Dolphin

Could the phenomenon of whale and dolphin strandings be due to Alzheimer's-like cognitive deficits in pod leaders that draw groups into shallow waters? A new study found pathological signs of Alzheimer's disease in brain tissue from stranded dolphins.

A new study has found the increasing frequency and severity of storms as a result of climate change to be a key factor in a novel skin disease seen in dolphins, by drastically altering the salinity of the waters the animals inhabit.

When it comes to securing food, it was always thought that dolphins learn their foraging skills exclusively from their mothers, but scientists have now discovered that they can learn them off their peers, too.

A new long-term study has found high levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wild dolphins, with rates growing over the last decade.

Anuar Patjane Floriuk’s extraordinary black and white underwater photographs have been winning awards and stunning people around the globe for several years now. His painterly monochrome compositions present an undersea universe from a perspective that evokes a thrilling sense of wonder.

Oxford researchers studying the brains of dolphins have found clear signs of Alzheimer’s disease, marking the first time the illness has been detected in a wild. Interestingly the discovery may dash the hopes that an extreme calorie-restricted diet can extend our lifespans.

People have been fascinated by dolphins for millennia, but we still know very little about their life in the wild. Now a team of scientists has developed cameras that harmlessly attach to the animal and provide a unique account of dolphin behavior beneath the waves.

​A private dolphin research organization has released an image of an underwater diver that was created using data extracted from the high frequency clicks that dolphins emit when they perform echolocation. The image might reveal how certain animals “see” in underwater environments.

Scientists at the University of Bath have developed a more cetacean-friendly sonar system called Acoustic Zoom that is not only less disruptive to marine life, but also improves resolution beyond that of current methods.

If you want to get a picture of wild dolphin populations' health, it's typically necessary to capture some of the animals and then obtain blood samples or skin biopsies. Soon, however, it may be possible to gather the same information using a device that samples their breath.

Divers already have the option of replacing their two regular swim fins with one dolphin fluke-like rubber monofin, although aerospace engineer Ron Smith claims that his invention is much more effective. Known as the DOL-Fin, it incorporates a wide rigid hydrofoil-type fin.

Scientists have copied the sonar system used by dolphins to locate prey, to create a type of radar that could differentiate between ordinary objects and things like explosive devices.