DolphinLab: FOCUSED CAREER SERIES
	COGNITIVE & BEHAVIORAL MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH
	MARINE MAMMAL CARE & BASIC TRAINING
	ADVANCED MARINE MAMMAL TRAINING & ENRICHMENT
	MARINE MAMMAL INTERPRETATION
	APPLICATIONS
	COLLEGE ACCREDITATION
	COURSE DATES
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Course Information Cognitive & Behavioral Marine Mammal Research is part of our focused career series DolphinLab programs. The course is a seven-day program that provides an in-depth, hands-on immersion into the field of marine mammal science. Cognitive & Behavioral Marine Mammal Research surveys a wide-range of knowledge, theories and ongoing research concerning dolphins.

By working with staff on actual DRC research studies, students gain a greater understanding of the cognitive abilities and social behavior of these amazing animals, as well as deeper insight into research concepts and methodology. As they are introduced to DRC and its resident dolphin population, students learn to respect each dolphin as an individual through observation of their unique behavioral and physical characteristics.

The course includes a unique blend of seminars, observation time and hands-on activities and proves that learning about research is not only fascinating, but also fun! Class sizes average six to fourteen students to ensure individualized instruction.

Seminar Topics & Focused Activities Include: Marine Mammal Training Techniques, Physiological Research, Research Project Design, DRC’s Current Research, Marine Mammal Cognition, Marine Mammal Research Law Requirements, Behavior & Ecology, Acoustics & Communication, Career Pathways & Requirements.

Hands-On Activities Include: Assist research staff in conducting current research sessions, learn to conduct independent observation sessions, participate in additional research activities, one Dolphin Encounter, one Play with a Dolphin session, and a dock side signal session.

Additional Activities Include: Daily informal discussions with Research staff and informal observational time with the dolphins.

Cost
The cost of Cognitive & Behavioral Marine Mammal Research is $1700.00 ( US). Tuition includes all seminars, activities, meals, lodging, and a CD of photographs of your dolphin interactions throughout the week.  The cost of course also includes transportation to and from the Marathon Airport or Marathon hotels at pre-established times that will be provided after you are a confirmed student.

College Credit
Students may elect to receive college credit for attending this course. Credit is available through the Florida Keys Community College for an additional fee. In order to receive credit, students must successfully complete all course activities and pass an end of course exam. For more information, click here.

Prerequisites
Students must successfully complete Basic DolphinLab before attending Cognitive and Behavioral Marine Mammal Research. Applicants are expected to have a strong interest in marine mammal science, careers in the field and be able to participate in an academically and physically rigorous schedule. The course is available to all students ages 18 and up.

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Course Information Marine Mammal Care and Basic Training is part of our focused career series DolphinLab programs. Working closely with our Education and Animal Care and Training staff, students take a hands-on approach to learning about basic training methods and husbandry care practices with DRC’s dolphin family. Students participate in a number of interactive activities, including a meet and greet wade-in session, a swim session as well as multiple sessions down on the docks gaining training experience with the dolphins throughout the week. As a part of their introduction into marine mammal care and behavior, students will experience hands on learning opportunities in dolphin husbandry and training, including diet preparation; and how to feed, reinforce, and maintain established behaviors.

Students will also observe and assist in a number of medical demonstrations with the animals. At the conclusion of the course, students will show off their animal handling skills by conducting a public dolphin session narrated by DRC’s animal care and training staff for the center’s visitors.

Students learn to respect each dolphin as an individual with his or her own “dolphinality” through observation of their unique behavioral and physical characteristics. The course includes a unique blend of seminars, observation time, and hands-on activities aimed at giving students an in depth understanding of careers in marine mammal care and training.

Marine Mammal Care and Basic Training is an academically intensive, physically rigorous, seven-day program specifically designed for students seriously interested in pursuing a career in marine mammal care and training. This course offers students a unique opportunity to gain career oriented hands-on experience under the guidance of our accomplished trainers.

Primarily focused on the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, the course also delves lightly into the care of sea lions and DRC’s rescue efforts with the Florida manatee.

Seminars include: Marine Mammal Husbandry Introduction to Marine Mammal Training Techniques Principles of Dolphin Handling Medical Care and Pathology of Marine Mammals Marine Mammal Rescue and Rehabilitation Habitat Design & Maintenance Pinniped Life History/Physiology Manatee Life History/Physiology Other Activities Include: Training Demonstration, Training Workshop, Husbandry tour, Reinforcement Techniques Workshop, Pinniped demonstration, Medical behavior demonstrations, Observation Time. Q&A panel discussion with senior trainers on the differences in caring for various marine mammals. Hands-On Activities Include: One Dolphin Dip, one Dolphin Encounter, daily dolphin handling dock sessions beginning mid-week, record keeping, diet preparation & assisting in husbandry care. Class sizes average ten to fourteen students to ensure individualized instruction.

Cost
The cost of Marine Mammal Care and Basic Training is $1700.00 (US). Tuition includes all seminars, activities, meals, and lodging. Also included in the tuition is a CD of a photograph of your swim session and video montage documenting dock sessions from throughout the week. The cost of the course also includes transportation to and from the Marathon Airport or Marathon hotels at pre-established times that will be provided to you after you are a confirmed student.

College Credit
Students may elect to receive college credit for attending this course. Credit is available through the Florida Keys Community College for an additional fee. In order to receive credit, students must successfully complete all course activities and pass an end of course exam.  For more information, click here.

Prerequisites
Students must successfully complete Basic DolphinLab before attending Marine Mammal Care and Basic Training. Applicants are expected to have a strong interest in marine mammal science, careers in the field and be able to participate in an academically and physically rigorous schedule. The course is available to all students ages 18 and up.

