Our field station in Loreo (near Chioggia, Italy) has been fully remodelled, with more 'marine' colours than it used to have. It makes a comfortable base for our dolphin research in the Adriatic.
(Photos by G. Bearzi)
30 June 2018
Our field station
Our field station in Loreo (near Chioggia, Italy) has been fully remodelled, with more 'marine' colours than it used to have. It makes a comfortable base for our dolphin research in the Adriatic.
(Photos by G. Bearzi)
28 June 2018
27 June 2018
Early days of dolphin research
Giovanni Bearzi in September 1987 (age 23), on his first research trip to study Adriatic bottlenose dolphins around the island of Losinj (then Yugoslavia).
Giovanni borrowed his father's small inflatable boat, a Mirage 420, staying in a camping together with cousin Paolo. Giovanni then returned to Losinj several times in 1988 with Benedetta Cavalloni.
These early field trips, described in Giovanni's Biological Sciences thesis (*), eventually gave rise to the Adriatic Dolphin Project, "the longest ongoing study of a bottlenose dolphin population in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the longest in the world". Giovanni directed this project until 1996, before moving on to the Venice Dolphin Project, the Ionian Dolphin Project and other endeavours.
(*) Bearzi G. 1989. Contributo alle conoscenze sulla biologia di Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) nel mare Adriatico settentrionale. Tesi di Laurea in Scienze Biologiche, Università degli Studi di Padova, Italia. 172 pp.
26 June 2018
Weird look
Spending long days at sea under the sun, year after year, we have become aware that continued exposure to UV rays may be a threat. As a partial self-defense we wear extra clothing even when it is very hot... which makes us look a little weird.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
25 June 2018
24 June 2018
Lido di Jesolo from the sea
The Adriatic coast as seen off Lido di Jesolo, Italy: an impressive example of coastal "development".
(Photos by G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)
23 June 2018
Trawlers approaching
Bottlenose dolphins breaching and speeding up as midwater pair trawlers approach.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
20 June 2018
Science: Do dolphins feel grief?
Our recent paper on cetacean responses to dead conspecifics was covered in the News section of Science. The article is written by renowned nature journalist and author Virginia Morell.
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/06/do-dolphins-feel-grief
19 June 2018
18 June 2018
Beam trawler, early morning
No photoshopping: this was the actual light.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
17 June 2018
Young and beautiful
Juvenile bottlenose dolphin surfacing alongside an adult.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
15 June 2018
Cover of Elsevier's journal Zoology
The cover of the latest volume of Elsevier's scientific journal Zoology features Silvia's photo of a striped dolphin attending to a dead conspecific in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece.
This Zoology volume includes our article "Whale and dolphin behavioural responses to dead conspecifics", freely downloadable (for a few more weeks) at: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1XB203MhxMSrGv
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Bearzi G., Kerem D., Furey N.B., Pitman R.L., Rendell L., Reeves R.R. 2018. Whale and dolphin behavioural responses to dead conspecifics. Zoology 128:1-15. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944200618300473
14 June 2018
13 June 2018
Wavy sea, midwater pair trawlers
Midwater pair trawlers hauling their net 11 nautical miles offshore. When the sea is wavy, passing one rope holding the net to the twin boat requires advanced manoeuvring skills.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
12 June 2018
11 June 2018
Happy dolphin?
While dolphins do not have facial expressions and can hardly 'smile', this individual has a particularly happy-looking face :-)
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
10 June 2018
Not a ctenophore
The large liquid natural gas offshore terminal ('Adriatic LNG'), photographed at sea before sunrise, almost looks like a bioluminiscent ctenophore.
(Photo by G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)
09 June 2018
08 June 2018
Whale and dolphin behavioural responses to dead conspecifics: now online
The final version of our article "Whale and dolphin behavioural responses to dead conspecifics" is now available online.
The Share Link below provides 50 days' free access to our article, including free pdf download.
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1XB203MhxMSrGv
07 June 2018
06 June 2018
Three fins, one trawler
Three bottlenose dolphins surface at unison near a trawler.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
05 June 2018
Old guy
This old individual, photographed as he/she was following a bottom trawler, has the tips of the rostrum and dorsal fin heavily worn. Wear (especially on the rostrum) may result in part from years spent foraging behind or even inside the nets. Marks left from the teeth of conspecifics are also visible.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
04 June 2018
Pink and orange
Bottlenose dolphins in pink and orange waters.
(Photos by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
03 June 2018
Can you spot the dolphins?
Bottlenose dolphins feeding near a midwater trawler as the net is being hauled and lifted on board.
(Photos by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
02 June 2018
Finless dolphin
The bottlenose dolphin on the right lost its dorsal fin. Not having a dorsal does not seem to be a serious problem and over the years we have seen several individuals (bottlenose and striped dolphins) living a normal life in this condition.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
01 June 2018
5 per mille
Se vuoi donarci il tuo 5 per mille lo useremo per studiare la biologia dei delfini e contribuire alla loro tutela.
APS Dolphin Biology and Conservation
C.F. 91081040742
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