09/16/2026
NEW PUBLICATION!
IMMS Researchers are delighted to share their latest publication on bottlenose dolphin social structures. Using photo-identification, researchers can determine dolphin associations, or who hangs out with who. This can provide insight on possible subpopulations within the greater Mississippi Sound area, and our researchers have noted distinct clusters of dolphins that don't associate with others. Knowing this is vital for conservation and management of dolphins in this region.
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In the most recent issue of Aquatic Mammals, Kailey M. Pamperin, Heidi Lyn, Drew T. Suffoletta, Jessica N. Lewis, Rachel M. Giordano, Lindsey E. Johnson, Joclyn Villegas, and Moby Solangi present their findings on the social relationships among bottlenose dolphins in the Mississippi Sound. This is an OPEN ACCESS article.
https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/article/connected-in-the-sound-social-network-analysis-of-bottlenose-dolphins-tursiops-truncatus-in-the-mississippi-sound/
“The Mississippi Sound is a large estuarine system that contains one of the largest populations of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Gulf of Mexico. This study provides a baseline understanding of the social network structure of this population using social network analysis that can provide better management of both the bottlenose dolphin population and the ecosystem they inhabit.”
We thank Kailey Pamperin for sharing insights into the article on behalf of her coauthors and for providing the graphical abstract.
