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The second in this year's series of Exit Interviews comes from Field Assistant Carrie! She is a returning assistant, having helped us out in 2023. Carrie has a gift for photo ID and for puzzles! The assistants left in September but these posts were delayed by the hurricanes:
What was unexpected or surprising about the experience as a field assistant? This was my second year as a field assistant, so there weren’t too many surprises for me! However, the dolphins never fail to surprise me with their interesting behaviors! I was especially surprised at how often we were able to observe driver-barrier foraging this year. What was your favorite job as a field assistant? My favorite job is taking photos of dolphins. It can be really challenging and chaotic, especially during what we call “dolphin soup” sightings, in which we are surrounded by many dolphins. The challenges make it so satisfying when you finally get a great shot! What did you learn about dolphins from this summer? Because I got to see calves grow up over the past two summers, I ended up learning a lot about maternal care in dolphins. For example, I learned that calves may remain closely associated with their mothers for up to around six years, but this amount of time can vary a lot! It was really cool to see one mother, Bow (BWDI), several times with her two-year-old calf Quiver (QRBW), and her calf born this year, Feather (FRBW)! It was also interesting to see an older calf, Velocity (VYSD), foraging without its mother, Speed (SDWE), this year, because Velocity was consistently seen with Speed last year! Favorite dolphin experience? My favorite dolphin experiences this year were probably when we discovered new participants in driver-barrier foraging. Observing this behavior is always exciting for me, because it’s unique to this population of dolphins, as far as we know. It’s also just really cool to see dolphins stick their heads out of the water to catch fish! Finding out that new dolphins are participating in driver-barrier is especially exciting, because it raises so many questions about how this behavior is learned and transmitted throughout the population. Favorite place to boat to (dolphins or no) and why? I love boating through the creeks around the Waccasassa Bay area. Being surrounded by mangroves while following dolphins through the winding, narrow paths feels so surreal! Favorite dolphin of the season and why? This is a tough one. My favorite may have been Billy (BLWB), a driver-barrier participant who we spent a lot of time observing this year. We learned that she is a female this summer after seeing her mating with fellow driver-barrier participants, Thor (TRWB) and Peacock (PKWE)! Other than dolphins, what animal(s) did you like seeing out on the water? As a marine mammal nerd, I loved seeing manatees. We saw a lot more this year than we did last year, which was encouraging! Another highlight was seeing a small shark leap fully out of the water! I also loved seeing lots of Roseate Spoonbills, with their bright pink plumage and goofy bills! Most memorable day or moment on the boat? My favorite moment this year was probably observing a one-year-old calf, Treasure (TESG), foraging for fish alongside its mother, Smaug (SGYR). It was so cool to see such a young calf practicing its new foraging skills! What would your advice be for future assistants? Photographing dolphins and photo-ID work will feel difficult at first, but know that it gets easier with practice! On the boat, stay hydrated and reapply sunscreen often! Stay curious about what you are observing and ask tons of questions. Don’t forget to enjoy watching the dolphins while you’re working hard! Key food item for the field? This season, I was introduced to the Canadian delicacy, All Dressed chips, which are my new favorite chip flavor! What do you wish you had brought with you this season? I think I actually managed to bring everything I needed this year! What is the one thing you could not do without? I couldn’t do without my electrolyte tablets on the boat. They did wonders for keeping me hydrated in the intense heat and humidity!
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Like last year, we asked our Assistants to participate in an Exit Interview where they answered some serious and fun questions about their experiences! Their time ended in September; these posts were delayed by the hurricane. First up is Mira! She is also a very talented artist, and look for new merchandise designed by her in the near future!
