Sarasota Dolphin Research Program

Free Counter

Our Continuing Commitment to Conservation, Research and Education. By Randall Wells

January 2010

Recognizing four decades of growth and evolution of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program

In October 2010, our long-term dolphin research program based in Sarasota Bay, Florida, will celebrate its 40th anniversary. While it remains the world's longest-running and best-documented study of a dolphin population, over the past four decades this program has become much more than a long-term research initiative. In addition to pioneering research efforts, we provide unique education and training opportunities to colleagues from around the world, including graduate and undergraduate students. We provide guidance and hands-on assistance to help establish dolphin conservation research programs in other countries. Dedicated scientists and students working with the program also help rescue dolphins suffering from human interactions such as entanglement in fishing gear, or in the notable case of "Scrappy," a misplaced bathing suit, and perform follow-up monitoring when they are released after treatment.

The name "Sarasota Dolphin Research Program" (SDRP), while accurately identifying where the work has been done, does not adequately describe its larger mission. For instance, the SDRP has for decades involved the collaboration of agencies, institutions, and individuals studying topics that include dolphin behavior, health, acoustics, and environmental contaminants. Consequently, the Chicago Zoological Society, the principal program supporter and administrative home since 1989, now refers to the program under the umbrella of the Dolphin Research and Conservation Institute (DRCI). Thus, references to SDRP and DRCI will be used interchangeably throughout this website.

The scientific reputation of the SDRP is built on decades of high quality research which has resulted in development of unparalleled datasets. These datasets, are the result of careful longitudinal data collection strategies. They are recognized internationally for their unique relevance to emerging environmental issues such as global climate change, where long time series of high-resolution data are necessary for detecting trends. In 2009, the value of these databases for addressing these issues was highlighted at workshops and scientific conferences in Italy, Turkey, Quebec, and Cuba.

Our reputation results from more than our datasets and scientific papers. The heart and soul of the program are the people that do the work, including dedicated staff, students, volunteers, long-term partnerships, and collaborators from around the world that produce the science, training opportunities, and conservation action. What follows are brief summaries of many of our activities in 2009.

Our approach toward helping dolphins
By Randall Wells, PhD

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:

collecting biological, behavioral, ecological, and health data of importance to the conservation of small cetaceans, especially bottlenose dolphins,
providing requisite information for bottlenose dolphin conservation to wildlife management agencies,
disseminating the information generated by our program to scientific and general audiences in order to aid dolphin conservation efforts,
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,
using the established natural laboratory to develop and test new research tools and methodologies of potential benefit to conservation efforts,
training cetacean conservation workers and students from around the world in the use of these techniques,
applying our unique expertise to dolphin rescue operations and post-release follow-up monitoring, and
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 "Dolphin Research and Conservation Institute" (DRCI), previously referred to as the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. 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 institute has been operated by the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) since 1989 and is administered through the Conservation, Education, and Training Group. 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 institute maintains academic connections including graduate student opportunities primarily through the University of California at Santa Cruz, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Duke University, 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.