How dolphins communicate – new discoveries from a long-term study in Sarasota, Florida

A database of sounds from a community of wild dolphins is proving to be a great resource for researchers studying dolphin communication.

By: Laela Sayigh, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 23, 2026

Words: 1,381

Last Updated: 4 months, 1 week ago

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By Laela Sayigh, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Human fascination with bottlenose dolphins goes back thousands of years, at least as early as Greek mythology.

But it wasn’t until the 1960s that methodical research into dolphin communication began. Scientists like John Lilly and the husband-and-wife team of Melba and David Caldwell tried various experiments to decipher the sounds dolphins can make.

The Caldwells figured out a way to record isolated animals in human …

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