If you have spotted a dolphin in the Chesapeake Bay, UMD’s Center for Environmental Science wants to hear from you.
Most area residents probably don’t realize that you don’t have to go to Florida to see dolphins. During the warmer months, dolphins regularly visit the Chesapeake Bay. Sightings in the Chesapeake Bay are quite common, and since last June the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s new online tracking system has reported more than 900 dolphin sightings. Most, if not all, dolphins spotted in the Chesapeake Bay and upstream in tributaries are bottlenose dolphins. The UMD Center is inviting everyone who spends time on the Chesapeake to report sightings via its new tracking system.
The Dolphin Tracker has launched as one of the department's scientists, Dr. Helen Bailey, has begun the DolphinWatch research project, which examines the dolphins’ activity in the bay. Bailey’s project uses hydrophone microphones underwater to track dolphin calls, while the nonprofit group SouthWings contributes by flying over to spot the dolphins' movements in the bay.
The general public can contribute to the research efforts by using the web-based app whenever they see a dolphin in the bay, according to the center’s website. Sightings can be reported by pointing to the location where a dolphin was spotted, or by using one’s current location and indicating how many dolphins were seen. The online tracker can also help people to find out where they might catch a glimpse of the Bottlenose dolphins.
To learn more about the DolphinWatch project and dolphins, visit the project’s website.
Have you seen dolphins in the Bay? Let us know in the comments below.