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Course Information After completing Marine Mammal Care and Basic Training, students may apply for our Advanced Marine Mammal Training & Enrichment program. Building on the knowledge they acquired during the Marine Mammal Care & Basic Training, students take an active role in daily dolphin training sessions. They begin focusing on training new behaviors to DRC’s dolphins while exploring animal enrichment and contemplating more complex issues surrounding marine mammal care. During these sessions, students will implement a training plan they have developed to train a new behavior to a dolphin. Public speaking skills will also be developed as students learn how to present dolphins and their training experiences to the public. Advanced Marine Mammal Training & Enrichment is part of our DolphinLab career series and is an academically intensive seven-day program that delves more deeply into the fields of behavioral science, animal care and training.

At the conclusion of the course, students will showcase the new behaviors they have trained for Dolphin Research Center guests in a formal, narrated presentation. Students will also explore animal enrichment through directed activities implemented with our dolphins and sea lions. Under the guidance of our staff, students will create enrichment toys and activities for the animals and present these activities and toys to the animals throughout the week and observe the animals' reactions.

In order to better understand training differences between species and the need for flexibility in advanced training techniques, students will also apply their knowledge of training principles by teaching a new behavior to a canine DolphinLab participant! Each student will individually develop a training plan for the behavior to be trained, participate daily in regularly scheduled sessions with his/her canine partner, and demonstrate progress to DRC staff at the end of the week.

Seminars Include: Operant Conditioning & Reinforcement Techniques Review Advanced Principles of Marine Mammal Training & Behavior Shaping Behavior Chain Development Marine Mammal Enrichment Medical Behavior Training Dolphin Maternity Care Population Management Principles of Dog Training Service Dog Training. Pursuing a Career in Marine Mammal Training.

Hands-On Activities Include: Daily dock time (informal observation and interaction from the training docks), multiple daily dolphin training sessions from the docks, marine mammal enrichment sessions, daily canine training sessions, one Dolphin Encounter session, record keeping, diet preparation, assisting in husbandry care as well as creating and implementing a formal public educational presentation.

Other Activities Include: Daily dolphin & sea lion advanced training demonstrations facilitated by senior staff, daily discussions with trainers about the progress of behaviors being trained by students, marine mammal enrichment workshops, a panel discussion with senior members of our Animal Care and Training department on interspecies differences in training.

Cost
The cost of Advanced Marine Mammal Training & Enrichment is $1700.00 (US). Tuition includes all seminars, activities, meals, and lodging. Also included in the tuition is a CD that contains a photograph of your swim session and video montage documenting class dock sessions from throughout the week. The cost of the course also includes transportation to and from the Marathon Airport or Marathon hotels at pre-established times.

College Credit
Students may elect to receive college credit for attending this course. Credit is available through the Florida Keys Community College for an additional fee. In order to receive credit, students must successfully complete all course activities and pass an end of course exam. For more information, click here.

Prerequisites
Students must successfully complete Basic DolphinLab and Marine Mammal Care & Basic Training before participating in Advanced Marine Mammal Training & Enrichment. Applicants are expected to have a strong interest in marine mammal science, careers in the field and be able to participate in an academically and physically rigorous schedule. The course is available to all students ages 18 and up.

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Course Information Marine Mammal Interpretation focuses on improving student understanding and appreciation of the ocean environment and how they may facilitate the education of others on the topic.

Students participate in a number of interactive activities, including a meet and greet wade-in session, a swim session and several sessions down on the docks with the dolphins throughout the week.

Primarily focused on the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, the course also delves lightly into the care of sea lions and DRC’s rescue efforts with the Florida manatee.

By working with DRC staff, students will demonstrate an understanding of experiential education through the design of an interactive signage exhibit for public visitors, an understanding and ability to create and deliver Power Point presentations that are effective, polished and professional, an understanding and ability to implement live animal interpretation skills through participating in a dolphin session narration for public visitors, and skills in synthesizing new information and experiences with prior conceptions of dolphins and the marine environment to clearly refine their opinions and knowledge base.

Seminar Topics & Focused Activities Include:
Overview of Marine Mammal Taxonomy, Anatomy & Reproduction, Introduction to Experiential Education, Public Animal Interpretation, Marine Mammals in the Military, Marine Mammals in the Media, Culture in Dolphin and Whale Populations, Whaling, Endangered Marine Mammals, Dolphin Acoustics, Marine Mammal Conservation, and Marine Mammal Law.

Other Activities Include:
Tour of DRC and Introduction to the Dolphins, Boardwalk and Dolphin Etiquette, Dolphin Training & Medical Behavior Demonstrations, Sea Lion Demonstration, Signals Workshop, and informal observation time with the dolphins.

Hands-On Activities Include: One Dolphin Dip, two Dolphin Encounters, and a dock side signal session.

Cost
The cost of Marine Mammal Interpretation is $1500.00 (US). Tuition includes all seminars, activities, meals, lodging, and a CD of photographs of your dolphin interactions throughout the week.  The cost of course also includes transportation to and from the Marathon Airport or Marathon hotels at pre-established times that will be provided after you are a confirmed student.

College Credit
Students may elect to receive college credit for attending this course. Credit is available through the Florida Keys Community College for an additional fee. In order to receive credit, students must successfully complete all course activities and pass an end of course exam. For more information, click here.

Prerequisites
Students must successfully complete Basic DolphinLab before attending Marine Mammal Interpretation. Applicants are expected to have a strong interest in marine mammal science, careers in the field and be able to participate in an academically and physically rigorous schedule. The course is available to all students ages 18 and up.

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