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SCIENCE Diving Into The locations of four dolphins with satellite-linked
the Unknown tags—each represented by dots of a different color—
are shown over a 24-hour period in September 2016.
For more than 46 years, the Chicago Pembroke visited southwestern Bermuda, while the
Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin other three remained off the northern coast.
Research Program (SDRP), based on the
central-west coast of Florida, has conducted For example, the amount of food dolphins difference in their diving capabilities over time,
the world’s longest-running study of a wild obtain relies on how long they can hold their it may indicate problems in their currently
dolphin population. For this program, Dr. breath. This strategy changes based on where healthy ecosystem.
Randy Wells and his team study dolphins they live. Sarasota Bay dolphins find their
to better understand these marine food in very shallow waters, typically much Initial data compiled by Wells and his team
mammals and to protect them less than 30 feet deep, while dolphins living show that, on occasion, the Bermuda dolphins
and their ecosystem. off the coast of Bermuda must dive deeper, dive to more than 3,200 feet and stay down
swim farther, and hold their breath longer for up to 14 minutes. That’s deeper and longer
Recently, they collaborated than their Sarasota Bay counterparts. If the than Sarasota Bay dolphins—or bottlenose
on a project with research Bermuda dolphins were to show a significant dolphins studied anywhere to date.
organizations Dolphin Quest,
Inc. and L’Oceanografic to learn MOVEMENT AUDIO
more about the lung function, TRACKER RECORDER
dive and movement patterns, and
foraging of bottlenose dolphins— A satellite-linked tag clipped to a
the same species SDRP follows in bottlenose dolphin’s dorsal fin provides
Florida—off the coast of Bermuda. Prior information on ranging and dive
to this project, little was known about patterns. A digital archival tag mounted
these dolphins. on its back via suction cup records sounds
the dolphin produces and receives, along
The project used the expertise of dolphin with depth and movement data.
researchers and veterinarians from around the
world. Specifically, Wells and his colleagues
provided expertise on how to tag and track
the four dolphins in the study—nicknamed
Devonshire, Hamilton, Paget, and Pembroke—
over a period of months. That’s the kind
of research they conduct in Sarasota and
elsewhere around the world, where their work
involves detecting dolphins’ travel patterns,
dive depth, and duration, among other
behaviors, on a long-term basis.

The ocean system surrounding Bermuda
has not been significantly impacted by the
presence of people or ecological disasters.
That makes these waters an ideal place
to observe and gather baseline data on
bottlenose dolphins living in a pristine
habitat. If those data were to change,
it may be a warning that the health of
the habitat has changed.

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