodiversity Conservation and Phylogenetic Systematics Preserving our evolutionary heritage in an extinction crisis. Editors: Roseli PELLENS and Philippe GRANDCOLAS. Springer Press.
  28. Jie Liu; May-Collado J Laura, Stano Pekár, and I. Agnarsson. 2016. A revised and dated phylogeny of cobweb spiders (Araneae, Araneoidea, Theridiidae): a predatory Cretaceous lineage diversifying in the era of the ants. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 94:658-675.
  29. Esposito, L; Bloom, T; Caicedo-Quiroga L; Alicea-Serrano AM; Sánchez-Ruíz JA ;  May-Collado, LJ;  Binford GJ; Agnarsson I. 2015. Islands within islands: diversification of tailless whip spiders (Amblypygi, Phrynus) in Caribbean caves. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 93:107-117.
  30. Dines, J., Mesnick, S., Ralls, K., May-Collado, L.J., Agnarsson, I., and D. Matthew. 2015. A tradeoff between precopulatory and postcopulatory trait investment in male cetaceans. Evolution. 69 (6):1560-1572.
  31. May-Collado, L.J., C. W. Kilpatrick and I. Agnarsson. 2015. Mammals from ‘down under’: a multi-gene species-level phylogeny of marsupial mammals (Mammalia: Methateria). PeerJ 3:e805 . Nexus file download here
  32. Ruch J, Riehl T, May-Collado LJ & Agnarsson I (2015). Multiple origins of subsociality in crab spiders (Thomisidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 82, Part A, 330–340. 
  33. May-Collado, L.J. and S. Quinones-Lebron. 2014. Dolphin changes in whistle structure with watercraft activity depends on their behavioral state.  JASA EL 135, EL193-198.
  34. May-Collado, L.J. 2013. Guyana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from Costa Rica emit whistles that vary with surface behaviours.  JASA EL, 134: EL359-EL365.
  35. May-Collado, L.J. and J. Forcada. 2012. Small-scale estimation of relative abundance for the coastal spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata) in Costa Rica: the effect of habitat and seasonality. Revista de Biologia Tropical 60(2): 133-142.
  36. May-Collado, L.J. and I. Agnarsson. 2011. Phylogenetic analysis of conservation priorities for aquatic mammals and their terrestrial relatives, with a comparison of methods. PLoS One. 6(7): e22562. 
  37. Sobrero, R., May-Collado, L.J., I. Agnarsson, and C. E. Hernandez. 2011. Expensive brains: “brainy” rodents have higher metabolic rate. Frontiers in Evolutionary neuroscience. 3(1): 1-12.
  38. Agnarsson, I., Zambrana-Torrelio, C. M., Flores-Saldana, N. P., and L. J. May-Collado. 2011. A time-calibrated species-level phylogeny of bats (Chiroptera, Mammalia). PLoS Currents: Tree of Life. 
  39. Kuntner, M., May-Collado, L. J. and I. Agnarsson. 2011. Phylogeny and conservation priorities of afrotherian mammals (Afrotheria, Mammalia). Zoologica Scripta. 40:1-15.
  40. Martinez-Fernandez, D., Montero-Cordero, A. and L. J. May-Collado. 2011. Cetaceos de las aguas costeras del Pacifico norte y sur de Costa Rica. Revista de Biologia Tropical. 59 (1): 283-290.
  41. Agnarsson, I., Kuntner, M., and L. J. May-Collado. 2010. Dogs, cats, and kin: a near species-complete phylogeny of Carnivora. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 54: 726-745.BBC Earth
