PHOTO-IDENTIFICATION & SOCIAL STRUCTURE

This research course is designed for students, biologist, and more interested people who seek a broad view of the photo-identification techniques and study of social structure of wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).

The recognition of individual bottlenose dolphins can be used as a tool for a large variety of information (group composition, fidelity of certain dolphins to the group, area distribution and use of habitat preferences, individual behaviour, etc...). Students will participate in boat-based research surveys investigating ecology and behaviour of bottlenose dolphins on the north-eastern coast of Sardinia, Italy. Students will actively participate in data collection and analyses as part of an ongoing research.

BDRI's research courses give an insight into the workings of a research team, and provides valuable experience in a wide range of areas including scientific data collection, analysis and presentation; giving public talks and much more. To be successful participants in this project, students should have open minds, flexibility in changing situations, and a desire to help and to learn.

All classes will be in a form of both (a) lectures that will lead to more "informal" discussion, hopefully ending with a constructive brain-storming on the specific topic, as well as (b) instructions with hand-on practical component, especially when it involves field techniques.

Practical training, lessons in the field base, and discussions include:

• Bottlenose dolphins biology

• Dolphin photo-identification tecniques

• General notions about photography with SLR cameras

• Use of habitat studies

• Software for analysis of digital pictures for photo-identification purposes

• Bottlenose dolphin social structure and population estimates

• Software for analysis of dolphins social structure

• Ecological & behavioural transcription

• Cleaning of equipment and primary statistical data analyses

• Computer orientation