What was unexpected or surprising about the experience as a field assistant? Before becoming a field assistant, I did not know whether finding dolphins out in the wild would be a difficult task. I was surprised to discover that it is pretty easy to find dolphins around Cedar Key, and it is not unusual to see groups as large as 15-20 dolphins! What was your favorite job as a field assistant? My favorite job as a field assistant was taking pictures of the dorsal fins of dolphins when we were out on the water. I enjoyed being on my feet, staying vigilant, and observing the dolphins up close. What did you learn about dolphins from this summer? From conducting surveys out of Yankeetown, Cedar Key, and Waccasassa, I quickly learned that some dolphins clearly prefer certain areas. For example, this summer we would always see the dolphin called Lightning at Waccasassa, while the dolphin named Fling seemed to like spending his time at Yankeetown. Favorite dolphin experience? My favorite dolphin experience was the day when we went out of Cedar Key and found ourselves surrounded by a group of 60 dolphins! Although sorting through the photos from that sighting was no easy task, it was amazing to see so many dolphins (moms, calves, juveniles, and adults) traveling together! Favorite place to boat to (dolphins or no) and why? My favorite place to launch from was Yankeetown because we observed the most Driver-Barrier behavior in this area this summer. Favorite dolphin of the season and why? My favorite dolphin this season was LUMM because its fin is shaped like the head of a beluga whale! Other than dolphins, what animal(s) did you like seeing out on the water? There are many animals I liked seeing out on the water, including manatees, roseate spoonbills, and sharks. One of my most memorable encounters with one of these animals was when we saw a shark torpedo out of the water and spin like a ballerina. Most memorable day or moment on the boat? The most memorable day on the boat for me was when we went out one night to Crystal River to collect data. Not only was it interesting to see up close how the dolphins took advantage of our boat lights to catch fish, but it also happened to be the night of the super blue moon! What would your advice be for future assistants? I would advise future assistants to always remember to reapply sunscreen and stay well hydrated! Additionally, developing skills such as being vigilant and maintaining good attention to detail will help a lot both in the field and in the lab when sorting through photos. Key food item for the field? I loved a refreshingly crisp apple! What do you wish you had brought with you this season? Something that I had wished that I had brought with me this season was closed-toe water shoes. It would have been nice to have more protection against the sun on my feet, as even with sunscreen, the sun beating down directly on your feet is harsh. What is the one thing you could not do without? One thing I could not do without was my hat and polarized sunglasses. Not only was it essential for keeping the sun out of my face all day, but the polarized sunglasses were helpful in spotting dolphins and bars beneath the surface of the water. By Carrie Cramer, Field Assistant The dolphin photo-identification (photo-ID) process often feels like solving a puzzle, especially when dealing with calves! To identify dolphins, we primarily analyze the nicks and notches gained over time on their dorsal fins. Scars can sometimes also be used, although they often fade or disappear over time. The overall shape of the dorsal fin can be an additional clue, but it can look deceivingly different when viewed from different angles. Because calves usually have not accumulated many nicks, notches, and scars, their dorsal fins can be extremely difficult to identify. Check out the photos below to see how the dorsal fins of some calves have changed over the past year. Dorsal fin of one-year-old calf Treasure (TESG) in 2023 (left) versus 2024 (right). Treasure’s fin hasn’t changed much over the past year. Can you spot the two tiny, new notches in the photo from this year? Dorsal fin of one-year-old calf Artemisia (AAOO) in 2023 (left) versus 2024 (right). Artemisia’s fin has changed quite a bit over the past year. We have sighted this calf in close association with its mother, Orazio (OOWB), several times this year, which helped us confirm that it is indeed Artemisia. Dorsal fin of two-year-old calf Chomp (CPBE) in 2023 (left) and with fresh wounds in 2024 (right). Dolphin calves remain closely associated with their mothers for their first several years of life, so we can usually identify who their mothers are. When a calf is seen repeatedly swimming and surfacing right alongside an adult, this is a good indication that the adult may be the mother. However, we need to wait a few times to see them, because sometimes other adults will swim closely to calves. Especially in sightings with multiple calves and many other dolphins, it can be tricky to identify the mom-calf pairs. Calves are also notoriously difficult to photograph because they surface more quickly than adult dolphins, as they are still experimenting with their buoyancy. For these reasons, we wait to name a calf and add it to the catalog until it has been seen with its mother on at least three separate days. This year, we’ve been able to identify and name twelve young-of-the-year (YOYs), which are calves born this year. Four of the mothers of these YOYs were not known to be females until they were observed with their calves this year. We have been excited to see one known mother, Bow (BWDI), with two calves in tow this year! Her older calf, Quiver (QRBW), was born in 2021, and Feather (FRBW) was born this year. There are six remaining calves sighted this year who will hopefully gain their names next year! Furthermore,we recently solved a calf mystery that began in 2022! This calf was only seen once in 2022 with its mother, Mavis (MSWB). Mavis was also only seen once in 2023, and we didn’t get any clear pictures of her calf during that sighting. This year, we saw Mavis with her calf on four separate days, so we were able to name it Beacon (BNMS)! We were excited to discover that Beacon is still alive and well, especially since it had a fresh shark bite wound in 2022. Because Beacon’s dorsal fin has changed a lot since 2022, the scars from this wound were actually very helpful for identifying this dolphin (see photos below). Calf Beacon (BNMS) with a fresh shark bite wound in 2022 (left) and in 2024 (middle and right). Can you spot the shark bite scars in the photos taken this year?
