Duke University student India Haber was an SDRP intern during 2021. Here, in her words, was what her experience was like. I’ve always been lucky in the sense that, from a young age, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life immersed in marine science. The ocean has played a major
A Risky Dolphin Rescue Near Clearwater Beach, Florida —Notes from the Field from SDRP Director Dr. Randy Wells This month (January 2022), we were asked by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to lead a risky rescue: A dolphin living to our north near Clearwater monitored by the Clearwater
Are you a college student studying marine biology, biology, ecology, zoology, wildlife, fisheries, or a related field and interested in learning more about how dolphin research is conducted and participating in the world's longest running study of a wild dolphin population? We're now accepting applications for our Summer 2022 Internship Program. Positions are limited
The Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program has documented 22 dolphin births in 2021 to the long-term resident bottlenose dolphin community of Sarasota Bay, Florida, exceeding the record of 21 set in 2017. The newest calf was first observed with its mother, known as Squarenotch, on Dec. 2. Forty-four-year-old Squarenotch
When the Prey is Gone Gaining a fuller understanding of dolphins also means studying how they interact with their environment, including learning about one of the main ecological drivers for their behavior: prey availability. A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science has taken the first step in identifying how
What Happens When Dolphins and Freshwater Mix? Prolonged exposure to freshwater is linked to adverse health conditions, immune deficiencies, and even dolphin deaths, but there’s still a lot we don’t understand. SDRP Post-doctoral Scientist Dr. Christina Toms was conducting photo identification surveys in Pensacola Bay, Florida, as part of an
Exploring Microbiomes The science of understanding microbiomes has received increasing attention over the past few decades, especially in the context of understanding animal health. Microbomes are a collection of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc.) living together and interacting with each other in an environment. Animals — including humans — have
Seagrass Matters This summer (2021), we've continued our purse-seine catch-and-release fish surveys in Sarasota Bay. These surveys, conducted seasonally since 2004, allow us to gain an indication of the relative abundance of fish in Sarasota Bay — important information for understanding one of dolphins’ main ecological drivers: their prey. Our
