|
|
Sarasota Dolphin
Research Program
|
Celebrating 50 Years of
Marine Mammal Research, Conservation and Education
|
|
Nicks 'n' Notches Online
A monthly newsletter from the SDRP
March 2020
|
|
50
th
Anniversary Symposium
|
|
The research team conducting the world’s longest-running study of a wild dolphin population, the Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (CZS-SDRP), will celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary on Oct. 3, 2020, with a public symposium highlighting key discoveries and conservation contributions made through research with Sarasota Bay’s bottlenose dolphins.
|
|
>>What:
50
th
Anniversary Symposium of Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
>>When:
Presentations from Noon to 5 p.m.; wine-and-cheese poster session with researchers from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020
>>Where:
Harry Sudakoff Conference Center, New College of Florida, 5845 General Dougher Place, Sarasota, Florida.
>>Reservations:
Details on tickets to follow.
|
|
Members of the public are invited to join us for a special anniversary symposium that will feature presentations from the program’s founders, including Dr. Randy Wells, Vice President of Marine Mammal Conservation and Director of the CZS-SDRP. The symposium will also include talks by leading local and international marine mammal experts, colleagues and CZS-SDRP staff.
|
|
Field & Lab Notes
By Randy Wells, Ph.D., Director
|
|
This year is shaping up to be a big one for us here at the Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (CZS-SDRP) as we prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of our founding with a symposium in October and other special publications and activities throughout the year.
The Sarasota Bay dolphins have taught us a great deal over the past five decades. Our discovery of multi-decadal, multi-generational, year-round dolphin residency set the stage for all of our subsequent research efforts, as well as establishing the basis for protective measures put in place by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service.
We’re proud to share our success in conducting the world’s longest-running study of a wild dolphin population, and gratified that the tools and study methods we have developed in Sarasota Bay’s natural laboratory have allowed us to provide new insights into the cryptic lives of the dolphins that call the Bay home. The knowledge that we have gained has not only helped to support the conservation of bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay and the southeastern U.S., but dolphins all over the world.
Some of the most gratifying aspects of our research program are the interactions we have through our training, education and outreach activities because they help to ensure that our work will be carried forward by future generations of cetacean conservation biologists, environmentalists and interested members of coastal communities.
We’ve been compiling a list of accomplishments and some of the numbers have amazed even me, and I’ve been associated with the program since Blair Irvine allowed me to join him as a volunteer high school student intern in 1970.
- Through 2019, our program has helped to support 43 doctoral dissertations and 41 master’s thesis projects through field research opportunities or access to data, samples or guidance from staff;
- We’ve trained more than 430 undergraduate interns since 1991;
- We have provided training opportunities in dolphin research techniques for more than 100 researchers and students from more than 30 countries. These techniques are now being applied to species of conservation concern around the globe.
- SDRP-CZS staff members have been involved as senior authors or co-authors of four books, more than 270 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and book chapters, more than 100 technical reports and 13 popular or semi-popular pieces.
- Staff have been presenters or co-authors of more than 440 conference presentations and more than 280 public or university lectures.
Throughout it all, we’ve had encouragement from folks like you, sharing in our news and following along as we learn more and more about the lives of Sarasota Bay’s resident dolphins. I hope you’ll plan to join us during our October symposium as we celebrate our 50th anniversary, which wouldn’t be possible without your support over the past half-century.
Wishing you fair winds and following seas,
Randy Wells
|
|
We’re sad to report that we recently lost two members of the long-term resident Sarasota dolphin community from the same maternal lineage, both suffering from human related injuries.
F310, the 3.5-yr-old son of Vespa (FB79), was found dead with fresh wounds caused by fishing gear on Feb 24. His 2.5-yr-old niece, 1095, was recovered two days later. She was too decomposed for us to determine cause of death, but she carried old wounds from a boat collision she had survived as a young calf.
These and other members of Vespa's family have been observed interacting with anglers in the past and faced injuries or death as a result.
You can help protect dolphins by giving them space on the water and pulling in active fishing gear when dolphins are nearby.
|
|
Follow Us on Social Media
|
|
Be sure to check us out and watch for these tags: #tursiopstuesday, #funfact, #history.
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
