Newsletter for the DolphiN commuNicatioN project

uHoliday Bonus Gifts . . . . 2

u summary from dE . . . . . . . 5

issue 4volume 14 2010

The Dolphingazette

The Dolphin Communication Project (DCP) is focused on the dual goals of scientific research and education.

happy holidays!! ‘tis the season!it is amaxing how fast this year has been speeding by!! it seems almost like yesterday that we were finishing the program at rims in january. we have had an exciting set of field seasons at all of Dcp’s field sites. Kelly had the most productive summer season yet with 86 boat trips and 100 encounters! additionally, in November, Kelly joined me at Dolphin encounters to observe and collect behavioral data on the dolphins who call De home. we watched two new calves - from Nina and chippy. and, we got to meet jack and Bonnie, two six-month old sea lions. while Kelly’s summer was not really visited by hurricanes, Kathleen’s visit to rims was delayed because of tropical storm matthew and storm tomas sent wind and silty seas to finish out our time at De. we have much to share with you in this issue of the Gazette - including the introduction of our newest named dolphin (page 6) - joanne! we have the next rims trip scheduled (page 3), and we share with you the story of our Drt 2010 educational program and trip. thank you for your suport and i hope you enjoy this issue of our newsletter! cheers,Kathleen

in this issueB i m i n i R e p o r t | D E S u m m a r y | H o l i d a y I d e a s | R I M S e c o - t o u r | E d u c a t i o n U p d a t e |

D C P A n n o u n c e m e n t s

u mEEt JoannE! . . . . . . . . . 6

mailing Address

Dolphin Communication ProjectP.O. Box 711

Old Mystic, CT 06372-0711USA

Thank you to DCP volunteers & interns!!

DCP would like to thank Binti Ackley, Bill Dunn, Kim Arbonies, Danielle Jones, Sara Paserri, Janan Evans-Wilent and Brittany McIntosh for all their help this fall. Without your assistance, DCP’s office and our data analysis could not run so smoothly. You do a great job processing data and helping to keep things organized. Well done!

internships

If you are interested in interning with DCP during a fall or summer semester, more information is available on our website. Please note, most internships are office-based and do NOT include field work. Check out the web site before contacting us at info@dcpmail.org.

employer matching GiftsDoes your employer match charitable donations? if they do, it is a great way to turn at $25 donation into $50, a $50 donation into $100. help your donation go further by asking your employer about its matching gift program! and, then making a donation to Dcp that can be matched!

Adopt-A-Wild-Dolphin: adopting a wild dolphin is one of the most affordable ways to support Dcp - and, it is also the one of the most meaningful. Dcp’s dolphin adoption kits provide exciting education materials with 100% of profits going toward Dcp’s research and education programs. see page 7 for details.

Adopt-A-Dolphin Gear: whether you are an adopt-a-dolphin parent or not, you can support Dcp by purchasing and sporting apparel with images of individual adopt-a-dolphins. imagine the conversations your gear will start! http://tinyurl.com/Dcpdolphintshirts

add a little DolphiN to your holidays!

2

Looking to give something out of the ordinary to your friends and family this holiday season? Gifts from the Dolphin Communication Project are fun, fashionable and educational. Plus, all purchases support the research and education efforts of DCP. Win-Win!

BoNus:

this holiday season, all individuals who make a purchase from Dcp will receive Dcp’s 2011 calendar. our 2011 calendar is filled with photographs of dolphins from Dcp’s field sites. in addition, purchases over $50 will also receive an aluminum Dcp water bottle - free! purchases from Dcp include adopt-a-wild-Dolphin packets, cafepress gear (holiday, dolphin and Dcp), trading cards, memberships - anything found through our website.

Holiday and DCP Gear: if you want to show off your support for Dcp with a holiday flare, check out http://www.cafepress.com/holidaydolphin. for a year-round look, check out http://www.cafepress.com/dcpgear

Memberships: membership support goes a long way toward making Dcp’s mission a reality. more info on page 8 of this issue of the Gazette.

Trading Cards: these collectible, high-quality cards are now available individually or in a 5-pack. or, collect them all at tinyurl.com/Dolphintradingcards.

