Stressed? call the dolphin hotline

Many people find the sound of waves crashing against the beach as relaxing as it gets. So how about adding the clicking and whistling sounds of bottleneck dolphins to the mix? Scientists at the Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation (SDWF) in Kilrush, County Clare, Ireland, have teamed with British wireless carrier Vodafone to establish a hydrophone (using underwater microphones) in the Shannon estuary that can transmit dolphin vocalizations in real time via the Vodafone network to a land station. The estuary is the only place in Ireland where dolphins are resident year round.

According to the SDWF, the project provides essential information for conservation monitoring and will help educate people about dolphins and the potential threats they face. Dolphin watchers will also be able to check if the mammals are in the estuary before leaving shore.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"In theory, you could phone up and listen to dolphins while sitting in a traffic jam in Dublin," says SDWF marine biologist Simon Berrow, pointing out that one hurdle is that when dolphins communicate they use a wide frequency band, of which humans can only hear a small part.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Horizon House Publications, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group