In another interesting calf sighting, we observed the three-year-old calf Velocity (VYSD) without its mom, Speed (SDWE), for the first time. Velocity was seen foraging with six-year-old Bumps (BSWE), who is also a calf of Speed! While we know that dolphin calves nurse and remain closely associated with their mothers for several years, we don’t know exactly how long this period lasts in this population. A long-term study of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Australia, revealed that the average age that calves were weaned was around four years old, with the youngest weaning ages around two years old and the oldest over eight (Karniski et al. 2018). This is an example of the insights that can only be gained from long-term studies, such as those conducted by CKDP! As we are always collecting more data, we are looking forward to solving more calf mysteries while learning more about the communication and behavior of these fascinating animals! References Karniski, C., Krzyszczyk, E., & Mann, J. (2018). Senescence impacts reproduction and maternal investment in bottlenose dolphins. Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 285(1883). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1123 By Mira Johnson, Field Assistant You may recollect that the 2024 summer field season began with Lab Manager Jolinde’s blog post introducing us to her research investigating turn-taking behavior in bonobos in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Noticing parallels between great apes and dolphins as a field assistant for the CKDP in 2018, she returned this summer for her PhD to examine communication in bottlenose dolphins. Unlike bonobos, studying dolphins comes with the added challenge of studying animals that live in the water, making observation of gesture-based communicative behaviors difficult. Despite this challenge, we have been able to gather a substantial amount of data using a variety of data collection methods (e.g., hydrophones, drone and Insta360 cameras, photo identification) to help us piece together how not only vocalizations, but also non-vocal communication, are used in dolphin communication. As the field season is nearing its end, I thought I would share with you some of the things we know about dolphin communication, and what we hope to discover with the data we have collected thus far. How do dolphins communicate? Dolphins produce a variety of sounds, including clicks, whistles, buzzes, squawks, squeals, and barks (Jones et al., 2020). Of these sounds, whistles are primarily used in social contexts and are used by dolphins to communicate with conspecifics regarding their identity, location, or to engage in cooperation. A signature whistle is a type of whistle that is unique to each individual and has been shown to serve as a contact call. Studies that examine dolphin communication between mother and calves have observed signature whistles to aid in the reunion of separated mother and calves, with the frequency of signature whistles increasing with distance (Kuczaj et al., 2015; Smolker et al., 1993). This suggests that vocalizations are used to reunite mothers with calves, but are vocalizations the only mode of communication at play? Non-vocal communication, like the use of pectoral fin contact with one another for social bonding has been observed in bottlenose dolphins as a way to maintain relationships (Dudzinski and Ribic, 2017). This provides evidence of other modes of communication and reinforces why it is important that we explore not only vocal but non-vocal modes of communication between mothers and calves as well. As we are interested in the turn-taking behavior in dolphins under different contexts, including mother-calf interactions, we have conducted several focal follows on mother-calf pairs this summer. We hope to review the acoustic data soon along with drone footage to see how mothers and calves interact with one another (vocally and non-vocally). Below are some images of some potential signature whistles of the Cedar Keys population, where we can see how unique each whistle is. The frequency modulation pattern of each individual is distinct, functioning similarly to a name in humans. Looking forward
We hope that by using other data collection methods in addition to acoustics, we can get a better idea of how dolphins communicate with one another. By having photo and video recordings, we can see whether dolphins are using other modes of communication besides vocalizations, as well as identify specific individuals to see if and how their whistles change over time or under different contexts. If you found this blog post about dolphin communication interesting, feel free to read the publications that were referenced in this blog below. References: Dudzinski, K. M., and Ribic, C. A. (2017). Pectoral fin contact as a mechanism for social bonding among dolphins. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 4(1), 30-48. Jones, B., Zapetis, M., Samuelson, M. M., and Ridgway, S. (2020). Sounds produced by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops): A review of the defining characteristics and acoustic criteria of the dolphin vocal repertoire. Bioacoustics, 29(4), 399-440. Kuczaj, S., Eskelinen, H., Jones, B., and Borger-Turner, J. (2015). Gotta go, mom’s calling: Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Mothers Use Individually Distinctive Acoustic Signals To Call Their Calves. Animal Behavior and Cognition, 2(1):88-95, DOI: 10.12966/abc.02.07.2015 Smolker, R. A., Mann, J., and Smuts, B. B. (1993). Use of signature whistles during separations and reunions by wild bottlenose dolphin mothers and infants. