Nicks n Notches Online: FIN-ishing Up An Amazing Year!

Sarasota Dolphin

Research Program

Nicks 'n' Notches Online

A monthly newsletter from the SDRP

December 2019

Learn More About Our Work

Our annual Nicks n Notches print publication summarizing the highlights from our research team has been printed and is available online if you’d like to learn more about the research that we conducted in 2019.

The report includes sections on conservation research, studies of dolphin behavior, social structure and communication, dolphin health and physiology, dolphin rescues and more.

Read more now

Field & Lab Notes

By Randy Wells, Ph.D., Director

I hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season and looking forward to 2020!

2019 has been a busy and important year for the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program . This past summer, we documented a calf representing the 6 ^th generation of resident dolphins we’ve studied in the Bay and in October we entered our 50 ^th year of research. We had no way of knowing in 1970 that we were embarking on a long-term study that would grow to have impact on Sarasota Bay and dolphins around the world.

We couldn’t have done it without you! Having supporters who are interested in our mission and invested in seeing it succeed truly makes a difference — not just in staff morale (though it really does matter!) — but in dolphin conservation here at home and around the world.

I remain proud and gratified with our work.

SDRP staff were very active at the recent World Marine Mammal Conference in Barcelona (a combination of the Society for Marine Mammalogy biennial conference and European Cetacean Society annual conference) with staff members involved in 30 oral or poster presentations and several workshops, serving on the Program Committee and chairing sessions. There was record attendance at the conference with more than 2,600 participants from more than 90 countries.

As a positive development this year, we’re seeing Sarasota Bay rebound more quickly than we expected from the 2018-19 red tide. Fish numbers were at record high levels during our summer fish surveys, and we’re hoping that this is translating into an improved outlook for Sarasota’s long-term resident dolphins as compared to a year ago, when the red tide was in full bloom and more than 80% of the dolphins’ prey fish had been lost.

On a sad note, our community suffered a great loss with the passing of Charles and Margery Barancik earlier in December. We are very grateful for their commitment to the environment and to education, and their significant support of our work. They are already greatly missed.

I look forward to 2020 as another significant year for the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. As we lead up to our official 50th Anniversary on Oct. 3, 2020, we’ll be spending the next year sharing our milestones and celebrating our successes. Be sure to watch this space, our Twitter account ( @dolphinsarasota ) and our Facebook page ( facebook.com/SarasotaDolphins/ ) for news and highlights!

With gratitude for your interest and support, I wish you all fair winds and following seas!

Randy Wells

Give a Gift that Saves Dolphins

We’ve been studying the resident dolphins that call Sarasota Bay home for nearly 50 years — learning about and documenting their behaviors and social structure; their population dynamics and communications. We’ve borne witness to hundreds of dolphin births and been there to learn what we could from dolphin deaths.

We’ve put what we’ve learned into action to help improve the lives of Sarasota Bay dolphins through community education and by promoting responsible fishing and viewing habits.

As we’ve learned over the years and decades, dolphins locally and around the world need our help.

If you believe in the work we do and will be making any charitable donations before the end of the year, please consider supporting the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program.

You can make a gift online now

You can mail a check to Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, 708 Tropical Circle, Sarasota, FL 34242

Gift checks mailed via U.S. Postal Service with check date on or before Dec. 31, 2019, will be counted for 2019, regardless of when they are received. Gifts made online before midnight EST on Dec. 31, 2019, will be counted for 2019.

We thank you for your support!

Donate Now

Research, Conservation

and Education Since 1970

The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP) is a collaboration dedicated to dolphin research, conservation and education.

It began in 1970 at Mote Marine Laboratory when Blair Irvine and high school student Randy Wells started a pilot tagging study to find out whether dolphins on Florida's central west coast remained in the area or traveled more widely. In 1974, with a contract from the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, they were joined by Michael Scott and expanded the study with radio-telemetry.

Their subsequent discovery of long-term dolphin residency set the stage for today's efforts by demonstrating opportunities to study individually identifiable dolphins throughout their lives in a natural laboratory setting.

Our work is conducted under the name "Sarasota Dolphin Research Program." This name ties together several organizations dedicated to ensuring the continuity of our long-term research, conservation and education efforts in Sarasota Bay and elsewhere.

The SDRP has been operated by the Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) since 1989.

"Dolphin Biology Research Institute," is a Sarasota-based 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation established in 1982. It provides logistical support with research vessels, towing vehicles, computers, cameras, field equipment, etc. Since 1992, the program has been based at Mote Marine Laboratory on City Island in Sarasota Bay, with office, lab, storage and dock space and easy access to boat launching ramps within the home range of the Sarasota Bay resident dolphins.