What is animal residency and how do we define and measure it? In marine mammal research, residency is often used to describe the place that animals (or groups of animals) occupy in a given geographic space over a long period of time. In fact, the SDRP made the discovery that bottlenose dolphins can form
The CZS-SDRP curates the Gulf of Mexico Dolphin Identification System (GoMDIS), which combines, standardizes, and serves as an online archive for dolphin ID catalogues from groups throughout the Gulf of Mexico — including Mexico and Cuba. This repository allows us to identify dolphins throughout the Gulf and discover changes in ranging patterns or even
Did you know that stingrays are dolphin neighbors? They share share shallow seagrass habitat in Sarasota Bay where they forage for food. Dolphins are even occasionally "barbed" by the stingray's venomous spine. These spines can also break off in the dolphins, causing injury or even death. Mote Marine Laboratory's Strandings Investigation Program determined that
If they are what they eat, what are dolphins eating? Thanks to our long-term studies — including seasonal fish surveys — we know what the most common prey fish are in Sarasota Bay dolphin diets. But how do their diets change during events like red tides? SDRP’s Theresa Tatom-Naecker is testing a technique called
SDRP Founder Blair Irvine (left) and Sam Ridgway, 1967. The marine mammal scientific community has lost two of the field’s greats: Sam Ridgway and William F. Perrin. These founders of modern marine mammal science were indirectly involved in the creation and development of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP), and
Learn About the First Health Assessment of an Offshore Dolphin in the Gulf of Mexico On June 1, 2022, the SDRP led the first-ever health assessment of an offshore dolphin in the Gulf of Mexico. The collaborative effort involved biologists and veterinarians from six nonprofit organizations and universities and was
A Dozen Years After the Deepwater Horizon Disaster, We're Still Documenting Impacts to Dolphins April 2022 marks the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A dozen years after this disastrous event, scientists are still identifying the long-term impacts on the local Barataria Bay
SDRP Leader Receives Lifetime Achievement Award We're proud to offer congratulations to one of our own: Dr. Randy Wells, Vice President of Marine Mammal Conservation at the Chicago Zoological Society and director of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. Dr. Wells received the Kenneth S. Norris Lifetime Achievement Award from the
What Happens When a Dolphin is Left Behind by a Hurricane? This map shows the movements of a pregnant female dolphin nicknamed Dorothy following her release. Dorothy was found in a cow pasture months after Hurricane Ida passed through the region, with no way to return to her home waters.
We love dolphins and know you do too, so we created some printable dolphin cards to share with your Valentine this year! Won't you be theirs? Download a printable PDF of this card Download a printable PDF of this card Download a printable PDF of this card