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 33, 393–402. By Carrie Cramer, Field Assistant We have reached the halfway point of the 2024 field season, so we have lots of updates to share! Unfortunately, Hurricane Debby made landfall on August 5th in Florida’s Big Bend region, near Cedar Key and our other field sites, which range from Crystal River to the Suwannee River. We will resume our surveys as soon as it is safe to get back on the water. Over the next few weeks, we will be researching whether there are any observable effects of the storm on the dolphin population. Before the hurricane, we were able to complete 23 days of research on the water. We have spent the other days hard at work in the lab processing photo-ID, acoustic, and drone and Insta360 video data. So far, we have conducted 83 “sightings,” which are behavioral and photo-ID surveys completed every time we encounter one or more dolphins. We have also completed 19 focal-follow surveys, during which we follow a specific dolphin to collect more in-depth data on interesting behaviors, such as mom-calf communication or driver-barrier foraging. We have identified 169 unique dolphins in these sightings, with many yet to be identified! Similarly to last year, we have encountered quite a few large groups of socializing dolphins. The largest group we have seen this year was observed right off the Cedar Key boat launch, an area where dolphins often congregate to socialize for unknown reasons. This sighting contained at least 53 dolphins! Our first field day was spent on the unusual task of assisting University of Florida Marine Animal Rescue (UF-MAR) with monitoring a dolphin that was sighted repeatedly this summer in the Withlacoochee River and Cross Florida Barge Canal. It was often seen near the Lake Rousseau Dam, which is approximately 12 km from the ocean! Although bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) can tolerate exposure to fresh water for brief periods of time, prolonged exposure can lead to skin lesions and life-threatening physiological health issues (Ewing et al. 2017). Visually monitoring this dolphin for lesions can help determine when it begins facing serious health risks due to the freshwater exposure. While surveying this dolphin, we observed it traveling in the river and foraging at the Lake Rousseau Dam, perhaps taking advantage of the barrier to catch fish. After analyzing the survey photos, we determined that it was not a known individual in our catalog and named it Dam (DMWE). We were pleased to see Dam again on July 27th in saltwater, indicating that it is able to find its way out of the river. We have had lots of exciting calf sightings throughout this field season! We identified and named four young-of-the-year (YOYs), which are calves born this year. At least nine additional YOYs have been sighted, but they have not been named yet. To ensure that we correctly identify their mothers, we wait to name calves until we have seen them on at least three separate days. We have also re-sighted seven of the eleven calves added to the catalog in 2023 and eleven of the twenty-seven calves added in 2022. It is always exciting to see that a calf has survived its first few years of life, as they are particularly vulnerable during this time. We were especially thrilled to see one-year-old D’it (DTNL), calf of Nail (NLCT), who became entangled in aquaculture netting last year. In August 2023, CKDP participated in the successful disentanglement of D’it in collaboration with UF-MAR and the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. Check out this blog post for more information about this process. We’re happy to report that D’it’s scars caused by the netting appear to have healed remarkably well! Stay tuned for more information on calves in the upcoming weeks. Despite the challenges brought by Hurricane Debby, we are pleased with the amount of data we have collected so far during this field season. Our field manager, Jolinde, is looking forward to analyzing the concurrent acoustic and drone video data that we have collected for her PhD research on turn-taking. Check out this blog post for more info on her project. We have also been lucky to observe driver-barrier foraging many times this year, and have identified several new dolphins who participate in this type of cooperative foraging! We have captured acoustic and drone video data of this, which will allow us to better understand how dolphins communicate and coordinate their actions during driver-barrier foraging events. See this blog post to learn more. We are very excited to see what the rest of the field season will bring! References Ewing, R. Y., Mase-Guthrie, B., McFee, W., Townsend, F., Manire, C. A., Walsh, M., Borkowski, R., Bossart, G. D., & Schaefer, A. M. (2017). Evaluation of serum for pathophysiological effects of prolonged low salinity water exposure in displaced bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 4, 80. