Publications by authors named "Lauren K Rodriguez"
Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are extensively studied, though little has been published regarding their occurrence patterns in the large and highly urbanized estuary of the Chesapeake Bay, USA. To address this knowledge gap, the Chesapeake DolphinWatch project was initiated in the summer of 2017. Utilizing a citizen science (also known as volunteer science) methodology, members of the public were encouraged to report dolphin sightings through a specialized mobile (iOS and Android) and web-based (https://chesapeakedolphinwatch.
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- Bottlenose dolphins are migratory mammals found in both open-ocean and coastal areas, yet their patterns in the Chesapeake Bay are under-researched.
- The study analyzed three years of dolphin sightings using citizen science reports, finding that dolphins are most frequently seen during the summer, peaking in July, a trend confirmed by acoustic data.
- Statistical models identified that dolphin presence is linked to specific environmental conditions, such as spring tidal phases, warm water temperatures, and salinity levels, and could be used as a tool to predict dolphin occurrences in the Bay for better conservation management.