Nicks 'n' Notches Online
May 2016

Welcome to Nicks 'n' Notches Online, the enewsletter of the 
Sarasota Dolphin Research Program.
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 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.
 
The Latest on Facebook
Earlier this month we posted a series of dolphin conservation videos that we produced a few years back. Our goal was to help the public understand the factors impacting the lives of wild dolphins and provide them with information they can use to help lessen those impacts.

We're pleased to note that the video series was very well received by our Facebook fans and that the information was broadly shared. If you didn't have a chance to see those posts, you can visit our website and view the videos there.

We also invite you to help us spread the word about keeping wild dolphins safe by sharing these videos with your own friends and family.
Notes from the Field and Lab...
   Randall Wells, Ph.D., Director

We recently finished a health assessment of the Sarasota Bay dolphin population. This research allows us the opportunity to gain a better understanding of and monitor the overall health of the population, as well as answer some important scientific questions about wild bottlenose dolphins.

While the weather was not the most cooperative this year, we were able to complete a number of our planned projects and gather new information in our natural laboratory setting. I'll be sharing more information from the assessment in our enewsletters as data become available but in the meantime, I wanted to thank all of the 140 participants for their help with the 40 projects we and our collaborators conducted, and for making sure that our time on the water was as safe and as productive as possible.

Memorial Day is fast approaching and, in Southwest Florida, the date marks the start of the summer boating season. Florida leads the nation in the number of registered recreational and commercial vessels operating on our waterways -- nearly a million. Unfortunately, our state also usually leads the nation in reportable accidents as well.

Sarasota and Manatee counties, including the range of the Sarasota resident dolphins, had nearly 40,000 registered vessels in 2015 (the most recent year statistics are available) and had 34 reportable accidents resulting in one fatality and injuries to 16 people, according to Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Summer is also the time of year when many marine animals are engaging in activities that make them more vulnerable to boat strikes and disturbance. We are approaching the peak of the dolphin calving season (five calves have been born to residents to date), which means there will be naïve baby dolphins and distracted mothers in the shallows over the next few months. 
 
In addition, manatees have returned to the waters of Sarasota Bay and sea turtles are in the coastal waters, coming to and from the nesting beaches. With such a large number of vessels operating and so much vulnerable wildlife, there is an unfortunate potential for animals and people to collide.

Below, I've compiled a few tips to help you navigate waterways safely this summer -- for you and our local marine life. You can also download our handy card "Dolphin-friendly Fishing and Viewing Tips,"  which offers practical advice to help you know what to do when you encounter dolphins in the wild.

Be safe this summer! See you in June.

Randy Wells

boatBoating Tips for Protecting Marine Life
  • Always follow Coast Guard-approved safe boating guidelines and use vigilance to avoid striking marine animals.
  • Wear polarized sunglasses to see marine life in your path and remain at least 50 yards from dolphins.
  • Follow posted signs for slow-speed zones.
  • Never feed marine wildlife.
  • Stow trash and line. Marine debris that accidentally blows overboard (on the water or under tow) can become ingested by or entangled around marine life, leading to injuries or even death for the animal.
  • If you observe a manatee mating herd -- several manatees gathered as males vie to mate with a female -- watch from at least 100 feet away. Coming any closer might disrupt the endangered animals' natural mating behavior or put you in harm's way. Adult manatees typically weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds and people can be seriously injured.
Fin of the Month...
Name: C556
Age: Two to three weeks old
Sex: Unknown
A Dolphin's Life: C556 is one of five new dolphins born so far this year and this calf offers us all a great reminder to boat safely -- both for our own health safety and for that of the marine life,  especially young naïve animals, sharing our waterways.

C556 was first observed on May 16 and was likely born the previous week. This calf is the sixth born to FB55 and is also the grandcalf of FB05. Mom FB55 was born in 1986 and has been observed at least 1,047 times during her life. Her mom, FB05, was observed 862 times since her birth in 1963. FB05 died in 2009.

Did you know that most dolphins are born with "clean" fins -- meaning their dorsal fins have no markings at all? Over time, dolphins like C556 will gain nicks and notches on their fins through interactions with their environment and with other marine animals, including bites by other dolphins. Dolphins can also gain marks on their fins from adverse human impacts such as entanglement in fishing line or boat strikes.

Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
708 Tropical Circle
Sarasota, FL  34242
941.349.3259
info@sarasotadolphin.org 


Dedicated to dolphin research, conservation  and education since 1970.

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.