Dolphin Communication

Discover how dolphins communicate and how monitoring communication over time can reveal the health and well-being of marine mammals.

Meet Dr. Jones

Meet Dr. Brittany Jones. In this video, Dr. Jones describes how her upbringing in Chicago inspired her to study dolphins, despite being hundreds of miles away from the ocean!

Marine Biology with Dr. Jones

What does a marine biologist do? Some focus on marine mammals, which include dolphins, whales, and porpoises, to name a few. Dr. Jones studies dolphins, and how sounds in the ocean impact dolphin behavior.

Dolphin Communication 5E

In this lesson, students will be able to identify how dolphins communicate and how humans impact the health and well-being of dolphins.

Engage

Ask for two students to volunteer for a short activity. Place the two students on opposite sides of the room. Ask student volunteers a general question, such as describe what you had for lunch today. Ask the remaining students to note how the two students communicate with one another.

The two volunteer students will likely speak to one another across the room.
If the rest of the class remains quiet, it should be easy for the two volunteer students to communicate their message.

Now, ask the two volunteer students a second question, such as what did you do over the weekend? This time, ask the remaining students to also have loud side conversations while the two volunteer students are sharing.

How is this scenario different than the first?
What was easy for the volunteer students? What was difficult?

All students should be able to explain that it was more difficult for the two volunteer students to communicate when they had to compete with background noise.

Explain: Much like humans, dolphins also communicate using sound. A dolphin's communication can reveal the health and welfare of the dolphin, and the way in which dolphins communicate can be disrupted by noise created by human activity.

Explore

Using a See Think Wonder chart, students watch Here's What We Know About Dolphin Intelligence by National Geographic. After the video, ask students to share what they wrote down in each column.

Link: See Think Wonder Chart

Lead a class-wide discussion. Be sure to cover the following topics:

Scientists learn about dolphins by studying their behavior.
Dolphins have a sophisticated communication system.
Understanding dolphin communication helps scientist better understand dolphins.

Explain

Using the Dolphin Sound Production document, students learn about sound waves and the following key terms:

Frequency
Amplitude
Ultrasonic
Echolocation
Click
Melon
Mandible
Blowhole and Phonic Lips
Ear

Students use this information as background information to then complete the Signature Whistle Activity located to the right.

Elaborate

Now that students are more familiar with dolphin communication, watch this short Powtoon video that describes how sound pollution in the ocean is disrupting marine life.

NoisePollutionPowtoon.mp4

As a whole group, discuss the following:

How does the activity with the two student volunteers at the beginning of this lesson relate to the video?
What are major sources of marine sound pollution?
What are some things that happen to marine mammals that are unable to communicate in the ocean?

Evaluate

Create an Awareness Poster

Using a blank piece of copy paper, students create a poster that raises awareness to the issue of marine sound pollution. Students can include the following components in their poster:

Information about marine mammals, such as dolphins.
How marine mammals communicate.
The effects of marine sound pollution on marine mammals.

The awareness poster demonstrates student knowledge and comprehension on dolphin communication, and the effects humans have on dolphin's ability to communicate. Students and teachers who want to learn more about marine sound pollution can visit the following resources:

Noise Pollution Impacting Marine Animals Worse Than Previously Thought, February 2021, Yale Environment 360
Ocean Noise, Center for Biological Diversity
What is Ocean Noise? NOAA
Noise Pollution Drowns Out Ocean Soundscape, February 2021, BBC

Meet Dr. Brittany Jones

What do dolphins and humans have in common? Both use vocalizations to communicate with each other! Dr. Brittany Jones, a marine biologist, studies these vocalizations at the National Marine Mammal Foundation. There, she takes acoustic recordings of dolphin whistles and uses those recordings to monitor the health and welfare of a group of dolphins. Tracking the health of a dolphin through its whistles opens new insights into the minds of one of the ocean's smartest animals.

The National Marine Mammal Foundation (NMMF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization recognized globally as a leader in marine mammal science, medicine, and conservation. The NMMF has a mission to improve and protect life for marine mammals, humans, and our shared oceans through science, service, and education. One way the NMMF does this is through education and outreach.

The scientists and resources available in this lesson were generously provided by the National Marine Mammal Foundation. The NMMF has many education and outreach opportunities that inspire young minds through marine mammal science.