Atlantic bottle-nose dolphin
Collaborating in Conservation
Keepers, curators, and scientific colleagues work together in the care and study of dolphins. The result: a sound, comprehensive approach to conservation in zoos and in the wild.
As part of the Dolphin Breeding Consortium, a group of zoo professionals and scientists committed to Atlantic bottlenose dolphin breeding and well-being, CZS and Brookfield Zoo contribute to the collective knowledge of animal behavior.  Brookfield Zoo is also accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums. 
Basically, the field research done by CZS scientists informs the care plan for bottlenose dolphins at Seven Seas. In turn, the intimate observation of dolphins at Seven Seas helps demystify social structure and other health and behavioral data that proves invaluable to CZS researchers in the field.
At Sea
In Sarasota Bay, Florida, CZS researcher Dr. Randy Wells and his team have been studying wild bottlenose dolphin societies for over 35 years—undisputedly the longest running dolphin research program in the world.
The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP) is an umbrella organization that links the efforts of several organizations:
·       Conservation Biology Department of the Chicago Zoological Society provides core staff salaries and administrative and operational support.
·       Dolphin Biology Research Institute provides logistical support with its fleet of five small research vessels, two towing vehicles, computers, cameras, and field equipment.
·       Mote Marine Laboratory provides a handy base on City Island in Sarasota Bay, with dock space and ramp access.
Dr. Wells and the research team have, to date, observed five generations of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins at Sarasota Bay, uncovering information about the animals’ population structure, behavior and communication, health and physiology, ecology, and the impacts of human interactions.
Southbound
A new study also brings Dr. Wells to the waters of Argentina to study the ranging patterns and habitat use of a dolphin species known as the franciscana.
In March 2008, Wells was joined by CZS conservation scientists Jason Allen and Aaron Barleycorn to return to Bahia San Blas, Argentina, to work with Pablo Bordino and his dedicated team of students, colleagues, fishermen, and a veterinary team from Disney’s Animal Programs on a project that began in 2007.
They are conducting additional satellite-linked tagging of franciscana dolphins—building on the tagging and tracking work during 2007 that indicated a high degree of residency to Bahia San Blas over periods as long as six months. (You can follow the tracking efforts and learn more about the project at CZS Sarasota Dolphin Program.
This next phase of the project was designed to address specific questions about: what part of the water column the dolphins use, and how to best monitor and identify behavioral patterns.
Major support for this project was provided by CZS and Disney’s Animal Programs, with tags and tag data processing assistance provided by Dolphin Quest.
At the Zoo
Brookfield Zoo has contributed to collective data on dolphin behavior and adaptations, as well.
In fact, the zoo helped offer the first proof that dolphins echolocate using their lower jaw. For years it was theorized that dolphins had this sonar ability, but the mechanism for the adaptation was not understood until a Brookfield Zoo researcher and trainer developed a project involving a male dolphin named Nemo.
Because of the trainer’s relationship with Nemo, he was able to discover more about how echolocation works than any other researcher to date. His findings were possible only in a controlled environment.
Behavioral research has also been greatly aided by the close-up encounters with dolphins at the pools and underwater viewing areas at Brookfield Zoo. With these views, researchers can piece together the behaviors that often occur out of sight in the wild. At the same time, they can help trainers assess the health of their dolphin populations.
A Personal Approach
More than 120 million people visit zoos and aquariums throughout North America each year. These institutions have the potential “to help people develop a sustainable and harmonious relationship with nature”—one part of CZS and Brookfield Zoo’s mission.
To do this, zoos first have to educate people about animals. Dolphin researchers and trainers work together to learn as much as possible about these marine mammals. By presenting their findings to general audiences, they can help to instill a caring attitude toward dolphins and all creatures of the oceans.