Eckerd College is an undergraduate, liberal arts college. Thus all aspects of the Dolphin Project, from formulating research questions, to designing experiments, to data analyses involve undergraduate researchers. This provides an excellent opportunity for quality student research and close interaction between undergraduates and faculty that is often not possible at other institutions.

    A variety of technological advances, such as the use of GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) are incorporated into the dolphin project to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of data collection and analyses.

    Modern science tends to be collaborative in nature.  To both model reality and to improve effectiveness, the project is approached with a stong interdisciplinary philosophy and often involves collaboration with computer science, environmental studies, and physics students and faculty.

    Students involved in the project often present their research at regional, national and international conferences. This provides excellent opportunities for the students to be informed of the latest research in the field, gain experience in presenting their research, and establish contacts within the marine biology field. A few conferences that have been attended by Eckerd College students include the 11th and the 13th Biennial Conferences on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Orlando, Florida, and Maui, Hawaii, respectively, and the World Mammal Science Conference in Monaco. For more information on conferences attended and abstracts that were presented please click on the papers/conferenceslink.

    Members of the dolphin project have gone on to pursue their studies in a variety of prestigous graduate programs, including

    Other undergraduate students working on marine mammals at Eckerd College have pursued their studies at the following institutions: