Denise L. Herzing is the founder and Research Director of the Wild Dolphin Project, a non-profit which funds the study of the natural behaviors and communication of
Atlantic spotted dolphin
The Atlantic spotted dolphin (''Stenella frontalis'') is a dolphin found in warm temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Older members of the species have a very distinctive spotted coloration all over their bodies.
Taxonomy
The Atl ...
s in the wild.
Herzing has earned her Ph. D. in Behavioral Biology/Environmental Studies, her M. A. in
Behavioral Biology
Ethology is the scientific method, scientific study of animal behaviour, usually with a focus on behaviour under natural conditions, and viewing behaviour as an evolutionarily Adaptive behavior (ecology), adaptive trait. Behaviourism as a t ...
, and her B. S. in
Marine Zoology
Herzing's aim is to achieve two-way communication between humans and dolphins. She hopes to use a
wearable underwater computer to record and make
dolphin sounds. The computer aims to create synthesized dolphin sounds that can be established between sound and object. The object is to enable dolphins to imitate the sound in order to make requests from people.
In the field of
dolphin intelligence
A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the br ...
and communication, Herzing has recorded observations of dolphins expressing teaching behaviors. She also worked as part of a team that developed a new camera/
hydrophone system which allows researchers to identify which dolphin on a recording made which sound. This device pairs a video camera with three hydrophones, recordings from the device can be used to assess the
directionality of a sound moving through water. Herzing has described a method for unbiased quantification of
nonhuman intelligence which can be applied to other animals as well as dolphins.
References
External links
Lifeboat Foundation BiographyYouTube channel*
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Cetologists
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Women mammalogists
Women Divers Hall of Fame
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