Welcome to Nicks 'n' Notches Online, the enewsletter of the
Sarasota Dolphin Research Program.
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RESEARCH, CONSERVATION
AND EDUCATION SINCE 1970.
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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 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.
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Notes from the Field and Lab...
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Randall Wells, Ph.D., Director
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Summer is now full upon us and it's really shaping up to be a busy season in the lab and field.
We've been continuing our monthly
 dolphin photographic identification surveys and have so far documented 11 births during the first half of the 2016 calving season. One calf died shortly after birth, another was injured by a shark attack but so far the others seem to be doing well. If you're out and about in our coastal waters this season, don't forget to keep your eyes open for marine life -- those baby dolphins with distracted mothers, sea turtles that are spending time near shore before nesting and, of course, mating herds of manatees. These animals may be unable to avoid your boat so it is up to you to avoid them. (Following our
Dolphin-Friendly Fishing and Viewing Tips also helps to protect other species, too.)
In addition to photo-ID surveys, we're also continuing our seasonal fish surveys. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of the relationship between wild dolphins and their prey -- investigating fine-scale habitat use, prey selection, behavior and exploring the effects of
Karenia brevis-caused red tides on fish species and community structure. During this ongoing study, which started in 2004, we've seen fish populations severely decline because of red tide, documented subsequent changes in dolphin behavior and witnessed fish population recovery when the red tide ended. Last summer, we caught, identified, measured and released fish of 60 different species and this summer is shaping up to be very similar -- despite the red tide earlier this year.
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A dolphin feeds on a crevalle jack in Sarasota Bay. Dolphins often swallow their prey whole, but fish as large as this one are first broken into pieces.
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In addition to our field research, the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program also works with other dolphin research teams to track cetaceans in the wild after they've been rehabilitated and released from permitted facilities or after they've undergone an intervention in the wild because of an injury or illness. This work is funded through NOAA's John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program.
Right now, we are monitoring a young male bottlenose dolphin that spent six months in rehab at
Audubon Nature Institute before being released in Grand Isle, Louisiana, in April. The dolphin, nicknamed "Octavius" after the veterinarian who treated him, was outfitted with a satellite-linked tag upon his release. Until the location feature of the tag failed on June 5, it showed that he was moving through Barataria Bay and several bays to the west. We still receive signals from him every few days, but no location information.
He has been observed interacting with fishermen. Octavius was the first dolphin rehabilitated and released in Louisiana.
Until next time... here's to fair winds and following seas!
Randy Wells
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International Save the Vaquita Dolphin Day
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A
Vaquita dolphin swimming in the Northern Gulf of California in Baja, Mexico. Photo: NOAA Fisheries
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Another Gulf -- the Gulf of California -- has also been on our minds this month. July 9 marked International Save the Vaquita Day, which was created to raise awareness about this porpoise that calls the Gulf of California home. It is found nowhere else in the world and Dr. Randy Wells has been consulting on conservation plans for the species.
At about 5 feet long and about 100 pounds, the Vaquita are among the smallest cetaceans in the world. They're also the most endangered cetacean in the world.
This species was first described scientifically and named by Dr. Wells's Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Ken Norris, in 1958. At the time, the population size was believed to be perhaps in the low-thousands. One of the first projects Randy worked on when he began his doctoral work under Dr. Norris was a survey of the upper Gulf of California, searching for Vaquita with Ken and Bernd Würsig -- very few were seen on this survey. Now, there are only an estimated 60 Vaquita left in the wild.
Why are they so endangered? Primarily because of the illegal fishing being conducted for endangered totoaba sea bass to supply Chinese demands for swim bladders.
Though the population has declined precipitously, there is still some hope: A team from the U.S. and Mexico is now working together to develop a conservation plan for this species and we hope to have an impact before it's too late.
- If you're interested in learning more about the Vaquita and its plight, listen to "On the Line," a NOAA Fisheries podcast about the Vaquita.
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F188, also known as Noah, is pictured in this 2012 photo with recent wounds from an apparent boat strike.
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In this 2015 image, Noah's wounds have healed.
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Name: Noah
Age: 20
Sex: Male
A Dolphin's Life: F188, also known as
Noah, was born in May 1996 and is the fourth calf of a dolphin named Saida Beth. He's been spotted in the wild during our photo ID surveys more than 760 times.
Noah is often spotted with Pi, a 21-year-old male.
The pair have formed what's known as a "male pair bond" -- such associations between males were first described for bottlenose dolphins from our observations of Sarasota dolphins in the 1970s. The term refers to the intense bonds that form between males as they mature; these relationships are the longest-lasting social ties in the local dolphin society. Often, the bonds last until the loss of one partner.
At any time, some 58 percent of Sarasota Bay males are part of a pair bond, which means statistically that researchers find two particular males together more than 80 percent of the time. This buddying-up likely results in a variety of benefits: protection against sharks and help with fishing among them. Being part of a pair seems especially useful when it comes to mating.
Unfortunately for Noah and Pi, they also share another feature: boat strike scars. Noah was hit by a boat in 2012, leaving him with scars along the side of his body. Pi also has boat strike wounds visible on his dorsal fin, though not as severe as the scarring that Noah has.
Noah and Pi like to spend time in shallow water, where it is much more difficult for them to hear boats and move out of the way because the sound does not travel as far. We cannot know exactly when or where Noah and Pi received their wounds, but they do offer fair warning for us to
watch out for wildlife on the water this summer.
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Noah, in the background, is pictured here with his buddy Pi in a photo taken in April of this year.
Noah and Pi have formed a male pair bond and are frequently seen together in Sarasota Bay.
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Dolphin Biology Research Institute (DBA Sarasota Dolphin Research Program)
is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to research and conservation of dolphins and their habitat. Employer Identification No. 59-2288387; Florida Charitable Contributions Solicitations Registration No. CH1172. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL FLORIDA REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OR AT WWW.FRESHFROMFLORIDA.COM. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. THIS ORGANIZATION RETAINS 100% OF ALL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED.
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