FEATURED STORY
Leading a Calf Rescue
On Feb. 21, 2023, SDRP caught, treated and released a 2-year-old female bottlenose dolphin calf with fishing lines cutting deeply into her tail flukes
Intern Opportunity: Eugenie Clark Skills and Leadership
We're pleased to partner once again with Minorities in Shark Science (MISS) and Havenworth Coastal Conservation to offer the
Dolphin Personalities and Conservation
Evidence of consistent individual differences (IDs) in behavior, indicative of individual personalities (also referred as behavioral types or coping
Puzzle Fun — Let’s Play
Jigsaw Puzzle
Puzzle Fun — Dolphin Leaps
Jigsaw Puzzle
Dolphins and Microplastics
Study Finds Evidence that Dolphins are Ingesting Microplastics A new study in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Marine
Your Support on Giving Tuesday Makes This Possible
Your Support on Giving Tuesday Makes This Possible As people who regularly follow our research and progress know,
Tracking Offshore Dolphins During Hurricane Ian
We’ve got some exciting news to share about our ongoing efforts to conduct health assessments of offshore dolphins: In
Winter Internship with SDRP: Apply Now
Are you a college student studying marine biology, biology, ecology, zoology, wildlife, fisheries, or a related field and interested
Whistling Away in Sarasota Bay
To record dolphin sounds, we place non-invasive hydrophones mounted on suction cups on a dolphin’s melon (“forehead”) and record
Understanding Animal Residency
What is animal residency and how do we define and measure it? In marine mammal research, residency is often
Identifying Dolphins Throughout the Gulf of Mexico
The CZS-SDRP curates the Gulf of Mexico Dolphin Identification System (GoMDIS), which combines, standardizes, and serves as an online
Barbed! Stingray Spine Injuries
Did you know that stingrays are dolphin neighbors? They share share shallow seagrass habitat in Sarasota Bay where they
Fatty Acid Signatures
If they are what they eat, what are dolphins eating? Thanks to our long-term studies — including seasonal fish
Remembering Two Giants of Marine Mammal Science
SDRP Founder Blair Irvine (left) and Sam Ridgway, 1967. The marine mammal scientific community has
Assessing the Health of Offshore Dolphins
Learn About the First Health Assessment of an Offshore Dolphin in the Gulf of Mexico
Saving Dolphins from Ourselves
We Can All Protect Dolphins from Negative Human Interactions This spring, we saw several negative
DWH: 12 Years On
A Dozen Years After the Deepwater Horizon Disaster, We're Still Documenting Impacts to Dolphins April
Tracking “Dorothy”
What Happens When a Dolphin is Left Behind by a Hurricane? This map shows the
Dolphin Valentines to Share
We love dolphins and know you do too, so we created some printable dolphin cards to share with your
The Story of Misha and Echo
The image shows Misha just prior to being released back into Tampa Bay, Florida, in 1990. Photo by Flip
Learn Field Research Skills
The Eugenie Clark Field Research Skills and Leadership Program New College of Florida is offering paid training experiences in
An Intern’s Perspective
University of Miami student Cassidy Renninger was an SDRP intern during 2021. Here, in her words, was what her
An Intern’s Perspective
Duke University student India Haber was an SDRP intern during 2021. Here, in her words, was what her experience
A Risky Dolphin Rescue
A Risky Dolphin Rescue Near Clearwater Beach, Florida —Notes from the Field from SDRP Director Dr. Randy Wells
Apply Now: Summer Internship
Are you a college student studying marine biology, biology, ecology, zoology, wildlife, fisheries, or a related field and interested
Puzzles by Leaps and Bounds
Jigsaw Puzzle
Puzzle It Out!
Jigsaw Puzzle
2021 Baby Boom
The Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program has documented 22 dolphin births in 2021 to the long-term resident bottlenose
When the Prey is Gone
When the Prey is Gone Gaining a fuller understanding of dolphins also means studying how they interact with
When Dolphins and Freshwater Mix
What Happens When Dolphins and Freshwater Mix? Prolonged exposure to freshwater is linked to adverse
Exploring Microbiomes
Exploring Microbiomes The science of understanding microbiomes has received increasing attention over the past few
Seagrass Matters
Seagrass Matters This summer (2021), we've continued our purse-seine catch-and-release fish surveys in Sarasota Bay.
Taking Lessons From Sarasota Abroad
This 2008 photo shows researchers preparing to release a tagged franciscana dolphin in Argentina. Dolphins were held for a
Dolphins & Hurricane Season
Dolphins & Hurricanes One question we’re frequently asked is what dolphins do during hurricanes. The
Piney Point Dolphin Entanglement
On April 7 and April 9, 2021, as our team was conducting photographic identification surveys in the area near
What is happening to the dolphins near Piney Point?
What is Happening to the Dolphins Near Piney Point? We're monitoring the dolphin community near Port Manatee for
Crunch! Understanding Eagle Ray Diets
Crunch! Understanding Eagle Ray Diets For the first time, a team of researchers has demonstrated
Uncovering Spotted Eagle Ray Migrations Along Florida’s Coastlines
Uncovering Spotted Eagle Ray Migrations Along Florida’s Coastlines A new study is providing insights into
Short-Finned Pilot Whale Tracking — 2019
On July 29, 2019, members of the public alerted emergency responders about the stranding of
Bill
On March 1, 2016, we received a report of a dolphin that was entangled in a crab trap line
Lizzie
One of our Sarasota residents, Lizzie, had an eventful 2013. She was given a temporary satellite-linked tag during our
Ginger
In December 2008, Ginger, a recently independent juvenile female dolphin, stranded on Siesta Key Beach. SDRP staff was among
Nellie
In February 2010, SDRP staff members spotted a young dolphin “wearing” plastic. We hoped that she would shed the
Scrappy
Scrappy, born in 1998, is the calf of Scooby-Doo (who was given her nickname before we knew she was
Using X-Rays to Estimate Dolphin Age
X-ray images (radiographs) of human hands have been used for decades as a method of confirming age by examining the predictable
The Bottlenose Epigenetic Aging Tool (BEAT)
We're working to create a Bottlenose Epigenetic Aging Tool (BEAT) that will allow us to use small skin samples to
Measuring Dolphin Hearing
Researchers test dolphins' hearing using using auditory evoked potentials, or AEPs. During testing, sensors are placed on an animal’s
Dolphins Have Names
Did you know that bottlenose dolphins develop individually distinctive signature whistles that they use to maintain group cohesion? Unlike
Listening to Sarasota Bay Dolphins
Dolphin F197 with her fourth calf, 1974. Several members of F197's family like to swim near the Cortez PAL
Be Dolphin Safe
You can prevent injuries to dolphins and other sea life simply by following these best practices: Don’t feed wild
Human Activities Claim Three Sarasota Dolphin Lives
Over just 2 weeks in August, we lost three Sarasota Bay resident dolphins. Our Director, Dr. Randy Wells penned
Join Our Marine Debris Team
One of the simplest ways to help wild dolphins — and all other marine life — is to make
Notes from the Field
Work in the field and lab has continued for us this summer, albeit in a socially distant fashion as
The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society is “to inspire conservation leadership by engaging people and communities with wildlife and nature.”