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2017.00080 By Mira Johnson, Field Assistant Like many coasts along Florida, the Nature Coast is home to many resident bottlenose dolphins. But what makes this area an exceptionally remarkable field site for the Cedar Key Dolphin Project is the unique behavior called Driver-Barrier foraging, which is known to only take place there. Driver-Barrier foraging behavior is a role-specialized foraging tactic performed by bottlenose dolphins to catch mullet. The behavior fittingly received the name, Driver-Barrier, for its involvement of one individual serving the role of Driver and one or more as Barrier(s) to forage. The interaction begins with a Driver rapidly circling a school of mullet in a clockwise direction. As the driver herds the mullet, Barrier dolphins position themselves by the outlet of the closing circle to meet the Driver. Once trapped in the circle, in an attempt to flee, the mullet leap out of the water where the dolphins await the fish with their heads above the surface (see diagram on the right). What a crazy way to catch fish! But just how do these dolphins coordinate such a complex interaction? This is one of the many questions we are hoping to answer by studying Driver-Barrier using techniques such as video, photography, acoustics, and GPS. Video recordings (i.e., hand held camera, drone, and Insta 360) and photographs help us identify individual dolphins as drivers or barriers and determine how many fish they catch. To investigate the use of vocalizations during Driver-Barrier events, we also submerge hydrophones (underwater microphones) in the water. This device allows us to record whistles that we otherwise cannot hear from the surface! The GPS lets us pinpoint where the Driver-Barrier behavior happens, while the drone allows us to obtain an aerial view of the behavior. Observing from this unique perspective has been very helpful in understanding how the Driver and Barrier work together to herd fish. To see Driver-Barrier in action, watch our video at YouTube! From our research, we have learned a lot about this fascinating role-specialized behavior. One of the things we have learned from using acoustics is that echolocation is likely the cue used to coordinate Driver-Barrier behavior. During a Driver-Barrier event, there is a notable lack of whistles which suggests that dolphins must be relying on some other cue than vocalizations to coordinate movement. It is unlikely that the primary cue is visual, as the low water clarity in which Driver-Barrier takes place makes for poor visibility. Therefore, it is thought that dolphins are listening to and reacting to each other's clicks.
Interesting! So echolocation does seem to help coordinate this behavior. But then the question becomes, who is responding to who? Research suggests that Barriers are likely listening to the Driver’s echolocation to coordinate movement and timing. However, whether the Barriers are using the driver’s echolocation directly or indirectly (i.e., eavesdropping) is still unclear. As you can see, although there is a lot that we have learned from studying Driver-Barrier, there is still much to be uncovered. As we look forward to this field season, we hope to continue to gather data on Driver-Barrier that will hopefully help us answer some of our next questions, like 1) does every Driver and Barrier work a foraging event in the same way or are there differences in technique? 2) How do dolphins learn this behavior? Is it from their cohorts or from their mothers? All good research leads to more and more questions to be answered! To learn more about Driver-Barrier, please feel free to read some of the publications by Dr. Gazda and colleagues referenced below. You can find PDFs in our publications section on our website. Hamilton, R. A., S. K. Gazda, S. L. King, and R. C. Connor. 2022. Bottlenose dolphin communication during a role-specialized group foraging task. Behavioural Processes. 104691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104691 Gazda, S.K. 2016. Driver-barrier feeding behavior in Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): new insights from a longitudinal study. Marine Mammal Science. doi: 10.1111/mms.12314 (PDF) Gazda, S.K., R.C. Connor, R.K. Edgar, and F. Cox. 2005. A division of labour with role specialization in group-hunting bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) off Cedar Key, Florida. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences. 272: 135–140. By Jolinde Vlaeyen, Lab Manager Have you ever wondered if dolphins have conversations like we do? This is exactly what we are aiming to answer with this year’s field season! We will dive into the environment of the Cedar Keys’ bottlenose dolphin population to investigate how these intelligent mammals take turns during their underwater "conversations”. Why dolphins? I am currently a PhD student with the Comparative BioCognition lab in Osnabrück, Germany, where we all investigate turn-taking abilities in different species, with the goal to show that humans are not so unique in this aspect of communication. Specifically, I am doing this, while comparing wild bonobos, who I followed for 10 months in the middle of the jungle in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and wild dolphins, here around the Cedar Keys. Most of my research has been on primates in the past, but when I came to the CKDP as a field assistant for the first time in 