This page contains information about dolphin research being conducted through the University of Houston - Clear Lake. The team (headed by Michael Hunt, comparative psychologist, psychology instructor, and Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts director at UHCL) conducts boat surveys around Galveston Island, Texas to observe the behavior of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins, as well as collecting behavioral observations and acoustical readings of live stranded dolphins in rehab. Its research concentrates on the following areas:
- Photo-identification - identification of individual dolphins based on the analysis of photographs. Identification is based on the natural occurrence of marks, such as nicks or cuts, on the dorsal fin
- Population surveys - numbers of sightings, sizes of groups, and distribution of animals around Galveston Island
- Behavioral observations - how dolphins spend their time, definition of the structure of dolphin groups, interactions between individuals and between groups, and behavioral adaptability
- Acoustics - analysis of vocalizations of dolphins.
For more information please click the Research Concentrations tab.
Donations to the Researh Team are tax deductable. Checks should be made out to UHCL. DRT should be placed in the memo space.
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Amazon River Dolphin (Inia geoffrensis)