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- Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Summer/Fall 2010 Edition
WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD NOW!
Published: August 13, 2010 10:05 PM EST By: Isaac Davis Jr., MBA (Juniorscave.com)
JC Good News Interview Exclusive: Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski Summer/Fall 2010 Edition
Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski Photo provided by Dolphin Communication Project (DCP)
Our Webzine recently had the utmost pleasure to speak with the renowned Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski about her amazing work with dolphins. Dr. Dudzinski has been passionately studying dolphin behavior and communication since 1990 where her primary areas of expertise ranges from focusing on tactile, behavioral, and acoustic signals that are employed by dolphins as dolphins share information with each other and across their groups. Dr. Dudzinski also serves as the Director of the Dolphin Communication Project (DCP), and she conducts research on four different groups of dolphins; both captive and wild environments. Dr. Dudzinski also oversees research conducted by graduate students from over five universities. In this exclusive interview with Dr. Dudzinski, she expounds on her amazing work, her reason as to why she enjoys dolphin science, and other fun facts about the world of studying and researching dolphins. Here is the entire online conversation with Dr. Dudzinski for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!
Isaac: Dr. Dudzinski, I wanted to first thank you for taking time to interview with our Webzine. I remember watching a recent video that featured you and your amazing work with dolphins. I knew that our readers would enjoy learning more about your work and what your research is all about. When did you first discover you wanted to study and do research with animals in particular dolphins?
KMD: I have always loved the ocean. My family and I went to Cape Cod, MA, each summer for vacation and I grew up in Connecticut and went to the beach whenever possible. I have always loved animals. I actively participated in Vo-Ag and FFA in high school, worked at a veterinary clinic and raised chickens in my backyard. But, it wasn't until the summer after my sophomore year in college that I realized I could merge my love of animals with my passion for the ocean into a career. In the summer of 1987, I was an intern with a whale watching company and worked 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. I loved every minute of it. After that summer, I read all I could about dolphins and whales and wrote to scientists for more information.
Isaac: What draws you to wanting to know more about dolphins?
KMD: I am fascinated by social communication and by what means social animals, especially dolphins, share information. Do they use mostly vocal cues, tactile actions, postures, gestures or a combination of these signals. I am very much interested in learning about the dynamics of different dolphin species and groups and how their group sizes or habitat/environment might affect the types of signals that these animals use. I am also interested in how dolphin communication and signal use compares with that of other social animals – both terrestrial and arboreal.
Isaac: I have read somewhere that Dolphins have a large brain; what does that mean as far as intelligence goes?
KMD: You can learn more about this topic from one of the DCP’s The Dolphin Pod podcasts on the DCP web site. Intelligence is perhaps one of the most un-definable and nebulous subjects of study in modern psychology. The cognition vs. intelligence dichotomy is really the difference between asking, “How does a car work?” & “Is the car fast?” The first question will provide concrete answers; the second only leads to more questions, such as “Faster than what?” What does it mean to be fast? In this analogy, the concept of intelligent is akin to the concept fast: both terms seem to defy concrete definition that would make them useful to scientific inquiry. It is more interesting, to me at least, to ask what it is that a dolphin brain can do and how does it do it, rather than trying to determine whether or not dolphins are intelligent. That said, in recent years, the study of intelligence is really no longer fashionable. But, the study of cognition and the mind, however, is just getting warmed up.
The dolphin brain has been an exciting topic for scientists because dolphin brains are big, bigger than the brains of most other mammals, and certainly those animals similar in size to the dolphin. But, looking at the anatomy of the brain is not really the best way to study cognitive ability: the most effective way to measure cognitive ability is to examine the behavior of an animal, not its brain structure. And when this is done, dolphins do indeed appear to be extremely complex and flexible in terms of the kinds of behavior they produce. Examples of cognitive behaviors that indicate intelligence in an animal include: artificial language comprehension, imitation, complex play, mirror self-recognition, pointing comprehension, false belief, culture, social alliances, tool use, dialects.
Isaac: Why is it important to study and research dolphins? What does this research offer to mankind?
KMD: Members of the general public are enthralled with dolphins. Most people express affection or fondness for dolphins, and whales; thus these animals are considered “charismatic megafauna”. Dolphins also represent a key species at the top of the ocean food chain. They are good indicators of the health of the oceans. Still, we have data and information about a relatively small fraction of their lives – social behavior, distribution, physiology, intelligence, and more. Studying dolphins from all angles and aspects provides humanity, and science in particular, with more details about how these animals live and how they interact with one another and their environment. Understanding how they fit within their environment will better inform how we affect the environment – both terrestrial and aquatic and how we can manage conservation measures related to our behavior.
Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski Photo provided by Dolphin Communication Project (DCP)
Isaac: Let’s talk about your project titled Dolphin Communication Project where you serve as the Director of the Dolphin Communication Project. What is this project about and how can others get involve to help or learn more about dolphins?
