Students

Co-advising

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.

Pubs
Gabriel Melo-Santos , Angélica Lúcia Figueiredo Rodrigues, Rodrigo Hipólito Tardin, Israel de Sá Maciel, Miriam Marmontel, Maria Luisa Da Silva, Laura Johanna May-Collado. 2018.The newly described Araguaian river dolphins, Inia araguaiaensis (Cetartyodactyla, Iniidae), produce a diverse repertoire of acoustic signals. Peer Reviewed Publications. https://peerj.com/preprints/26962/

Eric Ramos, Graduate Center of the City University of New York

Application of UAS technology to study bottlenose dolphin behavior in Turneffe, Belize under Dr. Diane Reiss.

Pubs
Ramos et al. 2018. Bottlenose Dolphins and Antillean Manatees Respond to Small Multi-Rotor Unmanned Aerial Systems.Front. Mar. Sci. | doi: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00316

Emma Cherenski, University of Vermont

Southern Hemisphere Humpback Whale Song in Pacific Central America

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.

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

Betzi Perez, McGill University, Montreal Canada

Betzi is starting her PhD in McGill University under Dr. Andrew Henry. Betzi is interested in how stress associated to dolphin watching activities may affect cetaceans health.

Former Graduate Students

Ayshah Kassamali-Fox, Antioch University, New England

Ayshah is studying the individual reactions of bottlenose dolphins of Bocas del Toro to dolphin watching interactions. She concluded field work and is now working on data analysis and publications.

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.
Update: She graduated early this year and is currently working on several manuscripts. Here is her first PhD pub.

Shakira Quiñones Lebrón

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.

Update: She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Slovenia on spider behavior.
Thesis pdf

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. His assessed the potential implementation of dolphin watching activities in the National Park of Portobelo, Panama.
Update: He successfully graduated last year.

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)

Thesis: coming soon
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.