Sarasota Dolphin Research Program

Dolphins, People and Conservation
By Stuart Strahl, PhD, President, Chicago Zoological Society

The mission of the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) is to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature. This is a daunting task in an urbanized world in which people are increasingly dislocated from nature, and we approach it through programs at the Brookfield Zoo, serving over 2 million guests each year, as well as field programs in conservation and education around the world. For the past two decades, the CZS has been the proud sponsor of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP). During this period, we have helped to grow this program by almost 1,000% and dramatically expand its international components. Our excellent staff, led by Dr. Randy Wells, has provided remarkable field results that have furthered the understanding and conservation of dolphins worldwide.

       As an organization focused on wildlife conservation, the CZS is particularly proud of the leadership role the SDRP has played in the local, regional, and international conservation of marine mammals. The importance of this program is profound, focusing on field studies and the direct application of data towards dolphin conservation. Through these studies, we have expanded the knowledgebase of dolphin and marine mammal ecology, life history, health, and behavior, and have informed scientists, agencies, and organizations with interest in marine mammals. Our research has also informed the public regarding these charismatic species, and engaged them directly in dolphin well-being through publicity and outreach programs.
       The results of the SDRP also pertain to larger issues related to the long-term sustainability of wildlife, ecosystems, and human well-being. For instance, our research has brought national attention to the adverse impact of pesticides and other human-produced bio-accumulating compounds on the local estuarine and marine environment by demonstrating the effects of these chemicals on dolphins and their prey. Other significant areas of investigation include the impact of “red tide” on local and regional environments and the long term potential for global climate change as a key factor in the conservation of dolphins and their environments. Perhaps most importantly, the SDRP has grown as a training operation for dolphin biologists, ecologists, veterinarians, and conservation leaders worldwide, who continue this work on a global scale.
       As a major zoological and conservation institution, the Chicago Zoological Society has a unique perspective on the broader effects of this research. In addition to education, training, and conservation programs, the CZS also operates the Brookfield Zoo, the first inland zoological facility to house dolphins and educate the public on their conservation status in the wild. The data produced by the SDRP on the behavior, demographics, health and breeding biology of bottlenose dolphins has directly and profoundly impacted marine mammal husbandry at Brookfield Zoo and on a global scale. This work has facilitated major shifts in captive management of dolphins, and facilitated our establishment of an international consortium of conservation breeding centers.
       At the Chicago Zoological Society, we believe that people can be catalysts for conservation, and developing leaders among the public and scientists is our primary goal. There are few examples as striking and profoundly effective in this regard than our long-term work through the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program led by Dr. Randy Wells, and the many scientists, researchers, and volunteers who have made this outstanding international program so incredibly productive and successful. Congratulations!

CZS President Dr. Stuart Strahl (right) with franciscana dolphin conservation project leader Pablo Bordino (center) and CZS Sarasota Dolphin Research Program manager Dr. Randall Wells (left) during bottlenose dolphin health assessment in Sarasota Bay.

        Our desire with each research or conservation project in Florida or elsewhere is to contribute to a better understanding of the structure and dynamics of populations of small cetaceans (dolphins, whales, and porpoises), as well as the natural and anthropogenic factors (factors of human origin) that impact them. We use an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach in conducting studies of bottlenose dolphins within a unique long-term natural laboratory. The primary goals of our program include:
        (1) collecting biological, behavioral, ecological, and health data of importance to the conservation of small cetaceans, especially bottlenose dolphins,
        (2) providing requisite information for bottlenose dolphin conservation to wildlife management agencies,
        (3) disseminating the information generated by our program to scientific and general audiences in order to aid dolphin conservation efforts,
        (4) using our model program to develop and refine hypotheses regarding bottlenose dolphins in other parts of the species' range as well as other species of
        small cetaceans,
        (5) using the established natural laboratory to develop and test new research tools and methodologies of potential benefit to conservation efforts,
        (6) training cetacean conservation workers and students from around the world in the use of these techniques,
        (7) applying our unique program expertise to dolphin rescue operations and post-release follow-up monitoring, and
        (8) applying the information we gather from free-ranging dolphins to improve the quality of care for dolphins in zoological park settings.
        The work toward achieving these goals is conducted under the umbrella of the "Sarasota Dolphin Research Program” (SDRP). This name links the efforts of several organizations that work together to insure the continuity of the long-term dolphin research in Sarasota Bay. The Conservation, Education, and Training Group of the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) has provided core staff salaries and administrative and operational support for the program since 1989. Dolphin Biology Research Institute, a Sarasota-based 501{c}3 non-profit corporation established in 1982, provides logistical support with its fleet of five small research vessels, two towing vehicles, computers, cameras, field equipment, etc. Since 1992, Mote Marine Laboratory has provided a convenient base on City Island in Sarasota Bay, with office, storage and dock space, and easy access to good boat launching ramps. The SDRP maintains academic connections including graduate student sponsorships primarily through the University of California at Santa Cruz, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and the University of South Florida. All of our bottlenose dolphin research in the United States is conducted under National Marine Fisheries Service Scientific Research Permit No. 522-1785 and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approvals through the appropriate institutions.