Page 3 - CDSP
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CDSP - January 1, 2008 - Dennis Kelly
  - today announced the 2008 - 2009 goals for
      the Coastal Dolphin Survey Project.

1. The Newport Harbor dolphin research project.
      The purpose of this research project is to deter-
      mine how often bottlenose dolphins are enter-
      Newport Harbor; how many utilize the harbor
      during each entrance; how long do the dolphins
      stay in the harbor; what are the dolphins doing
      while they are in the harbor; how far back in
      the harbor do these dolphin groups journey;
      and do the dolphins have interactions with the
      many boats and people that live in and utilize
      Newport Harbor? Also, what species of fish from
      the harbor are the dolphins eating and how
      many fish are they eating per visit.  


  Side note of additional concern: 

    
Between July and December of 2004 two bottle-
      nose dolphins entered Newport Harbor, made
      their way well into the harbor past the Pacific
      Coast Highway Bridge directly off Pearsons's
      Port, and proceeded to commence constant
      feeding behavior at this location.  Subsequently,
      both dolphins died.  One, the second, was recov-
      ered after it died and was necropsied at Orange
      Coast College.  It was discovered that this dolp-
      hin had starved to death, probably sufffered
      hyperthermia due to extreme blubber loss, and
      was carrying significantly high loads of DDT,
      PCB, Tributyltin, and Mercury in all of the
      tissues collected from the corpse (brain, blubber,
      liver, muscle, and kidney). See page 5 for add-
      itional details (
click here).

 

      
Are you interested in pursuing a career in Marine  Mammal Science?   Click here to download the Society
   for Marine Mammalogy publication:  Strategies for  Pursuing a Career in  Marine Mammal Science.  This is
   a really excellent publication.
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Page 4? Click here

  
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
  Professor Kelly announces the
  findings of the newest research
  effort in the continuing history
  of the Coastal Dolphin Survey
  Project (CDSP) - the project is
  called "The Newport Harbor"
  dolphin research project and is
  lead by research colleague -
  Julie Deyan.  As a result of    
  numerous sightings of dolphins
  inside Newport Harbor (see map
  below) from March through
  December 2007, we now believe
  that groups of bottlenose
  dolphin are entering and
  utilizing lower and Upper
  Newport Bay on a regular
  basis.  See description at left
  for details on how we plan to 
  continue investigating this
  newest CDSP discovery.
Map of lower Newport Harbor - letters "A", "B", "C" etc indicate approximate locations
of sightings of groups of bottlenose dolphin reported so far inside harbor - Mar 2006 - Feb 2007.
A
B
C
                                                                                One(Above) one of the dolphins observed
   by Randy Seton on Wednesday, Jan 3, 2007 - 11:55 a.m. inside Newport Harbor. To see more
   photos go to page 4.
Click here.