Multimedia Gallery
School of spinner dolphins
A school of spinner dolphins underwater.
Spinner dolphins have long been known for their teamwork in capturing prey, but a study, funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) (grant IOS 02-05752), using high-tech acoustics found that their synchronization is even more complex than scientists realized, and likely evolved as a strategy to maximize their energy intake.
The study, by scientists at Oregon State University (OSU) and the University of Hawaii, found that dolphins engage in a highly choreographed night-time dance to enclose their prey, and then dart into the circle of confused fish in organized pairs to feed for about 15 seconds before backing out and letting the next pairs in line take their turn.
To learn more about this research, see the OSU news story Study Sheds New Light on Dolphin Coordination During Predation. (Date image taken: 2002; date originally posted to NSF Multimedia Gallery: Sept. 30, 2015)
Credit: Andre Seale, University of Hawaii
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