WHY HELP THE BDRI?

There are many foundations claiming to support research on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), and these claims are often enough to attract considerable financial support from a well-meaning public. However, many of these organizations actually do very little or no research. With so many organizations to choose from, how can members of the public know which ones are active research groups?

The proof is in recent scientific papers. Researchers publish their results in scientific journals to advance and summarize their knowledge. If an organization soliciting funds for scientific research is actively publishing, your donation may help scientists make discovers with impacts on scientific knowledge and conservation.

Funding for BDRI's research projects came exclusively from the BDRI (research courses, volunteers, adoptions initiatives, etc.). Bottlenose Dolphins are protected by European law, but in order to develop effective protection guidelines, education and research is necessary to find out much more about the dolphins, and the pressures they face. BDRI concentrates its efforts on the study of these animals because they are predators at the top of their food chain, so their well-being provides an excellent indication of the health of the entire ecosystem on which they, and we, depend.

In addition, it is vitally important for bottlenose dolphin conservation to study coastal populations, such as those found in our study area. Interaction with fisheries is a serious problem in the Mediterranean Sea. Answers to these important questions such as these are invaluable and can only be answered from long-term, detailed study of bottlenose dolphin populations.