Dolphin Communication Project2011

the last issue of the Dolphin Gazette included a mid-season summary of our summer field season at our Bimini, Bahamas field site. the summer is our busiest time for data collection; still, between 1 january and 16 october 2010, we completed 86 trips in search of atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins!! this resulted in more than 347 hours looking for dolphins during which we had 167 dolphin sightings. we also had nearly 100 underwater encounters, which are underwater observations lasting at least 3 minutes. as always, a big Dcp thank you to Bill & Nowdla Keefe’s wild Dolphin adventures (www.wildDolphins.com) and al sweeting, jr. (www.Biminiadventures.com) who allow Dcp to join their trips throughout the summer. our research would not be possible without their support! of course, we must also thank their guests for all of their enthusiasm toward the dolphins and Dcp’s work.

the education components of our Bimini field site were also a huge success: a university-level field course, two eco-tour style programs, the Dolphin research trainee (Drt) travel program, our summer internship program and, of course, our frequent on-board and on-land discussions with boat guests. we look forward to continuing all of these programs in 2011, so stay tuned for details!

if you would like to relive the 2010 field season, read (or re-read!) our field reports at www.dolphincommunicationproject.org. as winter boat opportunities arise, new field reports will be posted along with updates to the Dcp facebook page.

-Kel

Bye Busy BiminiSubmitted by Kelly Melillo SweetingBimini Research Manager

3

unfortunately, tropical storm matthew lead to the cancelation of Dcp’s september 2010 eco-tour. Gladly, not much more than a bit of rain and wind affected roatan during that storm. and, thankfully, Dcp’s eco-tour has been resecheduled - and this means that you have a new chance to join Dcp in the field!

for those of you who are unfamiliar with our eco-tour programs, these are opportunities for Dcp supporters to join a Dcp researcher at one of our field sites. rims, or the roatan institute for marine sciences, is located in roatan, honduras and is home to 24 bottlenose dolphins. eco-tour participants will be able to meet these dolphins up close and personal, while assisting Dcp’s Director, Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski, with data collection. of course, it’s not all serious work: participants will stay at the lovely anthony’s Key resort. there is always plenty of time for fun – two dolphin swims and one dolphin encounter are reserved for each participant, who also gain entry to Bailey’s Key wildlife sanctuary and have opportunities to horseback ride, kayak, hike, scuBa dive and snorkel. three meals per day are included in the package. Bottled water, alcohol and soda are available for a small fee. airfare and departure taxes are not included.

Arrival: april 30, 2011Departure: may 7, 2011Cost: $1,765 per person, double occupancy

You can learn more about our research at rims by reading past field reports online and watching the videos on the eco-tour page of our website: http://tinyurl.com/rimsecotour

interested in booking? contact Bill sperling at bsperling@idyllwild.com.

rims eco-tour:a New chance in a New Year!

2010 Dolphin research trainee (Drt) Video premiere

on 9 october, approximately 100 people, including the 2010 Drt travel program participants celebrated at mystic cinema. each Drt participant narrated a slide, designed by themselves, highlighting their experiences in Bimini, Bahamas. the 8 day trip took place in late june and was video-documented by john anderson of terramar productions. the 26 minute program was also shown on the big screen at mystic cinema. it was great fun reliving the exciting and educational trip! copies of the 2010 Drt DVD are available for $35 by emailing info@dcpmail.org. read on for details on our 2011 Drt program.

4

education update - Drts on Bimini! internship time!

2011 Drt program

the spring 2011 semester will bring with it another round of Drt programs - and we could not be more excited! we anticipate working, once again, with the wallingford, ct school district and pine point school (stonington, ct). if you are a parent of or a student in these areas, stay tuned to the Dcp website and your schools for details on application procedures and meeting schedule. students: keep in mind that this is a program for You, which means you, the student must complete the application and commit to the program.

the 2011 program will focus on conservation topics and introduce the dolphins at Dcp’s two field sites in the Bahamas: Dolphin encounters (Nassau) and Bimini. You can learn about both of these study sites in this newsletter, on our website and Dcp’s facebook page.

summer internship program

each year since 2007, Dcp has proudly offered two summer internship positions. this internship program includes both office and field components. since 2008, summer interns work together throughout their program. this peer system allows interns to develop team building skills and utilize each other as a source of learning.

current enrollment in a degree-seeking program, background in science or animal behavior and experience on boats or with photo-identification are all desired, but not necessarily required. the successful candidates will be comfortable on a boat for several hours at a time in varying conditions (including intense heat). they will also be proficient swimmers with the desire to improve free-diving skills. they will be able to work as a team both at the office and in a fairly remote and isolated field setting.

if you are interested in applying for Dcp’s summer fieldwork internship, please be sure to visit the internship area of the education section of our website. the application acceptance period will be posted soon.

