Slideshow photos courtesy of Dolphin Quest and Bud and Jo Krames

Bottlenose dolphins can be found in both tropical and temperate waters worldwide. Dolphins are conspicuous animals that feed high in the oceanic food web. This makes dolphins good indicators of the marine environment and they are sometimes referred to as sentinels of ocean health. Through the cooperative efforts of these experts, the project aims to gain a better understanding of wild bottlenose dolphins. Research on bottlenose dolphins housed at Dolphin Quest facilities has allowed our team insight into their wild counterparts. We have also been able to collect samples from known wild dolphins that are part of a resident population in Sarasota Bay, Florida, under direct research of the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. To learn more about our work click on any of the stories written by our scientists, or meet the scientists for yourself!

For more information, please visit: Smithsonian National Zoological Park - Bottlenose Dolphins of Sarasota Bay

Funding for this project was provided by Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute.