Seasonal Distribution, Occurrence, and Site Fidelity of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops spp.) in the Upper Florida Keys

We gratefully acknowledge the Protect Wild Dolphins Alliance, Inc. (PWDA) and Dolphin Life, Inc. for their support of field operations and data collection. We remain appreciative to the staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service and Office of Protected Resources (OPR) for their continued commitments to marine mammal research, education, and conservation. Special thanks to field observers Maureen Goretti, Brieanna Wagler, and Brandon Paquin, as well as the numerous graduate students, volunteers, and interns, whose dedicated efforts have contributed to this research program. The FinBase database system was essential for managing and analyzing this project's photo-ID data, and we are grateful for the technical support provided by Jeffrey Adams, who helped customize the Upper Florida Keys photo-identification database. We are also indebted to Carolyn Cush who is integral in managing the Gulf of Mexico Dolphin Identification System (GoMDIS) and facilitating catalog comparisons between neighboring study areas. We also wish to acknowledge our fellow photo-ID collaborators in adjacent study areas (Amy Brossard, Emily Guarino, Dr. Jenny Litz, and Mandy Rodriguez) for valuable inter-catalog comparisons. We also appreciate the constructivefeedback provided by numerous colleagues who reviewed earlier versions of this article. We extend special acknowledgment to a respected colleague and dear friend, the late Mr. Joseph Contillo. Joe not only encouraged our earlier studies in the Indian River Lagoon in 1996 but also promoted and guided our collaborative studies in the Florida Keys. Research was conducted under NOAA Fisheries Scientific Research LOC Nos. 21556 and 27369, issued to Stephen D. McCulloch. Funding for this research was provided by the Protect Marine Wildlife specialty license plate ( www.protectmarinewildlife.org) with valued sponsorship from Dolphin Life, Inc. ( www.dolphinlife.org) .r feedback provided by numerous colleagues who reviewed earlier versions of this article. We extend special acknowledgment to a respected colleague and dear friend, the late Mr. Joseph Contillo. Joe not only encouraged our earlier studies in the Indian River Lagoon in 1996 but also promoted and guided our collaborative studies in the Florida Keys. Research was conducted under NOAA Fisheries Scientific Research LOC Nos. 21556 and 27369, issued to Stephen D. McCulloch. Funding for this research was provided by the Protect Marine Wildlife specialty license plate ( www.protectmarinewildlife.org) with valued sponsorship from Dolphin Life, Inc. ( www.dolphinlife.org) .