CMAST/CVM staff Participate in Dolphin Health Assessment

Three NC State College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST) personnel had the privilege of participating in a dolphin health assessment catch-and-release event by the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP) from May 13 – 24, 2024.  Dr. Craig Harms (CVM and CMAST, Clinical Sciences), Dr. Julie Balko (CVM, Anesthesiologist), and Dr. Lauren Mumm (Zoological Medicine Resident), helped to provide clinical support and real-time ecg monitoring through the procedures. Nineteen dolphins were safely caught, sampled, tagged and released, in support of 43 research projects on dolphin health, physiology, behavior, acoustics, and other conservation-relevant topics. Two of the dolphins were rescued from serious gear entanglements during the field work. Over the course of more than 50 years, the SDRP has published over 350 scientific papers, and the Sarasota dolphins have served as a reference population for other dolphins elsewhere affected by environmental contamination such as in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.