Page 19 - Annual Report 2022
P. 19

SARASOTA DOLPHIN RESEARCH PROGRAM

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               The Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP)                               DR. WELLS RECEIVES LIFETIME
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               is the world’s longest-running study of a wild dolphin population, and continues                        ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
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               to make critical strides in dolphin conservation. This past year’s highlights include: :                Randall Wells, Ph.D., vice president
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                                                                                                                       of marine mammal conservation

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                                                                                 •   In early June, SDRP staff led
               • •  Last February, SDRP led a multi- -  •   Two grants and an award were     •    I n e a r l y J u n e , S D R P s t a f f l e d      and director of CZS’s Sarasota

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                 agency team of 51 individuals—
                 a g en c y  t e am  o f  5 1  i n di v i d ual s —  received from Dolphin Quest,  ,    a team from six institutions in     Dolphin Research Program,
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                 including veterinarians, biologists,  ,    the Batchelor Foundation, and     the first-ever health assessment     received the Kenneth S. Norris
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                                                  versity for SDRP’s 2023 dolphin
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                 officers—to successfully catch,  ,    v e r s i t y f o r S D R P ’ s 2 0 2 3 d o l p h i n    f funded by the Florida RESTORE     for Marine Mammalogy (SMM).
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                 treat, and release a 2-year-old     h e a l t h  ass e ss m e n t s .  A c t  C e n t e r s  of  E x c e l le nc e    The award, which is named after
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                                                                                   Act Centers of Excellence
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                 bottlenose dolphin calf with
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                 b o t t le no s e  do l p h i n  c a l f   wi t h                 Program, through the Florida        the SMM’s founding president,
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                                                •   A $1 million grant was received
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                 f fishing lines cutting deeply into     •    A $ 1 m i l l i o n g r a n t w a s r e c e i v e d    Institute of Oceanography.      acknowledges individuals for their
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                 her tail flukes. The entanglement
                 h e r  t ai l  f l uk e s .  T h e   en t an g l em en t    from the Barancik Foundation,     T h e  pr o j e c t  i n v o l v e s  ho op - n e t -  exemplary lifetime contributions
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                 was pulling the lines deeper     and a two-year, $50,000 grant     ting individual dolphins up to     to science and society through
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                                                  was received from the Disney
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                 i into the calf, preventing normal     w a s r e c e i v e d f r o m t h e D i s n e y    50 miles offshore, performing a     research, teaching, and service
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                                                  Conservation Fund for support
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                 s swimming and activities. In addi- -  C on s e r v a t i on  F u n d  f or  s u pp or t    health assessment, and tagging     in marine mammalogy. It is
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                                                  of the Sarasota Bay Listening
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                 t tion to removing the fishing line     o f t h e S a r a s o t a Ba y L i s t e n i n g      them so their movements and     awarded every two years and is
                          o
                                                  Network. This network of under-
                 an d  d e b r i s ,  t h e  t e am  e x ami n e d    N e t w or k .  T h i s  n e t w or k  of  u n de r -  d i v e pa t t e r n s c a n b e m o n i t o r e d .    the highest honor bestowed on
                                                                                   dive patterns can be monitored.
                 and debris, the team examined
                                                  water passive acoustic listening
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                 t the calf and mother. They were     w a t e r  p ass i v e  a c o u s t i c  l i s t e ni n g        members of the world’s leading
                                 . T
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                 measured, sampled for blood,
                 m e a s ur e d,  s amp l e d  f o r  b l o o d,    s stations (PALS) in Sarasota Bay                          professional society for
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                 a n d m o n i t o r e d f o r h e a r t r a t e      r records and transmits data                                  marine mammal
                 and monitored for heart rate
                                                  via cell phones, which allows
                 and respirations. An antibiotic
                 a n d  r es p i r a t io n s .  A n  a n t i b io t ic    v i a  c e l l  p hon e s ,  wh i c h  a l lo w s           science and
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                 was administered to the calf to     r researchers to explore the under- -  Dr. Randy Wells (left),                      conservation.
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                                                  water acoustic environment of
                 help prevent infection and the
                 h e l p p r e v e n t i n f e c t i o n a n d t h e    w a t e r  a c ou s t i c  e n v i r on m e n t  of    conducting an in-situ
                                                  Sarasota Bay and better under-
                 mother was fitted with a satel-
                 m o t h e r w a s f i t t e d w i t h a s a t e l -  S a r a s o t a Ba y a n d b e t t e r u n d e r -  dolphin health
                                                                                   assessment.
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                 l lite-linked tag so biologists could     s stand its ecological dynamics
                          a
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                                                  and the behavior of its animals.
                 c on t i n ue  m on i t or i ng  t h e  c a l f ’ s    a n d t h e b e h a v i o r o f i t s a n i m a l s .
                 continue monitoring the calf’s
                                                  PALS was created by SDRP in
                 h ea l i n g   p r o g re s s .    P A L S w a s c r e a t e d b y S D R P i n
                 healing progress.
                                                  partnership with David Mann of
                                                  pa r t n e r s h i p w i t h D a v i d M a n n o f
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               •    S D R P s t a f f m e m b e r s pa r t i c i pa t e d    Loggerhead Instruments, Mote
               •   SDRP staff members participated
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                 i in a multi-week dolphin health     M a r i n e  L a b or a t or y ,  N e w  C o l le ge
                                                  Marine Laboratory, New College
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                 assessment project as part of        of  F lor i d a ,  E c k e r d  C o l le ge ,  a n d
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                                                  of Florida, Eckerd College, and
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                 a funded NOAA Natural Resource
                 a  f un d e d  N O A A  Na t ur al  R e s o ur c e    lo c a l  c i t iz e n s  who  a l lo w e d  s t a -
                                                  local citizens who allowed sta-
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                 D am a g e  A s s e s s m en t  l e gal      t tions to be placed at their docks. .
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                 Damage Assessment legal
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                 p r o c e s s r e l a t e d t o a n E P A
                 process related to an EPA
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                 Superfund PCB contamination
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                 s site in Brunswick, Georgia.  .
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                                                                                                                                           2022 ANNUAL REPORT  17
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