2018, I saw so many similarities between dolphins and primates! Except for the different environment they live in, and a 95 million-year evolutionary gap, dolphins exhibit remarkable similarities in behavior and cognitive abilities. For example, both dolphins and bonobos live in fission-fusion societies, meaning they meet different individuals on a daily basis. The Human-Dolphin Connection Turn-taking is a cornerstone of human communication. When we talk, we follow structured rules about who speaks when, ensuring our conversations flow smoothly. This seamless exchange happens in a blink of an eye, showcasing our cognitive skills. But is this ability unique to humans? Recent studies suggest otherwise, pointing to similar behaviors in birds and social mammals. Now, for the first time, we will be investigating what turn-taking looks like in bottlenose dolphins, a species known for its complex vocalizations and social behaviors. Dolphins use distinct whistles, unique to each individual, to communicate, and often respond to each other within a second—much like humans. They also adjust their vocalizations based on their social context, suggesting advanced communication skills. What do we want to learn? We want to answer the question of whether bottlenose dolphins exhibit elements of human conversational turn-taking during their social interactions. For example, how quickly do dolphins respond, and will this be similar when using different methods(e.g. vocal vs gestures)? Will dolphins respond to a specific signal with the exact same response all the time, and if they do not receive an appropriate response the first time, will they elaborate and/or repeat a signal? Do dolphins use cues to make the recipient understand that it's their turn to respond? Therefore, we will look at dolphin communication in different contexts, such as mother-calf interactions, or group foraging and traveling. Specifically, we will look into four elements of turn-taking that are based on what we see in humans: 1. WHO takes the next turn; 2. HOW turns are organized; 3. WHEN responses occur; and 4. WHAT the next turn should be. How will we do this? To explore dolphin turn-taking, we will use a variety of tools:
Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok to see updates about the dolphins’ signature whistles. We hope to share examples there soon! By Mira Johnson, 2024 Field Assistant
Hello! My name is Mira Johnson, and I am excited to be one of the CKDP field assistants this summer! I recently graduated from Lawrence University where I majored in Biology with a special interest in marine mammal behavior. My interest in marine animals began at a young age over many trips to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and tidepools of California while visiting my grandparents during winter break. In my second year of college, I participated in my university’s small Marine Program where I had the opportunity to conduct a study on the cleaning behavior of reef fish. This experience confirmed my interest in marine biology as the field I wanted to pursue further while awakening in me a newfound interest in animal behavior. Living in the Midwest, most of my research experience in animal behavior has been on terrestrial wildlife and freshwater organisms. The summer of my sophomore year I had the opportunity to work with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Snapshot program to conduct research using camera traps to study wildlife populations. This study was where I was first introduced to cameras as a useful tool in the study of animal behavior. The following summer, I worked as a Lawrence Summer Research Fellow at the Center for Limnology Trout Lake Station. There I conducted a study that experimented with infrared videography to study the migration patterns of freshwater zooplankton in northern WI lakes. I am very excited to be drawing upon the methods I practiced in these previous experiences (i.e., photo identification, data entry, fieldwork, etc.) and applying them to my interest in marine mammal behavior. Spending a summer working with the CKDP team seems like the perfect introduction to what it is like to study marine mammal behavior before committing to a graduate program in the next few years. As I am interested in cameras as a tool for studying animal behavior, what I am most excited about this summer is learning about how audio recordings and drone footage can be used to quantify behavior. I am curious to learn about how these various techniques can be used to study how dolphins communicate and engage in coordinated or synchronized behaviors. Working with the CKDP this summer is a fantastic opportunity to grow my understanding of communication and cooperative foraging tactics in bottlenose dolphins through hands-on field and lab work. I can’t wait to be part of the team and hope to get the chance to observe driver-barrier foraging in action! By Carrie Cramer, returning Field Assistant I’m so excited to return to CKDP for my second summer as a field assistant! There is a lot to look forward to this season. I’m most excited to get back on the water and observe lots of fascinating dolphin behaviors! I’m also really excited that CKDP was able to acquire a new boat, which will hopefully allow for plenty of field days to collect all of the data needed for the ongoing research projects.
