Snubfin dolphins in central Queensland's Fitzroy River, which already number less than 100, are facing further threats from industrial development in the Port Alma area.

Daniele Cagnazzi, a postdoctoral research fellow with Southern Cross University's Marine Ecology Research Centre, says Australia's recent coastal industrial boom has raised concerns about the long-term conservation of snubfin dolphins along Queensland's coast.

A Snubfin dolphin.

Dr Cagnazzi says the snubfins of the Fitzroy River area could be classified as endangered when checked against the International Union for Conservation of Nature's criteria for regional populations.

They are believed to be Australia's southernmost population of snubfin dolphins, with a population of less than 100.