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Sarasota Dolphin Research Program

How the SDRP prepared me for a career in marine mammal conservation and policy
By Trevor R. Spradlin, M.Res., Office of Protected Resources, NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service

Trevor Spradlin next to the spinner dolphin conservation sign at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii for the 'Protect Dolphins' campaign, which was developed by NOAA Fisheries in partnership with Randy Wells and colleagues. The spinner dolphins that frequent Kealakekua Bay were the subjects of Randy’s graduate research along with the bottlenose dolphins of Sarasota, Florida.Trevor Spradlin next to the spinner dolphin conservation sign at Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island of Hawaii for the "Protect Dolphins" campaign, which was developed by NOAA Fisheries in partnership with Randy Wells and colleagues. The spinner dolphins that frequent Kealakekua Bay were the subjects of Randy’s graduate research along with the bottlenose dolphins of Sarasota, Florida.
      As the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program/Sarasota Dolphin Research Program approaches its 40th anniversary and celebrates its unparalleled achievements in marine mammal research and conservation, it is a time of reflection for all of us who have been fortunate enough to participate in this remarkable program over the years. I had the privilege of first meeting Randy Wells more than 20 years ago back in 1988, when as a 19-year-old undergraduate student at Boston University I attended a lecture that Randy was giving at the New England Aquarium about the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. Like so many others, I had been captivated by dolphins since childhood and wanted to learn more about them, and as I sat in the audience listening to Randy speak about the bottlenose dolphin research program he pioneered with Blair Irvine and Michael Scott, I was both moved and inspired to pursue marine mammal science and conservation as a career. Soon after, I began volunteering regularly for the Aquarium’s marine mammal program as a husbandry assistant for the animal care staff and then signed up to participate in the SDRP’s 1989 summer field work through the Earthwatch Institute program. Both of these opportunities set the stage for my future work, and I have been very lucky to have spent the past 20 years involved in the marine mammal community.

     It was through the SDRP and the Aquarium that I met the scientists from the marine mammal lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) who were collaborating with both organizations on several cetacean behavior and acoustic research projects. My eagerness to assist with their work was kindly accepted, and I was invited back to Sarasota in 1990 to help the SDRP and WHOI graduate students with their field work for the summer. After graduating from college I was offered a research assistant position with WHOI and the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) working with the scientists at the WHOI marine mammal lab on a variety of research projects investigating the behavior, life history and acoustic communication of marine mammals. In particular, I was involved in studies evaluating the impacts of human activities on marine mammals, such as noise disturbance, incidental take in fisheries, and tourism impacts, and these experiences fostered my keen interest to combine science and policy work to support conservation efforts for the animals.

     Indeed, it was my early experiences with the SDRP that enlightened me about the conservation threats to dolphins stemming from human recreational and commercial activities. The long-term research and monitoring efforts by Randy and his team to document the impacts of human interactions with wild dolphins off the coast of west Florida had provided important information to government authorities and helped shape additional legal protections for marine mammals nationwide. I therefore jumped at the chance in 1992 to be part of the team contracted by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA/NMFS) to conduct a behavioral study with CZS behaviorist Amy Samuels of “Swim-With-Dolphin” programs at public display facilities in order to help develop appropriate management strategies to safeguard both dolphin and human welfare. That experience led to my accepting a position in 1995 as a marine mammal biologist at NOAA/NMFS’ Office of Protected Resources, where I have been working ever since on a suite of marine mammal issues implementing the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act.

     My duties at NOAA/NMFS to date have ranged from processing marine mammal research permits, developing policies and regulations for wildlife viewing practices to protect marine mammals from harassment, and assisting with administration of the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP). The training I received from the SDRP, CZS, WHOI and Aquarium prepared me well with the solid scientific foundation necessary for all aspects of my work, including my recent graduate studies in Marine Mammal Science at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland where I got the chance to expand my horizons and work with researchers from the UK and Greece on a life history study of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal. Throughout my time at NMFS, I have had opportunities to continue collaborating with Randy and his colleagues on several projects, including conducting dolphin health assessments to investigate Unusual Mortality Events and other health concerns facing marine mammals and developing the “Protect Dolphins” campaign to educate the public about the harmful consequences of feeding and harassing wild dolphins.

     It was particularly rewarding for me to be able to work with Randy several years ago on a pivotal law enforcement case that NOAA pursued against some individuals who had illegally released trained dolphins to the wild in the Florida Keys without adequate preparation or the necessary scientific research permits. The dolphins were injured during the release and had to be rescued, and Randy and I served as witnesses for the government during the subsequent trial -- Randy provided scientific expertise from his groundbreaking research with the “Misha and Echo” project, and I provided first-hand accounts of the rescue operation for the dolphins as a member of the rescue team. The case was successfully prosecuted and the defendants were fined the highest penalties under the MMPA at the time.

     I felt a similar sense of pride after we installed outreach signs in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii to educate the public about the harmful consequences of harassing Hawaiian spinner dolphins that enter the bay during the day to rest. Randy had studied that particular population of dolphins years before as part of his doctoral research with Ken Norris and had continued to raise awareness with his colleagues in Hawaii about the special sensitivities unique to spinner dolphins. Knowing the history and significance of that study site inspired me to work with colleagues to expand our “Protect Dolphins” campaign from the Southeastern U.S. to Hawaii, and I hope I was able to contribute in some small way to the conservation efforts that Randy and his colleagues had started earlier.

     I have now reached my 20th year in the marine mammal field as the SDRP celebrates its 40th, and I am grateful for the opportunities and training that Randy, his colleagues and students afforded me throughout my career. One of the SDRP’s most enduring legacies has been the mentoring and nurturing of people of all ages and all nationalities to become marine mammal conservationists, and I feel so fortunate to be in such great company.

 
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