Questions should be directed to info@dcpmail.org, however, please review our website before emailing.

2011 field course in cetacean ecology

this may, Dcp will once again host students, and their professor, from the university of New Brunswick (uNB) at our Bimini, Bahamas field site. During this 6 day, intensive course, students will participant in lectures, seminars and boat surveys in search of wild atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins. this year will mark our third consecutive program with uNB and we look forward to many more! if you are a professor looking for a field program, check out the education section of www.dolphincommunicationproject.org and then contact Dcp at info@dcpmail.org.

our trip to Dolphin encounters in Nassau, the Bahamas, was extremely productive and held many exciting observations! it was the first time Kelly and i got the chance to work together in the field outside of an education program. it was the first time we got to record two dolphin calves both less that 4 weeks of age! it was the first time we got to meet two sea lions that were about six-months of age! and, we recorded quite a bit of social activity among the dolphins! i was able to record a session with five females and stormy - it was a breeding session. and, the dolphins got right down to business!

this trip allowed us to record 5 hours of video/audio data. in deference to john, we shifted our video camera to record in hi-definition (with 48 khz sample rate for the stereo audio). the images we were able to pull out were quite clear and very good resolution.

Before Kelly arrived, i was able to record two hours of tape. i was very glad to have Kelly join me as i went to the field this season with a slight handicap. that is, some time this summer, my left shoulder froze. that is the technical term for a shoulder that will not rotate, lift, extend, or move without excrutiating pain. suffice it to say, physical therapy has been a wonderful thing for me to regain motion and mobility. and, the bright size of this thawing situation is that i got to work with Kelly in the field. it was a pleasure to work with Kelly and to see her non-invasive yet full focal-follow protocol methods. i was (and continue to be) very proud.

Both Kelly and i were able to video document not only jake, shawn, Goombay and the other boys, but also the females in the group. we both observed the mom/calf pairs and helped De confirm that both are female calves.

and, on this trip, both Kelly and i were offered the opportunity to film the sea lions under water with the mVa. as we were putting on our fins, the mVa was

to my left. murray (pictured at left giving me a kiss) rapidly swam up to me, kissed the mVa lens and then popped back into the water. that was about all the interest the sea lions showed in our mVa gear.

murray has a habit of “standing” and watching folks and at one point i looked up and saw Kelly “standing” next to murray - both individuals looking at each other and smiling. okay, Kelly was laughing and murray was looking oddly at Kelly ... maybe he was not used to having company!

our trip was quite productive for data collection but also with respect to projects and papers that Kelly and i were able to review and discuss. i look forward to working with her again in the field. i look forward also to coordinating with Kelly and De for the Dcp Drt 2011 class and trip.

You can check out the Dcp field reports on the Dcp home page and

De field reports section of the Dcp web site. i’ll be returning to De in 2011, to continue our studies of the bottlenose dolphins who call De home.cheers,Kathleen

5

Submitted by Kathleen Dudzinski

Research update: Dolphin encounters

6

introducing: joaNNe!

Name-A-Dolphin update

iD#086 has received her long-awaited name: Joanne von Beust! joanne received her name from pierre-Yves Binz for joanne von Beust, his god-daughter. Dolphin joanne, an adult female, was quite mysterious when first observed by Dcp researchers. when joanne was “riding the bow” of the boat, we could see that she has an area behind her blowhole with virtually no spot development. while under water, we then saw that she has a very interesting spot pattern below her right eye. this “pinwheel” pattern is likely the result of a puncture wound. the problem with these observations was that it took researchers months to realize that the dolphin on the bow and the pinwheel dolphin were the same animal! Now that we know, we enjoy seeing joanne even more and look forward to observing her and her calves in future years. she is calm, mature dolphin, but puts on a show as she rides the boat’s bow!

this now means that we have a new dolphin on our adopt-a-wild-Dolphin roster! Be one of the first to adopt joanne - and become her friend on facebook! Visit www.adoptawilddolphin.com for more info.

