Dolphins are at the top of the food chain and play an important role in the overall balance of the marine environment. They belong to a group of marine mammals called cetaceans (si-tay-shn). Marine mammals in the cetacean family include whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Dolphins tend to be social and live in groups. They exhibit complex methods of communication and echolocation making squeaks, buzzes, whistles, and clicks that can be heard from miles away.
Are Dolphins Fish?
Even though they live in the ocean all of the time, dolphins are mammals, not fish. Like every mammal, dolphins are warm blooded. Unlike fish, who breathe through gills, dolphins breathe air using lungs. Dolphins must make frequent trips to the surface of the water to catch a breath.
Dolphins and Porpoises
Dolphins and porpoises are two species at the top of the food chain that play an important role in the overall health of the marine ecosystem. They belong to a group of marine mammals called cetaceans (si-tay-shn).
Whale and Dolphin Research in the Northeast
We seek to understand more about the way whales and dolphins use the coastal and offshore areas of the Northwest Atlantic and how to protect them from harmful conflicts with human activity.
Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan
The goal of the Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Plan is to reduce deaths and serious injuries of Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphins incidental to commercial fishing.