Students

Graduate Students

Eric Ramos, University of New York

Betzi Perez, McGill University, Montreal Canada

Eric is studying the acoustic and spatial behavior of bottlenose dolphins and manatees in Belize. He is combining UAS technology and acoustic. This Ph.D. is at NY University and co-advise with Dr. Diane Reiss.

Maia Austin, University of Vermont

Maia is in interested in interspecies communication. She will be studying the vocal repertoire of mixed dolphin groups of Guiana and bottlenose dolphins in Gandoca-Manzanillo, Costa Rica. This is one of the few locations where regular interspecies-interactions happen on regular basis.

Betzi is interested in how stress associated to dolphin watching activities may affect cetaceans health. She currently studying how changes in dolphin soundscape due to boat traffic may impact dolphin communication and their health for her Ph.D. McGill University co-advise with Dr. Andrew Henry.

Emma Gagne, University of Vermont

Emma has been accepted to the accelerated Master program at UVM. She will be extending her CURE research to dolphins and toadfish, studying their communicative signals before and during Covid-19. Emma's field site is in the Archipelago of Bocas del Toro, Panama we we hope to learn about the different toadfish species and the factors that shape their mating calls..

Undergraduate Students

Kahlia Gonzales, University of Vermont

Natalia Swack
University of Vermont

Kahlia and Natalia are studying bottlenose calf survivorship in a resident population in the Caribbean coast of Panama. Part of this work is Kahlia's Honor Thesis. Both Natalia and Kahlia received the best student award at the World Marine Mammal Conference in 2019.

Carly Sarbacker, University of Vermont

Carly is a former Honor student in my lab. She is now writing her manuscript on the acoustic behavior of manatees in Belize in a collaborative project with Doctoral student Eric Ramos.

Summer Barnes, University of Vermont

Summer is a former Honor student in my lab. For her thesis she studied the habitat use by manatees in several resting holes in Belize using unmanned aerial vehicle data. This is Summer's Honor Thesis. This is a collaborative project with Doctoral student Eric Ramos.

Erin Powell, University of Vermont

Erin is studying the social network of bottlenose dolphins from Bocas del Toro, she is currently wrapping up photoID analysis for analysis.

Stefania Diaz Melo, Universidad de Antoquia, Colombia

Stefania is studying the acoustic whistle repertoire of Guiana dolphins in the Gulf of Urabá, Colombia. While the whistle acoustic structure of Guiana dolphins is well understood in Brazil, populations outside Brazil are understudied. In this project Stefania will study the acoustic structure of the whistles and the context at which they are produced in this population. This B.Sc. is co-advice with Dr. Maria Camila Rosso Londono, Universidad de Antoquia.

Kate Ziegler, University of Vermont

Kate is a former Honor student in my lab, she is one of the co-authors in a manuscript we are working on about the singing activity and song structure of southern hemisphere humpback whales wintering off the coast of Panama using passive acoustic monitoring. This is Kate's Honor Thesis.

Riley O'Halloran, University of Vermont

Riley is a former Honor student in my lab. Here thesis was on the song structure of Central American humpback whales that migrate from California and Oregon to Central america to reproduce. Riley's thesis is in collaboration with researchers in Mexico and Costa Rica. She is a co-author in our latest publication:
https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.5139205 .

Hannah Hutchens, University of Vermont

Hannah is working on the home range of female bottlenose dolphins in Bocas del Toro, Panama. This work is key and supporting the government to identify critical areas for dolphins.

Matt Herberg, University of Vermont

Matt is working in collaboration with Eric Ramos, using UAVs data to study the interspecific interaction of humpback whales in breeding grounds with dolphins, stingrays, and sea turtles.

Former Graduate Students

Gabriel Santos, Universidade Federal do Para, Brazil

Gabriel is studying the acoustic behavior of a recently described species of boto and leading a regional effort to obtain recordings of Sotalia species across their distribution to learn about signal variation at different geographical scales.

