How to Work on a Non-endangered Species and Contribute to Cetacean Conservation: An Example by the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program

Frances M D Gulland

doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.648957

Abstract

The world’s most endangered small cetaceans are found in countries many miles from Sarasota Bay and its common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Information on the ecology and threats to many of these endangered cetaceans is often far more limited than that on bottlenose dolphins, with the IUCN Red Data List describing many species as “data deficient.” In many developing nations where these rare species occur, resources for research and monitoring are scant, and logistical challenges further limit research into marine mammal health and population status and their threats. The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP) has tackled this problem by using the bottlenose dolphin as a model for cetacean species in other parts of the world and using its resources to assist scientists working with more endangered species of cetacean. The celebration of 50 years of study by the SDRP exemplifies how using long-term data on known individuals can advance the fields of cetacean behavior, ecology, life history, physiology, toxicology, and medicine, all providing information for informing certain conservation actions. The Sarasota team has used their work to inform conservation policy both home and abroad.

Highlights

The world’s most endangered small cetaceans are found in countries many miles from Sarasota Bay and its common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) (Brownell et al, 2019)
The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP) could have focused on the bottlenose dolphins of Sarasota alone, perpetuating the allegation of Jaric et al (2014) that global marine mammal research is disproportionately directed toward less endangered species
The Sarasota team has risen to this challenge, using their work to inform conservation policy both home and abroad, and through international collaborations contribute to the conservation of endangered porpoises and dolphins in many other areas of the world

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The world’s most endangered small cetaceans are found in countries many miles from Sarasota Bay and its common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) (Brownell et al, 2019). Information on the ecology and threats to many of these endangered cetaceans is often far more limited than that on bottlenose dolphins, with the IUCN Red Data List describing many species as “data deficient” (IUCN, 2019). In many developing nations where these rare species occur, resources for research and monitoring are scant, and logistical challenges further limit research into marine mammal health and population status and their threats. This is a challenge for conservation, as science is important for informed policy and management (Higgins et al, 2006; Parsons et al, 2015). The Sarasota team has risen to this challenge, using their work to inform conservation policy both home and abroad, and through international collaborations contribute to the conservation of endangered porpoises and dolphins in many other areas of the world

FROM INDIVIDUAL PARAMETERS TO POPULATION DYNAMICS

DISCUSSION