I can’t wait to see what drone footage we are able to capture this year. This provides a unique visual perspective on dolphin behaviors, such as communication through physical interactions and cooperation during “driver-barrier” foraging. While observing these events from the boat is very exciting, the drone footage can give us a much clearer view of the scene, which allows us to more effectively document and study the behaviors. I’m also looking forward to collecting more acoustic data. Some of my favorite moments from last year were listening to vocalizations picked up by the hydrophones in real time during dolphin sightings. Sometimes, we’re lucky enough to see a dolphin produce a stream of bubbles, which indicates that they are vocalizing. We can then potentially use this observation to identify the individual’s unique “signature whistle” vocalization pattern in the concurrent acoustic recording. Several new “young of the year” have already been spotted on pre-season field trips this spring. I’m looking forward to figuring out who their mothers are and monitoring them throughout their vulnerable first year of life. I hope that we will also come across many of the calves born last year. I’m interested to see how much they’ve grown and changed. They have likely gained new nicks, notches, and scars on their dorsal fins, which we use to identify them. Some of the most valuable learning experiences I had last field season came from working with the CKDP team to tackle all of the unexpected challenges that arise during fieldwork. I feel very fortunate to be able to continue learning from this team while contributing to CKDP’s incredible research! By Jolinde Vlaeyen, Lab Manager After a rather challenging field season last year, the CKDP is gearing up to resume data collection on the unique dolphin population residing around the Cedar Keys. Working with wild animals always requires adaptability, but encountering unusually large dolphin groups made data collection particularly tricky last year. Additionally, technical issues with our equipment, including drone malfunctions and boat engine troubles, added to the setbacks, leading to frustrating delays in data collection. Despite these obstacles, with the community's help, we were able to overcome the challenges and gather valuable insights, including exciting observations of new behaviors and vocalizations.
This year, we are hopeful, as it started with quite some positive news. So far, we secured three (!) grants, which is making this summer’s field season possible. We sold our previous boat (which will be highly missed) and acquired a new one, upgraded some of the equipment, meaning that we are hopeful that this year’s field season, our primary concerns will now be limited to the unpredictable elements and the behavior of the dolphins—both factors beyond our control, but familiar challenges nonetheless. We are also thrilled to welcome back a familiar face to the team: Carrie, a returning field assistant who contributed invaluable efforts last year, particularly in photo-identification tasks that continue year-round. Additionally, we welcome Mira, our second field assistant to this summer’s team! The CKDP has managed to go out on the water a few times before the start of the field season, which have yielded sightings of many dolphin calves, marking a promising start to the season! Now, we eagerly embark on the task which we call “calf mysteries”, which is basically associating calves with their mothers, which is not always the easiest thing to do! Calves are supposed to be with their mothers at all times, but other dolphins enjoy being around the calves as well, so it is always easier to see the calved and their mothers multiple times for us to be sure who the mother is. Altogether, this deepens our understanding of dolphin life histories through long term ongoing observation. As with last year, our focus remains on deciphering the communication patterns among dolphins. While much is known about their vocalizations, regarded for their cognitive complexity, there's still a gap in our understanding of non-vocal forms of communication—a parallel to human conversations that involve gestures and body language. Specifically, we're intrigued by the extent to which dolphin interactions mirror our own, encompassing vocalizations, body signals, and gestures. Our daily routine on the water involves actively seeking out dolphin groups, capturing vital data such as group size, location, and the presence of calves. We deploy underwater microphones (hydrophones) to record vocalizations, including the distinctive "signature whistle" unique to each dolphin, facilitating individual identification. Simultaneously, drone technology affords us a bird's-eye view, capturing intricate body movements and gestures that elude observation from the boat. Identifying dolphins by their dorsal fins, we meticulously photograph each individual—a task requiring skill and patience, especially when confronted with groups numbering 40 or more. This year, we will also focus on expanding our aerial footage to document the various foraging techniques employed by the dolphins, including the unique "driver-barrier" method, wherein dolphins collaborate to catch mullet above the water's surface. This will allow us to compare such foraging techniques with other dolphin populations along the Florida coast. As we look forward to the upcoming season, we remain optimistic that we will achieve even greater success in our research endeavors! |