CIYC to host environmental meeting March 10
The Captiva Island Yacht Club’s Environmental Awareness Committee will host an open house on Wednesday, March 10 at 11:00 a.m., featuring Kim Bassos-Hull presenting an educational talk entitled “Dolphin Research Along the West Coast of Florida: 40 Years of Study.”
Kim Bassos-Hull is a Senior Biologist in the Dolphin Research Program at Mote Marine Lab based in Sarasota, Florida.
Bassos-Hull has been studying dolphin populations along the West Coast of Florida, between Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor, since 1990.
She graduated with a master’s degree in Marine Sciences from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1993 with her thesis, “A behavioral assessment of the reintroduction of two bottlenose dolphins.”
Since 2001, Bassos-Hull’s research has focused on the dolphins of Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. Recently, she has also been involved with engaging high school students in field research experiences and starting up a study on spotted eagle rays in Florida Gulf Coast waters.
“I think dolphins are fascinating and there are a lot of questions that need to be answered: why do they leave the sound before a hurricane, why do they jump in the wake of your boat – are they playing, or is it something else?,” said Tom Farmer of the CIYC Environmental Awareness Committee.
“I’ve lived down here more than 25 years and we saw a dolphin just yesterday as we were crossing the causeway, and it was like we were seeing one for the first time. They’re so interesting and, you’re almost always guaranteed to see a dolphin when you’re down here,” Farmer said.
The presentation is free and open to the public. Lunch will follow the presentation.
For more information, call 472-9627.
The Captiva Island Yacht Club is located at 15903 Captiva Drive.