Page 12 - aruba-today-20220408

A12 science
Friday 8 april 2022

Dolphins' playful social habits form

bonds, but spread virus

only the biology of a virus,
but also how vulnerable
populations interact, said
Jacob Negrey, a research-
er who studies animal virus-
es at Wake Forest School of
Medicine.
"Contact networks rep-
resent a double-edged
sword," he said. "Your
friends that you need are
also the individuals most
likely to get you sick."
Dolphins are extremely
playful animals and of-
In this May 2019 photo provided by the Potomac-Chesapeake ten swim close together,
Dolphin Project, dolphins swim together in the Potomac River sometimes even touch-
between Lewisetta and Smith Point, Va. ing fins. "We call it holding
Associated Press hands," said Mann, who
also directs the nonprofit
By CHRISTINA LARSON mans and first detected Potomac-Chesapeake
AP Science Writer in Virginia and Maryland Dolphin Project.
REEDVILLE, Va. (AP) — Three waters — can spread rap- Although many people
young male dolphins simul- idly among dolphins along casually refer to a "pod"
taneously break the water's the Atlantic Coast, as it did of dolphins, Mann dislikes
surface to breathe — first from 2013 to 2015. the term, because it im-
exhaling, then inhaling — During that outbreak, plies a stable group, like a
before slipping back under more than 1,600 dolphins pack of wolves. What she's
the waves of the Chesa- washed ashore on beach- observed over 35 years of
peake Bay. es from New York to Florida, studying dolphins in the
"A perfect sync," said Janet according to the National U.S. and Australia is that
Mann, a dolphin research- Oceanic and Atmospheric while dolphins have close
er watching from a small Administration. Altogether, buddies, they come and
skiff. an estimated 20,000 dol- go regularly to check on
Synchronized breathing is phins died from the virus, others.
something dolphins often and the region's popula- In the Chesapeake Bay
do with close pals, like these tion of coastal dolphins area, tracking how dol-
males, or that mothers and shrank by about 50%. phins mingle has required
calves do together, said "It's much like COVID — the scientists to distinguish
Mann. It's a way of affirming it's respiratory" in how it more than 2,000 dol-
the relationships that are so spreads, said Mann. "When phins, mostly by distinctive
important to these highly dolphins breathe together shapes and markings of
intelligent and social mam- at the surface, they're shar- their dorsal fins.
mals, like a handshake or a ing respiratory droplets just "To me it's like a face," said
hug among humans. like we do when we're talk- Mann. "I joke with my stu-
"It says, 'We're together,'" ing or coughing on each dents that if they wore dor-
said Mann, who is based at other." sal fin hats, I would remem-
Georgetown University. She realized that the key ber all their names."
While such close contact is to understanding swift vi- On mornings with light
essential to dolphin social rus transmission was trac- wind, the scientists set out
bonds, sharing space and ing dolphin social networks, in an 18-foot (5.5-meter)
air can also quickly spread much as public health au- skiff to look for dolphins
disease. thorities have tracked the near where the Potomac
Mann and other scientists COVID-19 pandemic. River empties into the bay.
are trying to understand To understand how dis- A trained eye can notice
how a highly contagious eases circulate in social slight splashing on the wa-
and lethal disease called animals — such as humans, ter a mile (1.6 kilometers)
cetacean morbillivirus — dolphins or chimpanzees — away, or catch the glint of
related to measles in hu- scientists must scrutinize not sunlight on a fin or tail.
"I'm looking for dark ob-
jects breaking the surface
of the water," said George-
town biologist Melissa Col-
lier, scanning the horizon
through binoculars.
Suddenly, she shouted for
the boat to slow down and
pointed with one hand.
"Dolphins by the pier, close
to shore."q