Page 20 - Gateways_2017-2018 Winter

Dolphins continued Top: Sarasota Dolphin Research Program intern Grace Dodillet (left) and staff scientist Dr. Reny Tyson share dolphin
conservation information at a wildlife festival at the South Florida Museum. Bottom: Research assistant Sunnie
As part of the Society’s Conservation, Education, and Brenneman presents program findings and information about threats to dolphins to elementary school students.
Training (CET) group, the Sarasota Dolphin Research
Program is committed to preserving these marine for local dolphins and other marine wildlife—for example, boat
mammals’ natural habitats while teaching others— traffic and marine debris. These students then share what they
whether current researchers or future conservation learn to raise awareness through outreach projects, including
leaders—to do so as well. Understanding dolphins’ lives, mentoring their own peers and creating conservation tools such as
needs, and threats and using this information to foster “Stow It, Don’t Throw It” recycling containers, which are designed
positive outcomes for them and their ecosystems are so boaters can safely store their used fishing line until they can
central to the program’s work. Key components of this later dispose of it in an approved way.
mission are inspiring leadership through education and
outreach. The natural laboratory of Sarasota Bay and a In addition, more than 355 college undergraduate and
nearly 50-year history of scientific research there together postgraduate interns, including over 80 trainees from other
make the program a unique training opportunity for countries, have spent two to four months participating in our
students and researchers from around the world. long-term monitoring projects and learning techniques they can
use to facilitate future work in dolphin research and conservation,
The program staff believe it’s never too early to start often in their home countries.
learning about dolphins. Studies show that developing
an emotional affinity for animals is one of the best ways Further up the educational spectrum, 39 Ph.D. students
to develop positive conservation attitudes toward them, and 36 master’s students have benefited from field research
and young children naturally love dolphins. In recent opportunities or access to samples, data, and/or staff expertise.
years, the staff has developed educational offerings They come from a variety of universities, especially through formal
for elementary school students, including online and affiliations with the University of Florida, University of California
in-school curricula; kid-friendly activities given out at at Santa Cruz, Duke University, Woods Hole Oceanographic
festivals; and an award for science fair projects focusing Institution/MIT, and University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
on what it means to be a conservation scientist.

Wells hopes he can also help inspire today’s high
school students to care about marine mammals, just
as he was inspired decades ago. (See the sidebar on
page 23.) Program staff work in collaboration with
Mote Marine Laboratory’s high school intern program,
mentoring teenagers in marine science research and
helping them collect data on conservation challenges

Don’t feed me!

Photo credit: Sarasota Dolphin Research Program
Photo taken under Scientific Research Permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service

www.dontfeedwilddolphins.org

Help me kick the
habit....check out
my story in this
animated video...
Are you a fan? Let us know at

“Don’t Feed Wild Dolphins” on Facebook.

Pocket cards offer information on what boaters and anglers can do to
help wild dolphins.

20 GATEWAYS | UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO DOLPHIN CONSERVATION