Behind the Science: What Happens at a Marine Mammal Conference?
When you think about marine mammal research, you might picture scientists out on boats, watching dolphins underwater, collecting data, or tracking whales. But research doesn’t stop when scientists leave the field, and sharing what we’ve learned is another important part of the job. Every two years, the Society for
Field Season Blog: Trip 6
Every trip aboard the Stenella brings something new and exciting. This trip was filled with curious dolphin encounters, valuable intern training, and experiences that reminded us just how lucky we are to see a glimpse into the lives of the Atlantic spotted dolphins that the Wild Dolphin Project has been
Trip 5: The Three Musketeers
Our fifth trip of the season yielded several challenges that remind us how difficult field work can be. From unexpected weather to boat issues, Trip 5 packed a real punch. This is why preparation and safety are so important to any field project since you never know what you may
A Surprise Encounter With Offshore Bottlenose Dolphins
By Trip 8, we had settled into the rhythm of working on the bank and the season was almost at an end. This one particular late August morning, we had spent time with the Atlantic spotted dolphins, collecting behavioral data and observations as we followed the group through the water.
How Do Scientists Collect DNA From Wild Dolphins Without Capturing Them?
Swimming with wild dolphins is an incredible way to study them. As researchers, we can observe their behavior up close, record their sounds, and document interactions that would be difficult to see from a boat. There is so much happening below the surface that we can capture! And sometimes, the
Meet our Intern: Amber Sylvester
As a biology student at Florida Atlantic University entering her fourth year, Amber has always been fascinated by the natural world. Growing up in several different places exposed her to a variety of ecosystems and sparked an early curiosity about how plants, animals, and environments interact. Her time living in
How Dolphins Communicate
Dolphins live in a world shaped by sound. In the ocean, where visibility can be limited, sound travels farther and faster than light. Dolphins have evolved highly sophisticated ways to produce, interpret and respond to acoustic signals—allowing them to coordinate behavior, maintain social bonds, find food and navigate their
Last Trip of the Season and a GIANT Surprise!
We were crossing back to Florida from the Bahamas on our final trip of the 2025 Field Season and it started with a flash of white on the horizon—far off, just barely visible from the bridge. I squinted into the distance, wondering if it was splashing. Maybe a jumping fish?
Field Season Blog: Trips 1 and 2
Trip 1: Diving Right Back In After a long off-season on land, our team was excited to dust off their fins and make their way back to the clear blue waters of the Bahamas for the first trip of the field season. With some new crew on deck, we geared
Unexpected Ocean Encounter: Bottlenose Dolphins and Humpback Whale Spotted Together
Chilly Monday Morning Surprise After a couple very windy months we finally got out on the water for an unexpected shakedown Florida day of permitted dolphin ID work. It’s not unusual to see bottlenose dolphins, and even Atlantic spotted dolphins on occasion. Sure enough a group of bottlenose dolphins were