KMD: The Dolphin Communication Project (DCP) is focused on the dual goals of scientific research and education: we take results from research projects and disseminate them into educational programs for students of all ages. DCP has a team of researchers (graduated professionals, graduate students, undergraduate interns and volunteers) who work together to examine how dolphins communicate in order to shed more light on the meaning of the interactions between individuals and groups. With access to a data archive collected since 1991, questions focus on communication among Atlantic spotted dolphins in The Bahamas, Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Japan, and common bottlenose dolphins in human care in Honduras and The Bahamas. In addition to studies of communication and behavior, DCP research associates also investigate comparisons between species, geographies, and habitats, as well as their own research topics. We are dedicated to continuing the long-term, longitudinal observations of dolphins in our four study locations.
DCP has a variety of programs for students of all ages. We offer after school informal science education classes to elementary, junior high and high school students to introduce them to hands on science activities. We offer internships to college students and volunteer positions to almost anyone interested in learning more about dolphins. DCP also offers two or three eco-tour programs to Bimini or Roatan annually. Details can be found on our web site on each of these topics under the Get Involved menu option (www.dolphincommunicationproject.org). Also, we have numerous supporters who sponsor DCP by purchasing dolphin adoption kits or memberships. Information is also available on our web site for these types of support.
Isaac: What are some documentaries that feature your amazing work with dolphins that our readers can purchase and buy?
KMD: My work, or that of DCP, has been featured in a few different documentaries. The most notable is the large-format film for IMAX theaters by MacGillivray Freeman Films called DOLPHINS. It was an honor to have my work featured with that of about seven other scientists. DCP also offers a few DVDs that depict my work as well as that of other scientists who collaborate with DCP. The programs, Bridging the Ocean Divide and Dolphins – The Lighter Side, are available as DVDs from the DCP web site. And, my work is also featured in two books – Meeting Dolphins is for younger audiences while Dolphin Mysteries is all about dolphin communication. Both can be found on the DCP web site, or on www.Amazon.com.
Isaac: For students who are interesting in a field that will allow them to study and research dolphins, what are some of the courses students should be focusing on the most while in college?
KMD: My advice focuses mainly on having the student find and pursue their passion. I would advise a student to read about the different topics and animals that he/she finds interesting and to write to the authors and other scientists to learn more about their work. Ask for reprints of their work. Visit aquaria and other facilities that might have information about the ocean or her marine inhabitants. Look for internship or volunteer programs. It is not enough any more to say "I want to study dolphins." You must begin to narrow your question and focus. What do you want to study? What topic interests you? What information do you want to learn? And, while you are still with your parents and they are paying the bills is the best time to participate in volunteer programs ... you need to have experience to get experience. Volunteering for various groups will allow you to get experience but also learn about your interests and determine if this is truly the area you want to study and work in.
I recommend that students take classes in the different sciences -- math, physics, chemistry, biology. I know ... I wasn't too fond of physics the first time, but I now see how it is applied and important. Besides giving you a solid foundation to pursue more science electives and such in college, you will gain experience in science to determine if this is something that truly interests you. I firmly believe that we should follow a career or have a job we like and are happy doing. Life is too short not to enjoy what we do day-to-day.
Isaac: How much education does it take to pursue a career in dolphin science?
KMD: It is difficult to say exactly how much education is required to pursue a career related to studying dolphins because it depends on what topic a person wants to study. There are individuals who prefer to focus on training and working at an animal facility and that education would be different than for a person who wanted to study a dolphins neural processing. From my experience and in working with various topics and students, a four-year college degree is required and then some graduate schoolwork or training, likely a Masters Degree or a Doctorate.
Isaac: What do you see is the future of dolphin science?
KMD: In a perfect world, I would see scientists from numerous countries and disciplines collaborating to study every aspect of dolphin science – communication, behavior, cognition, physiology, distribution, ecology and more. There are 33 plus species of dolphins that reside in the world’s oceans, seas, rivers and bays. Each is distinct with behavior, social complexity, distribution and ecology matched to their environment. With scientists from diverse areas of expertise and countries collaborating to share information and results and expanding our questions related to all dolphin species, we will begin to understand a bit of their aquatic lifestyles and habits. We will begin to understand them for their activity, their behavior and their complexities as opposed to trying to understand them in direct relation or comparison to other species – human or animal.
Isaac: Final words about your current project, dolphins, and other future projects…..
KMD: Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. Once you find a passion or joy in life (related to work or a hobby or career) then follow it. What is right for you may not be right for others. Only you can decide what is good for you in terms of career and work in life. Follow your dreams. These words fit with our continued work on dolphin communication and our pursuit of collaboration with colleagues.
Kathleen M. Dudzinski, Ph.D.
Director, Dolphin Communication Project kathleen@dcpmail.org www.dolphincommunicationproject.org
a href="http://www.thedolphinpod.com" target="_blank">www.thedolphinpod.com
P.O. Box 711
Old Mystic, CT 06372-0711
Dolphin Communication Project (DCP)'s Official Website
