((PKG)) DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER
((Banner: Swimming and Smiling))
((Reporter/Camera/Producer: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Grassy Key, Florida))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research))
Dolphins are what we call charismatic megafauna, which
means that people view them as charismatic. People get
excited about some animals more than they get excited
about others.
((NATS/MUSIC))
One, two, three, big circle. Go, watch out there.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research))
But that’s okay, because then we can use that to get them to
conserve in general. So, if they are conserving the dolphins
that means we’re conserving their habitat which means we
are conserving all the animals that live in that habitat as well.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research,
Dolphin Research Center))
Hi, guys.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
My name is Dr. Kelly Jaakkola. I am a cognitive
researching, right now work with dolphins.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research,
Dolphin Research Center))
You want to do a high five? No? This one? You can’t really
reach. I know it is hard to reach up here.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
For other people, they might get inspired by the dolphin’s
beauty or their athleticism etcetera.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research,
Dolphin Research Center))
I know. Very nice. I know. Oh, you want to come play too?
What do you think?
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research))
For me it was watching them think.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research,
Dolphin Research Center))
Wow, now it’s your turn? Now it’s your turn?
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
So, Dolphin Research Center is a non-profit education and
research facility in the Florida Keys. And there are a number
of questions that you can’t answer in the wild. You’ll see
situations where they seem to be cooperating. They seem
to be doing the same thing at the same time. But you can’t
tell from just looking at that whether or not they’re
understanding cooperation or if they’re just doing something
at the same time.
((NATS))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
In this study we set up a game. And the game was, we had
two buttons and to win the game, the dolphins had to press
the buttons at the same time within a one second window
which is really, really close. So, in order to show that they
understand cooperation, you have to sometimes send them
at different times.
((NATS: Dolphin trainer))
And, one, two three, go.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
Okay, so, Reese was sent first. And you see he doesn’t go
immediately to his button. And now Delta was sent and we’ll
see, and they did it!
((NATS: Dolphin trainer))
Very Nice.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
By the end of this study, they were pressing an average of a
third of a second apart which is really tight coordination.
The most obvious next step is okay, well how are they doing
it? Are the dolphins using some sort of verbal
communication? Maybe they are using synchrony, so
maybe they sync up with each other and swim together
etcetera.
((NATS))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin Research
Center))
Other questions we can look at are: are there ways that that
cooperation in the wild might be disrupted? So, for example, if
they are using a kind of vocal communication, then noise pollution
might get in the way of that.
((NATS/MUSIC))
Alright, are you guys ready?
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin Research
Center))
Any sort of facility has to have a way of supporting their animals.
And for us, that largely comes from the visitors that walk through
the door. One of the big roles that marine mammal facilities play
is getting people to make a connection in order to get people to
conserve and then care. And it’s that moment of connection that
is the start of conservation mindedness. You know, it’s fine to
give people information. Information is great. But that information
is only useful if people care enough to actually go out and do
something.
((NATS: Trainer))
You guys wanna kiss for the camera? Are you ready? Can you
do a kiss for the camera?
((NATS: Dolphins screech))
((Banner: Swimming and Smiling))
((Reporter/Camera/Producer: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Grassy Key, Florida))
((Main characters: 1 female))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research))
Dolphins are what we call charismatic megafauna, which
means that people view them as charismatic. People get
excited about some animals more than they get excited
about others.
((NATS/MUSIC))
One, two, three, big circle. Go, watch out there.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research))
But that’s okay, because then we can use that to get them to
conserve in general. So, if they are conserving the dolphins
that means we’re conserving their habitat which means we
are conserving all the animals that live in that habitat as well.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research,
Dolphin Research Center))
Hi, guys.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
My name is Dr. Kelly Jaakkola. I am a cognitive
researching, right now work with dolphins.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research,
Dolphin Research Center))
You want to do a high five? No? This one? You can’t really
reach. I know it is hard to reach up here.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
For other people, they might get inspired by the dolphin’s
beauty or their athleticism etcetera.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research,
Dolphin Research Center))
I know. Very nice. I know. Oh, you want to come play too?
What do you think?
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research))
For me it was watching them think.
((NATS: Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research,
Dolphin Research Center))
Wow, now it’s your turn? Now it’s your turn?
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
So, Dolphin Research Center is a non-profit education and
research facility in the Florida Keys. And there are a number
of questions that you can’t answer in the wild. You’ll see
situations where they seem to be cooperating. They seem
to be doing the same thing at the same time. But you can’t
tell from just looking at that whether or not they’re
understanding cooperation or if they’re just doing something
at the same time.
((NATS))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
In this study we set up a game. And the game was, we had
two buttons and to win the game, the dolphins had to press
the buttons at the same time within a one second window
which is really, really close. So, in order to show that they
understand cooperation, you have to sometimes send them
at different times.
((NATS: Dolphin trainer))
And, one, two three, go.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
Okay, so, Reese was sent first. And you see he doesn’t go
immediately to his button. And now Delta was sent and we’ll
see, and they did it!
((NATS: Dolphin trainer))
Very Nice.
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin
Research Center))
By the end of this study, they were pressing an average of a
third of a second apart which is really tight coordination.
The most obvious next step is okay, well how are they doing
it? Are the dolphins using some sort of verbal
communication? Maybe they are using synchrony, so
maybe they sync up with each other and swim together
etcetera.
((NATS))
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin Research
Center))
Other questions we can look at are: are there ways that that
cooperation in the wild might be disrupted? So, for example, if
they are using a kind of vocal communication, then noise pollution
might get in the way of that.
((NATS/MUSIC))
Alright, are you guys ready?
((Dr. Kelly Jaakkola, Director of Research, Dolphin Research
Center))
Any sort of facility has to have a way of supporting their animals.
And for us, that largely comes from the visitors that walk through
the door. One of the big roles that marine mammal facilities play
is getting people to make a connection in order to get people to
conserve and then care. And it’s that moment of connection that
is the start of conservation mindedness. You know, it’s fine to
give people information. Information is great. But that information
is only useful if people care enough to actually go out and do
something.
((NATS: Trainer))
You guys wanna kiss for the camera? Are you ready? Can you
do a kiss for the camera?
((NATS: Dolphins screech))