Keeping ‘wild dolphins’ wild

Dauphin Island (Ala.) Sea Lab’s University Programs’ summer students used what they learned in their Marine Mammals course to create public service announcements (PSAs) on the dangers of hand-feeding dolphins. It’s the second year Dr. Jennifer Lewis - director of the Tropical Dolphin Research Foundation - has incorporated the project into that course. Science education should be more than memorizing and learning about data collection, Lewis said via DISL’s website. “It should also be about using that education it to move things ahead. The course is also about giving students the “chance to really dig into a conservation issue, and then do something about it,” she’s quoted. The course covers marine mammals’ anatomy, physiology, behavior, and conservation/management. Students took what they learned to survey the public by directly watching eco-tours and how dolphins react to the by-catch of shrimp fisheries. “Creating media to help educate the public requires students to thoroughly understand it. “Creating something that can be used to enact change is a wonderful lesson because they take ownership and become invigorated when they have the power to actually do something,” she continued. Since January, several dolphins have died as a result of human interaction, says Mackenzie Russell, Stranding Coordinator for the Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network (ALMMSN), which responds to sick, injured, and deceased marine mammals in coastal Alabama. Those interactions include hand-feeding dolphins or stowing debris improperly, which can lead to animals becoming entangled. ALMMSN provides a tip sheet, Keep Wild Dolphins Wild, that can be downloaded Click here. (Source: DISL 07/22/19)