Gabriel Melo-Santos, Angélica Lúcia Figueiredo Rodrigues, Rodrigo Hipólito Tardin, Israel de Sá Maciel, Miriam Marmontel, Maria Luisa Da Silva, Laura Johanna May-Collado. 2019.The newly described Araguaian river dolphins, Inia araguaiaensis (Cetartyodactyla, Iniidae), produce a diverse repertoire of acoustic signals. https://peerj.com/articles/6670/

Emma Cherenski, University of Vermont

Emma developed her Honor's thesis studying the acoustic activity and song structure of humpback whales from the Southern Hemisphere wintering in Costa Rica and Panama. Thesis.
Chereski, E., LJ., Beck, L., Gamboa-Poveda, M., Palacios-Alfaro, J. D., Monge-Arias, R., Chase, A. R., Coven, B. M., Guzman, A., McManus, N., O’Halloran, R. A., Neuhauss, A. P., Rosen, S. G., and L. J. May-Collado. Online publication 2019. Song structure and singing activity of two separate humpback whales populations wintering off the coast of Caño Island in Costa Rica. JASA Express Letters. https://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/1.5139205.

Shakira Quiñones Lebrón, University of Puerto Rico

Shakira recently finished her M.Sc. at University of Puerto Rico. She studied how different levels of engine noise affects signal emission in dolphin communication of groups with calves.
Thesis pdf
Publications
May-Collado, L.J. and S. Quinones-Lebron. 2014. Dolphin changes in whistle structure with watercraft activity depends on their behavioral state. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. EL 135, EL193-198.

Jose Aristides Ponce Santamaria, Universidad Maritima Internacional of Panama

Jose, was a M.Sc. student at the program of Marine and Coastal Resources of the Universidad Maritima Internacional of Panama.

Dalia Barragán Barrera, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia

Population Genetics of the bottlenose dolphins of Bocas del Toro
This year 2015, Dalia will continue her work in Bocas del Toro, studying the genetic structure of bottlenose dolphins of Bocas del Toro as part of her thesis work at the University of the Andes, Colombia under Dr. Susana Caballero.
Pubs
Barragan-Barrera, D. C., May-Collado, L. J., Tezanos-Pinto, G., Islas-Villanueva, V., Correa-Cardenas, C. A., and S. Caballero. 2017. High genetic structure and low mitochondrial diversity in bottlenose dolphins of the Archipelago of Bocas del Toro, Panama: a population at risk? https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0189370

Barragán-Barrera,D., Andrea Luna-Acosta, Laura J. May-Collado, Carlos Polo-Silva, Federico G. Riet-Sapriza, Paco Bustamante, María Paula Hernández-Ávila, Natalia Vélez, Nohelia Farías-Curtidor and Susana Caballero. 2019. Foraging habits and levels of mercury in a resident population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Caribbean Sea, Panama. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 145: 343-356. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X19303558.

Ashely Sitar, George Mason University, USA

Ashley did her dissertation at GMU under Dr. Chris Parson. She studied how the local community and stakeholder perceived dolphins and dolphin watching activities. Ashley also assessed if boat operators follow or not current guidelines and the potential impact on dolphin behavior.

Sitar, A., May-Collado, LJ., Wright, A. J., Peters-Burton, E., Rockwood, L., and E.C.M. Parsons. 2017. Tourists’perspectives on dolphin watching in Bocas del Toro. Tourism in Marine Environments. 12:79-94 https://doi.org/10.3727/154427316X14820977775343
Sitar, A., May-Collado, LJ., Wright, A. J., Peters-Burton, E., Rockwood, L., and E.C.M. Parsons. 2016. Boat operators in Bocas del Toro, Panama display low levels of compliance with national whale-watching regulations. Marine Policy. 68: 221-228.

Ayshah Kassamali-Fox, Antioch University, New England

Ayshah is studying the individual reactions of bottlenose dolphins of Bocas del Toro to dolphin watching interactions.
Kassamali-Fox, A., Christiansen, F., May-Collado, L. J., Ramos, E. A., and B. A. Kaplin. 2020. Tour boats impact the activity patterns of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Peer J. https://peerj.com/articles/8804/

Dalia Barragan

Dalia did her thesis work in Bocas del Toro, Panama. She studied the effect of dolphin-watching activities on the spatial distribution of bottlenose dolphin behavior.

