Annual Reports

Nicks ‘n’ Notches is the annual report of the Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. Each issue contains an annual summary of the research, conservation, education and outreach activities conducted by the Program, as well as recognition of those who have made financial or in-kind donations of support.

The Program welcomes financial donations, as well as donations of equipment, such as boats, computers, cameras and vehicles. To find out how you can support the Program, please contact DonorCircles@BrookfieldZoo.org.

On Their Shoulders

Conversations with our interns and the recent occasion of the 55th anniversary of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program prompted thoughts about how we got to where we are, who made it possible for us to get here, and the basic principles that guide us. Early on, we had the benefit of working with some of the founding fathers of the fields of marine mammal science and conservation, and we applied their lessons and added a few tweaks of our own to create and maintain what has become the world’s longest-running dolphin conservation research program. Our mentors overcame many obstacles in a time when studying creatures in a marine environment was intimidating and technology and precedent were lacking. We remain appreciative of how these giants shaped the field, providing us with the opportunity to establish, on their shoulders, the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program.