The Wild Dolphin Project: Long-term Recearch of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins in the Bahamas

Observing dolphins underwater, on a regular basis, is a rare opportunity in the scientific world. Since 1985 a resident community of Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) have been observed and studied underwater in the Bahamas by researchers at the Wild Dolphin Project. Over 220 individual spotted dolphins have been identified and followed through the years. This has allowed extensive tracking of calving patterns, changes in spot patterns, and long-term relationships of this community. Underwater recordings of simultaneous sound and behavior has also illuminated basic communication signals used during feeding, courtship, aggression, and many other behavioral activities.

Intended for whale and dolphin enthusiasts, students, and researchers, this book describes 18 years of underwater observations and research with wild wild dolphins in the Bahamas.

1-Synthesizes 18 years of Atlantic spotted dolphin research in the Bahamas.
2-Describes the process of photo identification underwater and follows the development of these individuals in the society since 1985.
3-Contains basic life history, behavior, and communication signal use, including color photoraphs of behavior and sound spectrograms.
4-Dr. Herzing is the foremost authority on Atlantic spotted dolphin behavior in the wild.

Dr. Denise L. Herzing is a marine mammal scientist specializing in behavior and communication. She is the Founder and Research Director of the Wild Dolphin Project and research faculty in Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida, USA.