  42. May-Collado, L.J.  and D. Wartzok. 2010. Sounds produced by tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia fluviatilis) from the Napo and Aguarico Rivers of Ecuador. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Mammals. Special Issue.  LAJAM 8(1-2): 131-136  .
  43. May-Collado, L. J. 2010. Changes in whistle structure of two dolphin species during interspecific associations. Ethology. 116:1065-1074. BBC Earth 
  44. May-Collado, L.J. and D. Wartzok. 2009. A characterization of Guyana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) whistles from Costa Rica: The importance of broadband recording systems. JASA. 125 (2): 1202-1213.
  45. May-Collado, L. J. Chapter 42: Marine Mammals. 2009. In Marine Biodiversity of Costa Rica, Central America. Edited by Wehrmann, I. and J. Cortes. Springer Verglag Academic Press. ​Tables.
  46. Agnarsson, I. and L. J. May-Collado. 2008. The phylogeny of Cetartiodactyla: the importance of dense taxon sampling, missing data, and the remarkable promise of Cytochrome b to provide reliable species-level phylogenies. Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics. 48:964-985.
  47. May-Collado, L. J. and D. Wartzok. 2008. A comparison of bottlenose dolphin whistle in the Western Atlantic Ocean: insights on factors promoting whistle variation. Journal of Mammalogy. 89:205-216.
  48. May-Collado, L. J., Agnarsson, I., and D. Wartzok. 2007. Phylogenetic review of tonal sound production in whales in relation to sociality. BMC Evolutionary Biology. 7:136 (Highly accessed).
  49. May-Collado, L. J., Agnarsson, I., and D. Wartzok. 2007. Reexamining the relationship between body size and tonal signals frequency in whales: a phylogenetic comparative approach.  Marine Mammal Science. 23 (3): 524–552.
  50. May-Collado, L. J. and D. Wartzok. 2007. The freshwater dolphin  Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis produces high frequency whistles.  JASA. 121 (2): 1203-1212.
  51. Agnarsson, I., Coddington, J.A., and L.J. May-Collado. 2007. Elongated pedicillate setae- a putative sensory system and synapomorphy of spiders. Journal of Arachnology. 35: 411-426.
  52. Agnarsson, I., Barrantes, G. and L. J. May-Collado. 2007. Notes on the biology of Anelosimus pacificus Levi, 1963 (Theridiidae, Araneae)-evidence for an evolutionary reversal to a less social state.  Journal of Natural History. 40:2681-2687.
  53. May-Collado, L. J. and I. Agnarsson. 2006. Cytochrome b and Bayesian inference of whale phylogeny. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 38: 344–354 (2nd most downloaded paper between February and March 2006). 
  54. May-Collado, L. J. and Morales Ramírez, A. 2005. Presencia y Patrones de comportamiento del delfín manchado costero, Stenella attenuata graffmani (Cetacea: Delphinidae) en el Golfo de Papagayo, Costa Rica. Revista de Biología Tropical. 53:265-276. 
  55. May-Collado, L. J.; Gerrodete, T.; Calambokidis, J.; Rassumen K. and I. Sereg. 2005. Distribution of Cetaceans sightings in the EEZ of Costa Rica. Revista de Biología Tropical. 53: 249-263.​
  56. Rodríguez-Hernández, B. Chinchilla, F. A. and May-Collado, L. J. 2002.  Lista de especies,endemismo, y conservación de los mamíferos de Costa Rica. Revista Mexicana de Mastozoología. 6: 19-41.

Published Abstracts

  1. Quiñones‐Lebrón S. G. and L. J. May‐Collado. 2011. Factores determining whistle emission rate in bottlenose dolphins of Bocas del Toro, Panama. J. Acoustic. Soc. Am. 129, 2671.
  2. May-Collado, L. J. 2011. Whistle variation is associated with surface behavior in the Guyana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis). J. Acoustic. Soc. Am. 129, 2671.
  3. May-Collado, L. J., Aide, M., Alvarez, A., and C. Corrada-Bravo.2010. A comparison of acoustic soundscapes within and among three tropical habitats: Can soundscape heterogeneity be used as an index of α and β diversity? J. Acoustic. Soc. Am. 128, 2412.

International Whaling Commission Meeting Abstracts

  1. Laura May-Collado, Betzi Perez, Dalia Barragan-Barrera, Kahlia Gonzales, Natalia Swack, Monica Gamboa Poveda and Jose David Palacios-Alfaro. 2019. An update of the conservation status of the bottlenose dolphins of Bocas del Toro Panama: Female calving intervals and calf survivorship. SC/68A/WW/WP/03/rev1
  2. Barragán-Barrera DC, May-Collado LJ, Islas-Villanueva, V., Caballero S. Isolated in the Caribbean: low genetic diversity of a bottlenose dolphin in Bocas del Toro, Panama. International Whaling Commission 2015; SC/66a/SM/13
  3. May-Collado, L. J., Trejos, L., Perez B.,  Gamboa-Poveda, M., Casas J.J., Jacome G., and A. Gonzalez. Panacetacea efforts for a participatory conservation planning of the dolphin watching industry in Bocas del Toro, Panama. International Whaling Commission 2015. SC/66a/WW1 _​
  4. May-Collado, L. J. and D. Wartzok. The effect of dolphin watching boat noise levels on the whistle acoustic structure of dolphins in Bocas del Toro, Panama. International Whaling Commission 2015. SC/66a/WW5.
  5. May-Collado, L. J. The acoustic behavior of Bocas del Toro dolphins varies with watercraft activity International Whaling Commission 2015. SC/66a/WW6.
  6. Trejos Lasso, L. and May-Collado, L. J. Bottlenose dolphins tursiops truncatus strandings in Bocas del Toro caused by boat strikes and fishing entanglement. International Whaling Commission 2015. SC/66a/WW7.
  7. May-Collado, L. J., Quiñones-Lebrón, S. G., Barragán-Barrera, D. C., Jose D. Palacios, Monica Gamboa-Poveda, and A. Kassamali-Fox. The Bocas del Toro dolphin watching industry relies on a small community of bottlenose dolphins: implications for  management. International Whaling Commission 2015. SC/66a/WW10.
  8. Kassamali-Fox. A., Christiansen, F., Quinones-Lebron, S., Rusk, A., May-Collado, LJ, and B. Kaplin. Using Markov chains to model the impacts of the dolphin watching industry on the dolphin community of Dolphin Bay, Bocas del Toro, Panama. International Whaling Commission 2015. SC/66a/WW11.
  9. Sitar, A., May-Collado, LJ, Wright, AJ, Peter-Burton, E, Rockwood, L, and ECM Parsons. The effect of whale watching vessels on the behaviour of common bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus) in Bocas del Toro, Panama. International Whaling Commission 2015. SC/66a/WW12.
  10. Sitar, A., May-Collado, LJ, Wright, AJ, Peter-Burton, E, Rockwood, L, and ECM Parsons. Low levels of compliance with national whale watching regulations in dolphin watching boat operators in Bocas del toro, Panama.  International Whaling Commission 2015. SC/66a/WW14.
  11. Sitar, A., May-Collado, LJ, Wright, AJ, Peter-Burton, E, Rockwood, L, and ECM Parsons. Tourists perspectives on dolphin watching in Bocas del Toro, Panama support sustainable and educational tourism. International Whaling Commission 2015. SC/66a/WW15_.
  12. Sitar, A., May-Collado, LJ, Wright, AJ, Peter-Burton, E, Rockwood, L, and ECM Parsons. Opinions and perspectives of the dolphin watching boat operators in Bocas del Toro, Panama. International Whaling Commission 2015. SC/66a/WW16.
  13. May-Collado, L. J., Quiñones-Lebrón, S. G., Barragán-Barrera, D. C., Jose D. Palacios, Monica Gamboa-Poveda. 2014. The dolphin watching industry of Bocas del Toro continues impacting the resident bottlenose dolphin population.  International Whaling Commission, Slovenia. SC/65b/WW06.
  14. Sitar, A., May-Collado, L. J., Parsons E. C. M. 2014. High levels of non-compliance with whale-watching regulations in Bocas del Toro, Panama and effects of non-compliance on bottlenose dolphin behavior.  International Whaling Commission, Slovenia. SC/65b/WW09.
  15. May-Collado, L. J.1,2, Barragán-Barrera, D. C.3, Quiñones-Lebrón, S. G.1, & W. Aquino-Reynoso1. 2012. Dolphin watching boats impact on habitat use and communication of bottlenose dolphins in Bocas delToro, Panama during 2004, 2006-2010. International Whaling Commission. SC/64/WW2. 
  16. Barragán-Barrera DC, May-Collado LJ, Quiñones-Lebrón SG, Caballero S. Population at risk: low genetic diversity in bottlenose dolphins of Bocas del Toro, Panama. International Whaling Commission 2013; SC/65a/SM15: 1–11.
  17. Gamboa-Poveda M. and L. J. May-Collado. 2006 Insights on the occurrence, residency, and behavior of two coastal dolphins from Gandoca-Manzanillo, Costa Rica: Sotalia guianensis and Tursiops truncatus (Family Delphinidae). International Whaling Commission. SC/58/SM4. 

Technical Reports