Joanne is an adult, female Atlantic spotted dolphin. Her personality is

relaxed.

if you are interested in naming a wild dolphin, stay tuned to our website. A new dolphin from our Bimini study population will be looking for a name sometime in 2011!

calling all facebook fans!

Did you know that all 26 adopt-a-wild-Dolphins have their own facebook pages?

Did you know that Dcp researchers post updates on the dolphins when they are seen off the island of Bimini?

are you a already a fan?

well, the dolphins are gearing up for a fan competition. there is lots of chatter over which dolphin can get the most “likes” before 1 january 2010. some are saying it will be the adventurous lil’ jess, while others are rooting for fun-loving addie. maybe it will be social butterfly split jaw or spunky Nemo. You can help decide which dolphin will have the most “likes” before the New Year. so, log on and start “liking!”

Kids: Be sure to have your parents permission first!

adopt a wild Dolphin

The purchase of new research equipment (e.g., cameras, underwater microphones)

Conservation and education programs on Bimini, in the US and around the world

Publication and dissemination of DCP’s research results to the scientific

community and the general public

Maintenance of the DCP website, field reports, and our podcast The Dolphin Pod

Classroom education programs for school-aged children including DCP Youth Program, Dolphin Research

Trainee, Classroom Connections

Volunteer, ecotour and internship opportunities for the public

7

An official adoption certificate

Photograph of your adopted dolphin

Details on how to download dolphin vocalizations from the Bimini adopt-a-

dolphins as a ringtone or audio file

DVD containing video of the Bimini dolphins

Biography of your adopted dolphin

Welcome letter and registration info

Information Booklet with Atlantic spotted dolphin fact sheet and info about the

Dolphin Communication Project

Dolphin trading card sample

www.adoptawilddolphin.com

Dolphins currently up for adoption

what’s in your adoption Kit?

adopting a wild dolphin with Dcp

helps to fund:

holiday gift ideas www.cafepress.com/holidaydolphin

adopt-a-wild-dolphin t-shirtstinyurl.com/ylfx44v

?

Name one of the Bimini dolphins and we’ll add

your dolphin to this list! Stay tuned for details.

New article publishedoverlap between information Gained from complementary and comparative studies of captive and wild Dolphins

international journal of comparative psychology

Kathleen m. Dudzinski

aBstract: Dolphin behavior has been observed in both captive and wild settings for years. comparisons of captive and wild aquatic mammals have proven difficult because of limitations placed on observers in both arenas; still research conducted in each setting provides details often unavailable from the other environment. for example, internal body states (e.g., hormone levels) that might effect the expression of certain behaviors cannot readily be measured from wild dolphins; however, they can be routinely documented during husbandry behaviors. conversely, detailed documentation of dolphin travel patterns is more readily available from long-term studies of wild dolphins; and while travel patterns are not applicable for study from captive individuals, observation of movement patterns within a pool can be examined to provide insight into an individual’s behavior or inter-individual interactions. long-term observations from three captive and three wild dolphins study populations are presented comparatively to illustrate how work on groups in each setting can complement one another. additionally, data from a survey of trainers (50 surveys distributed with 17 completed surveys received) suggests that dolphin trainers interpreted several behaviors in ways that were consistent with observations of wild dolphins. for example, tail slapping was reported mainly as irritation(45.5%) or frustration (22.7%), but was also suggested to occur in play (31.8%). pectoral fin rubs were used in appeasement (15.4%), comfort (7.7%), and affection (26.9%) more so than in sexual (7.7%) contexts or not at all (7.7%). jaw claps, hitting, biting, chasing and ramming were observed in aggressive contexts in both captivity and the wild. more significantly, there were no consistent differences between wild and captive dolphins reported by surveyed trainers. the author’s ongoing research program merges advantages from both environments to facilitate a more thorough understanding of dolphin communication and society.

Dudzinski, K. M. 2010. Overlap between Information Gained from Complementary and Comparative Studies of Captive and Wild Dolphins. International Journal of Comparative Pshychology. 23: 566-586.

Dcp announcements!

9

Dcp memBershipsGet your membership today!

