34 Beach L i fe Nature Dolphins
Today , the Dauphin Island Sea Lab ( DISL ) is the centerpiece of marine research in Alabama , serving as a resource for 22 public and private universities . In 2022 , the lab welcomed a record 110,000 visitors .
To get a fuller picture of the lives of the dolphin population here in the Northern Gulf , we reached out to DISL marine scientist Dr . Ruth Carmichael and research technician , MacKenzie Russell .
Are bottlenose dolphins of the Northern Gulf of Mexico migratory ? Or do they live out their lives within the local waters ?
Bottlenose dolphins primarily can be divided into two groups : coastal and offshore . Coastal bottlenose dolphins are often bay , sound and estuary residents who live close to shore and have small home ranges . On the other hand , offshore bottlenose dolphins , or “ transients ,” may travel along the coast , with some in the Atlantic known to seasonally migrate .
However , the animals in our area are not yet known to be migratory in this way ( best documented for higherlatitude beasts ). Our work in the Northern Gulf is trying to answer these types of question about local populations , including the extent to which they may be resident or transient , their home ranges , and their movements in Alabama and adjacent waters .
What is the greatest threat to the dolphin population in the Northern Gulf ?
Our research here in Alabama has found about half of dolphin deaths in our area are linked to human interactions . In fact , this is the most common single known cause of death in the stranded dolphins we recover . Typical human interactions that may cause death include vessel trauma , drowning due to entanglement , and sharp or blunt force trauma .
Another common threat to dolphins in the northern Gulf of Mexico is low salinity due to freshwater discharge . When dolphins experience prolonged freshwater exposure it can cause skin lesions , physiological imbalances , and ultimately death either directly or via secondary illnesses .
Can you characterize the intelligence of dolphins ? Is it similar to that of any other species in the animal kingdom ?
This is a difficult question because measuring intelligence is inherently biased ( the testing is done by