Update: Dalia is currently a Ph.D. student in the lab of Dr. Susana Caballero.
Thesis: DISTRIBUCIÓN Y USO DE HÁBITAT DEL DELFÍN NARIZ DE BOTELLA Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) (CETACEA: DELPHINIDAE) EN BOCAS DEL TORO, COSTA CARIBE DE PANAMÁ (pdf)

Evelyn Taubitz

Evy did her thesis work in Bocas del Toro, looking at the effect of dolphin watching boats engine power and mode of approach on the behavior of bottlenose dolphins.

Thesis:/uploads/6/6/8/1/6681148/diplom_thesis.pdf

Jose David Palacios

Pala did his Lic. in Golfo of Nicoya, Costa Rica where he study the interactions between shrimp trawling boats and two sympatric dolphinspecies: Stenella attenuata and Tursiops truncatus. Pala played a significant role in the Bocas Dolphin Project during 2006 to 2009. U

Update: Pala is a co-founder of KETO an non-profit organization dedicated to study marine mammals of Costa Rica.
Thesis: PRESENCIA Y COMPORTAMIENTO DE DOS ESPECIES DE DELFINES EN EL PACÍFICO CENTRAL DE COSTA RICA (pdf)

Monica Gamboa Poveda

Mo did her M.Sc. thesis in the caribbean coast of Costa Rica, looking at the spatial interactions and behavior of two sympatric dolphin species: Sotalia guianensis and Tursiops truncatus.

Update: Mo is back in Costa Rica, is a co-founder of Tuaneme (dolphin in bribri) an NGO dedicated to the study and conservation of aquatic mammals in Costa Rica.

Thesis: TAMAÑO POBLACIONAL, DISTRIBUCIÓN Y USO DE HÁBITAT DE DOS ESPECIES SIMPÁTRICAS DE DELFINES EN EL REFUGIO NACIONAL DE VIDA SILVESTRE GANDOCA-MANZANILLO, COSTA RICA Download here

Andrea Cordero

Andre did her M.Sc. thesis in Golfo Dulce studying the effect of whale-watching boats on the distribution, abundance, and behavior of spotted dolphins and bottlenose dolphins.

Uptade: Andre is now working with Asociación Costa Rica por Siempre (Oficial Marina).

Thesis: COMPORTAMIENTO DEL DELFÍN MANCHADO STENELLA ATTENUATA (CETACEA: DELPHINIDAE) EN AUSENCIA Y EN PRESENCIA DE BOTES TURÍSTICOS: EVALUACIÓN BIOLÓGICA Y SOCIO-ECONÓMICA EN BAHÍA DRAKE E ISLA DEL CAÑO (pdf).

Publications:
Montero-Cordero A. & J. Lobo.2010. Effect of tourist vessels on the behaviour of the pantropical spotted dolphin, Stenella attenuata, in Drake Bay and Cano Island, Costa Rica. J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 11:285-291.
Martinez-Fernandez, D., Montero-Cordero, A. and L. J. May-Collado. 2011. Cetaceos de las aguas costeras del Pacifico norte y sur de Costa Rica. Revista de Biologia Tropical. 59 (1): 283-290.

Jose Damian Martinez

'Washan' did his M.Sc. in Golfo of Cuajiniquil and Golfo Dulce. He evaluated the effect of several environmental factors on the distribution and abundance of various cetacean species, including the humpback whale, false-killer whales, spotted dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins.

Uptade: Washan works for Consolidación de las Áreas Marinas Protegidas PNUD-SINAC-GEF (Coordinador Nacional)

Publications:

Martinez-Fernandez, D., Montero-Cordero, A. and L. J. May-Collado. 2011. Cetaceos de las aguas costeras del Pacifico norte y sur de Costa Rica. Revista de Biologia Tropical. 59 (1): 283-290.