Bimini Member, $100:Fund research equipment and materials needed at our Bimini research site

DE Member, $100:Fund travel and research costs at our Dolphin Encounters research site

RIMS Member, $100:Fund travel and research costs at our Roatan research site

Research Member, $1,000:Fund a boat survey in search of wild dolphins at our Bimini research site

Education Member, $500:Fund development of DCP education programs

Podcast Member, $200:Fund an episode of The Dolphin Pod

Conservation Member, $150:Fund a beach clean-up at our Bimini research site

All memberships come with gift packets. More info at www.dolphincommunicationproject.org

Iruka GearPostcards Membership

DCP Gear

Support DCP’s research efforts buy purchasing some of the many products that we offer for sale. All products seen here are also available on our website: www.dolphincommunicationproject.org All profits from the sale of these products will directly fund DCP’s research and education efforts. DCP is a nonprofit organization.

to purchase iruka gear visit www.cafepress/irukagear $100 Bimini : Calendar, 6 Dolphin Trading Cards, DCP Info Booklet, Person-

al welcome letters from Kathleen Dudzinski and from Kelly Melillo Sweeting

$100 DE : DE adopt-a-dolphin kit, Dolphin calendar, DCP Info Booklet, Personal welcome letter

$100 RIMS : DVD about RIMS dolphins, Dolphin calendar, DCP Info Booklet, Personal welcome letter

$1,000 Research : Adopt-A-Wild-Dolphin kit, Calendar, Water bottle, DCP Info Booklet, Personal welcome letter, Update following dolphin survey

$500 Education : Dolphin Activity Guide and DVD, Calendar, DCP Info Booklet, Personal welcome letter, Signed copy of Dolphin Mysteries. A visit from a DCP researcher OR a free Classroom Connections program

$200 Dolphin Pod : Calendar, Water bottle, DCP Info Booklet, Personal welcome letter, Involvement in the podcast episode

$150 Conservation : Calendar, Water bottle, DCP Info Booklet, Personal wel-come letter, Personalized update following Bimini beach clean-ups

Bookmarks

Notecards

$0.25 each/ 5 for $1.00

$2.50 each/ 3 for $6

$1.00 each/ 3 for $2

to purhcase Dcp gear, visit www.cafepress/dcpgear

Please SEND my adoption package to:

Name: ____________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________City: ____________ State: ____ Zip: ____Email:_____________________________

If this is a gift, please note gift GIVER address:

Name: ____________________________Address: ____________________________ ____________________________________________________________________City: ___________ State: ____ Zip: _____Email:_____________________________

Dcp’s adopt-a-Dolphin programDCP currently has ~20 dolphins from our catalog of Atlantic spotted dolphins residing around Bimini, The Bahamas available for adoption. While adoptive parents do not get to take their dolphins home, they will receive a certificate of adoption, a photo of their adopted dolphin, some facts about Atlantic spotted dolphins, information about DCP and our research around Bimini and a dolphin video. They will also receive the most recent edition of the Dolphin Gazette, DCP’s quarterly newsletter, announced quarterly by eblast. Be sure to send us your email address, or subscribe online at the newsletter page!.

All dolphin adoptions through DCP help support our dolphin research throughout the world, and the creation and implementation of local, national, and international education programs for students of all ages.Each adoption costs $30 and lasts for one year. Become a spotted dolphin parent today & support valuable scientific research!.

I would like to adopt a dolphin: $30 for one year. Dolphin name: ____________________Please cut out and mail your order form, with check, to DCP at P.O. Box 711, Old Mystic, CT 06372-0711.Credit card payment is available online through our web site at www.dolphincommunicationproject.org

Yes! I want to adopt a dolphin!

Some of our dolphins are listed below. For a complete list & all dolphin biographies, check out www.adoptawilddolphin.com

juliette | Niecey | tilly | swoosh | Nemo | lone star | trudy | tina | lumpy | lil’ jess | freckles | split jaw | Vincent

10

www.DolphiNcommuNicatioNproject.orG

Predator/Prey Word SearchWe enjoy turkey, mashed potatoes, veggies and other special foods around the holidays. Dolphin eat fish and other goodies from the sea all year round. Find the

names of all the dolphin species and their prey!

Atlantic spotted dolphinballyhoobelugablennybluebottlenose dolphincodcopepodsduskyfinFrasersgarden eelgraygobyherringhourglasshumpbackkrilllizardfishmackeralminkenarwalorcaporpoisesardinesealshrimpspinnerstripedsquidzooplankton

Puzzle made at www.puzzle-maker.com