You can still register for our Field Course in Cetacean Ecology with Sacred Heart University!
Applications - via email only - are now being accepted for our 2017 Summer Field Internship program!
Application deadline is 28 February. All applicants will be notified upon receipt of their application, however, only those applicants selected for a Skype/phone interview will be contacted after that.
Please read all the details of this internship program here. The program includes several weeks at our Florida office and several weeks at our Bimini, The Bahamas field site.
Have you ever purchased a shirt or mug or bag, featuring a DCP Adopt-A-Wild-Dolphin, from one of our CafePress "shops"? If so, thank you! If not, consider making a purchase today. A portion of each purchase will go to DCP - and be used to continue our research and education efforts!
Though our shops will remain active, we won't be updating any of the dolphin images or dolphin ages from this point forward.
Our Field Course in Cetacean Ecology with Sacred Heart University has met its minimum enrollment! Remaining spaces will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis, with a final application deadline of 15 February. This program includes online components in addition to the 6-night field program in Bimini, The Bahamas. Students from any university are welcome to apply, but spaces are limited and all participants must register through SHU. Field dates are 4 - 10 June, 2017.
Grant applications are now being accepted for the Kuczaj Memorial Travel Grant. The grant is administered in memory of Dr. Stan Kuczaj, who was a leader in the study of comparative animal cognition, particularly within marine mammals, and former DCP board member. Applicants for the Kuczaj Memorial Travel Grant must: 1) be enrolled in a graduate program at the time of the application, 2) have their abstract accepted for presentation at the Conference on Comparative Cognition, 3) submit their abstract for evaluation and ranking, and 4) provide evidence of graduate enrollment.
We know this is last minute, but if you've been trying to decide when to take those vacation days, we've got you covered!
The DCP-CSU group spent a week at Anthony's Key Resort from 31 December 2016 to 7 January 2017! The main purpose of this trip to Anthony’s Key Resort was to introduce six graduate/undergraduate students to fieldwork and data collection, preliminary data processing, behavior and physiology studies, conservation programs, application/analysis of data collected, and general critical thinking. The students participated in snorkel sessions, lectures, informal discussions, and in situ observations of dolphin behavior and collection of non-invasive physiological data (i.e., respiration and surfacing rates).
Surface observations – our final day – it was pretty busy at the surface but much less aerial activity by the dolphins. Lots of pectoral fin slapping (a new action seen) and tail slaps and white water were observed. And the other new behavior was “head stands” – the dolphins sticking their tail straight up at the surface. There were several subgroups that were larger in number of dolphins than previously seen. The calves were there also in the middle of these groups! There are also what we called “science kitties” on Bailey’s Key.
Looking for an exciting, hands-on spring course? The Dolphin Communication Project (DCP) is pleased to offer a FIELD COURSE IN COASTAL MARINE SPECIES in Bimini, The Bahamas. DCP, a non-profit research and education group, has been studying the wild Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins off Bimini since 2001.
Dates: April 24 – May 4, 2017 (10 nights)
With instruction from DCP’s Kelly Melillo Sweeting, and Dr.
We started our day the usual way … with data collection and observations of the dolphins at Bailey’s Key! There was LOTS of aerial activity and much social surface behavior (lots of white water and splashing and dolphin body bits at the surface). It was fun to see so much different behavior above the water surface.