When a dolphin whistles, what does it mean?

Recordings from a decades-long research project in Florida are helping scientists decode the complexity of dolphin whistles.

What are dolphins actually saying with their iconic, high-pitched whistles? Dolphin communication researcher Laela Sayigh is trying to find out. She’s been compiling a database of whistles from a pod of dolphins in Sarasota, Florida, the longest-studied group of cetaceans in the world. 

She joins Flora to discuss fundamental questions about dolphin dialects, including how dolphins’ “signature” whistles can change depending on context, and the process of decoding new types of whistles. 

Guest: 

Dr. Laela Sayigh is a senior research specialist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 

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