This Blog, running between 2008 and 2019, has been discontinued. All posts continue to be visible here.
Since 2020, information, photographs and news are being posted on our Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/dolphinbiology/
31 December 2019
16 December 2019
10 December 2019
Assessing dolphin extinction risk in presence of hybridization
Yesterday Nina presented her work on "Assessing dolphin extinction risk in presence of hybridization" at the World Marine Mammal Conference in Barcelona, Spain. This investigation is based on our research on striped, common and admixed dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. Brava Nina!
07 December 2019
05 December 2019
Boat hibernation
Our boat left her natural element and is now hibernating, waiting for the next season of field research.
(Photos by G. Bearzi)
03 December 2019
Marco, marine biologist
Today our intern Marco Bregoli graduated in Marine Biology at the University of Padua, Italy, with a thesis on the social organisation of bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece. His defense was excellent and he received a 110 Cum Laude (the maximum score). We are very proud of him!
30 November 2019
Our job
And while the planet collapses under the weight of humans, we keep doing our job of hopeful dolphin conservation biologists.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
29 November 2019
Global Climate Strike in Venice
Today we joined the global climate strike in Venice, Italy. While we would want these belated and desperate actions to be joined by billions of "thoughtful, committed citizens", this one was pretty crowded and vocal.
(Photos by G. Bearzi)
27 November 2019
Marine and global conservation lecture 2
As it happens, topics are gradually shifting away from dolphin biology to encompass the global challenges of our time, and discuss what we can do about it.
(Photos by S. Bonizzoni, Pordenone, Italy)
Marine and global conservation lecture 1
One more long lecture on marine and global conservation, attended by approximately 150 students.
(Photos by S. Bonizzoni, Pordenone, Italy)
26 November 2019
25 November 2019
Dolphin off Jesolo
A juvenile bottlenose dolphin photographed off Marina di Jesolo, Italy, last October.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
23 November 2019
21 November 2019
18 November 2019
Marine and global conservation lecture in Pordenone, Italy
Today's long lecture on marine and global conservation, attended by approximately 150 students.
(Photos by S. Bonizzoni, Pordenone, Italy)
17 November 2019
16 November 2019
10 November 2019
07 November 2019
04 November 2019
Dolphin lecture for children in Pordenone 2
At the end of her lecture, Silvia received a gift and this beautiful dolphin :-)
(Photo by G. Bearzi)
Dolphin lecture for children in Pordenone 1
Today's lecture for primary school children at Collegio Don Bosco, Pordenone.
(Photos by G. Bearzi)
01 November 2019
31 October 2019
Trawler, then social
Bottlenose dolphins socializing after having followed a trawler.
(Photos by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
30 October 2019
29 October 2019
27 October 2019
Seagulls in the wake
Seagulls feeding on fish discarded by a trawler.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
26 October 2019
Dolphins and otter trawler buoy
Bottlenose dolphins following otter trawlerS often surface in the proximity of the towed buoy.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
Otter trawler buoy
The buoy being towed at the end an otter trawler's net.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
25 October 2019
Dead sea turtle
Silvia inspects a dead loggerhead sea turtle found floating adrift. Of a total of 109 sea turtles encountered during 11,000 km of navigation in 2018 and 2019, seven were dead.
(Photos by G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)
23 October 2019
21 October 2019
A sea of seagulls
Thousands of seagulls wait in the proximity of midwater pair trawlers, after having fed on fish crushed, discarded and lost from the nets.
(Photos by S. Bonizzoni and G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)
20 October 2019
Eyes shut
An adult bottlenose dolphin performs a forward breach while keeping her eye shut.
(Photos by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
19 October 2019
17 October 2019
Mullet catch
A bottlenose dolphin catches a mullet after a bellly-up chase.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
In the fog again
A thick fog keeps us idle until midday before we can manage to start our dolphin survey.
(Photo by G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)
Dead loggerhead
A large loggerhead sea turtle found dead off Lignano, Italy.
(Photo by G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)
16 October 2019
Dolphins off Lido di Jesolo (2)
One more image of a young bottlenose dolphin off Lido di Jesolo, Italy.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
Dolphins off Lido di Jesolo (1)
Bottlenose dolphin adult and juvenile, part of a large group on the move off the coast of Lido di Jesolo, Italy.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
15 October 2019
14 October 2019
Stuck in the fog
Today we spent two hours stuck in a thick morning fog. Low visibility prevented navigation (we do not have a radar). So we set up our radar reflector and waited, ready to honk and do our best to prevent a collision. Fog at sea can be scary, especially when one hears the noise of an approaching boat but cannot tell its distance and direction—until the boat becomes visible and is very very close.
(Photos by G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)
Seagull kills small bird
While doing our survey in offshore waters, we spotted five seagulls harassing a small migratory bird. The small one did his best to fly away and avoid being killed, but he was hopeless. One of the seagulls eventually caught the small bird, while the other gulls tried to steal it from its beak. Then the seagull ingested the entire bird while flying.
One of the reasons why seagulls are still plentiful, while many other bird species decline, is that they have an incredibly flexible behaviour and diet. They can be hunters (as observed here), gatherers, scavengers, thieves, beggars and more.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
13 October 2019
Adriatic LNG dolphin
Today we spotted several groups of bottlenose dolphins near the Adriatic LNG gas offshore terminal (right outside of the no-entry zone).
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Northern Adriatic Sea)
Helium balloon 2
While searching for dolphins we look for other marine wildlife, but on some days we just encounter... helium balloons floating adrift :-/
(Photo by G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)
Helium balloon
One more helium balloon lost at sea. Short-term fun, long-term damage.
(Photo by G. Bearzi, Northern Adriatic Sea)
12 October 2019
11 October 2019
08 October 2019
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