This field season we finally returned to Bocas del Toro to continue the research hindered by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. Panacetacea-Panama President Betzi Perez led the expedition, along collaborator Dr. Dalia Barragan Barrera to study the hormones and kin relationships of the dolphin of Bocas del Toro. This study is supported by the Rufford Small Grants. University of Vermont graduate students Emma Gagne and Manali Rege-Colt joined the expedition to deploy a soundtrap (Project ONDAS link) and record the acoustic behavior of dolphins in the presence and absence of tour boats. Their study is supported by the UVM-May-Collado Lab. Together, genes, physiology, and sound will provide valuable information to assess the health of this small population of dolphins and help us make valuable recommendations to the Panamanian government.
