RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL POLICY

The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute BDRI is a marine science and education centre committed to conserving the diversity and integrity of marine life to meet the needs of current and future generations. To meet this aim BDRI researchers carry out field research projects and provide scientific and volunteer support.

The BDRI is not a tour operator or dolphin watching organisation, but a well-organised team of researchers carrying out one of the longest ongoing research projects of a resident dolphin population in the Mediterranean Sea. BDRI is partner to ACCOBAMS, the UNEP's Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area.

Environmental policy

As a marine science research team, BDRI researchers have witnessed first hand the effects global warming and climate change have on our planet. Every year we catalogue new tropical species in north Sardinia arrived from tropical waters as an effect of global warning and entire ecosystems are being affected.

BDRI researchers are committed to the implementation of proactive measures to help protect and sustain the local and global environment for future generations. The BDRI aim to achieve the objective of improved environmental performance through pollution prevention and continuous improvement. All BDRI members, workers and volunteers are expected to conduct their work in a manner compatible with the BDRI's Responsible Travel policy and objectives. BDRI members are committed to the provision of appropriate training, personnel and resources to ensure that the environmental policy can be implemented effectively.

•  BDRI seeks to conserve natural resources by ensuring the responsible use of energy, water and materials by the continual implementation of the 3R's (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle).

•  We know the importance of reduce the energy consumption derived of the use of polluting fossil fuels, promoting the use of renewable energy. We suggest don't use cars because we live in a small village and volunteer needs can be met by businesses and activities within walking distance.

•  In order to reduce noise and air pollution derived of the use of our research boats, depending on specific daily research objectives and number of participants, either our principal research boat or our secondary small boat (with a lower fuel consumption) will be used. Moreover, during BDRI expeditions we don't use the engine during more than 2 consecutive hours in order to reduce the use of fuel during our activities. Additionally, BDRI is supporting renewable energy through the equipment of our principal research vessel with solar panels.

•  From this year 2009 supporting renewable energy through “ BDRI Carbon Free expeditions ” is a solution to reduce the air pollution associated with our boat field expeditions. BDRI's campaign for carbon free expeditions is simple in its implementation. To neutralize cruise related greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, the BDRI will calculate the amount of carbon emitted by each research cruise itinerary it offers then divides that by the number of volunteers cruising each year. In turn, when a volunteer participate in our project, BDRI contributes a portion of the volunteering fee to buy solar pannels to produce renewable energy and reduce the air pollution associated with electricity production during our research. Furthermore, “BDRI Carbon Free Expeditions” campaign has no effect on the price of its volunteering opportunities in any way. In other words, the cost of the campaign is not passed onto the volunteer.

•  BDRI will continue to take steps to minimise any detrimental impacts on the environment caused by the operation of their researchers and volunteers. BDRI aims specifically to minimise the adverse environmental impacts associated with effluent discharge, water use, emissions to both air and water, and waste generation through best available techniques as they emerge in order to prevent pollution and also to maintain water quality.

Our research results are disseminated and utilized

Disseminating the information from the BDRI is as important as collecting it in the first place, so that it may benefit as many dolphins as possible. The BDRI is dedicated to this goal, having produced numerous scientific and general publications, and through frequent public and professional presentations since 2000 (Please find enclosed the our last scientific publications and reports). Graduate student thesis research and training programs for scientists, students and volunteers help to spread the information and techniques world-wide.

Our field reports, thesis and scientific publications resulting from our projects reach a wider audience in the environmental sector. Results of our projects will allow us to publish several and prestigious scientific papers in different areas (mammals' social structure, ecological modelling, mammals' behaviour, cetaceans' by-catch, aquaculture-fisheries and bioacoustics). Additionally, results are shared and disseminated online (the BDRI has a mailing list with hundred of participants, the BDRI's website and BDRI's blog), locally (with public presentations in Sardinia, articles in local newspapers), nationally (presenting results to the Italian Cetacean Society conference, national magazines and newspapers), internationally (with scientific journals, International Whaling Commission reports, ACCOBAMS workshops, and presenting results to international marine science conferences and more).

BDRI projects engage the local communities where the research is being conducted

BDRI collaborate with several non-profit and research groups based in Sardinia as scientific advisor (for example the marine mammals and sea turtles stranding network and Accademia del Leviatano ONLUS ). BDRI organizes yearly in collaboration with charities and schools of the village of Golfo Aranci (north Sardinia) a slide-show and public presentation about conservation of the marine environment. We think that the involvement of local childrens, people, fishers included, in the conservation of the marine environment is necessary.

Additionally, BDRI researchers collaborate with the Golfo Aranci local administration as scientific advisors in the creation of a future marine protected area in this area.

The BDRI offers a grant to participate in educational programmes aimed at providing extra support for marine science students and scientist from developing countries. Every year the BDRI employs local staff to help researchers in their work (skippers, mechanics, field assistants, etc). The selected people is trained by our researchers in function of their specific work to respect BDRI's environmental policy and aims.

Volunteers help us to achieve our research objectives

Although our volunteering project focuses primarily on bottlenose dolphins, our volunteers will also experience the complex Mediterranean coastal ecosystem in which we live and work. Unlike many other research teams our volunteering program offers a wide spectrum of educational tools that go beyond the "average research period". All expeditions are designed to enhance our awareness of dolphins, other marine life and the marine habitat that surrounds us. Our goal is to have each volunteer depart our centre with a greater understanding and appreciation of the marine environment and the wealth of life it supports.

Volunteers will actively participate in data collection and analyses as part of an ongoing research. Working with us and our staff, our volunteers rotate between tasks on land and sea.

BDRI's volunteering opportunities apport a hands-on learning experience that incorporates boat based field work, marine mammals conservation, dolphins research, lab work and encouragement to work hard, have fun, and learn from the dolphins and each other.

BDRI and Open Source software

The BDRI has installed the GNU/Linux operating system in their laboratory computers, which uses the Linux kernel created by Linus Torvalds of Finland in 1991. BDRI supports the ideas that software should be available free of charge, that software tools should be usable by people in their local language, and that people should have the freedom to customize and alter their software in whatever way they need. BDRI opted for Xubuntu, a linux distibution derived from Ubuntu that uses Xfce as desktop manager. We decided to use a Linux open source software as it is easier to maintain and in our experience offers better access to support. This is a good opportunity to cut some costs by replacing old and very expensive hardware and related software licenses.