The past year has been the worst on record for losses of long-term Sarasota Bay resident bottlenose dolphins from ingestion of recreational fishing gear, including hooks, monofilament line, and lures. Of four carcasses of residents recovered with fishing gear caught in their mouths, throats, and/or stomachs, three were determined to have died from the gear. [...]

In late summer 2005, the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP) was informed of complaints about dolphins stealing bait and catch from fishermen at the South Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier. A quick search on an internet chat room used by these fishermen found many complaints, rants, and even threats aimed at the animals. We notified National [...]

Bottlenose dolphins are exposed to a wide variety of noise in their environment, both naturally-occurring and anthropogenic, and there is concern that these noises may have negative effects on their hearing. Because dolphins rely primarily on acoustics to navigate, forage, and communicate with each other, hearing losses in these animals can be especially damaging. Dolphins [...]