(pictured from left to right: Danielle Dunn, Anna Santiago, Tram Nguyen, Ashley Brekke.  Not pictured: Stephanie Tilberry and Derek Baker)

Off-Campus Study would like to wish our departing Peer Advisors Danielle, Tram, Ashley, and Stephanie the best of luck in their future endeavors as they graduate from Colgate University.  They have been of great help throughout the year, and we will miss them greatly.

We would also like to wish safe travels to our Student Interns Anna and Derek, as they prepare to study abroad during the fall 2016 term.  We look forward to your return and to hear all of the exciting tales of your adventures overseas!

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Diversity Abroad, the leading international organization which connects diverse students, recent graduates, and your processional with international study, intern, teach, volunteer degree and job opportunities, is looking for students returning from a study abroad program to hire as “Campus Fellows”.

If you are interested, more information could be found here: http://www.diversityabroad.com/campus-fellows

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Colgate University’s Office of Off-Campus Study congratulates the following students who achieved a 3.5 or higher GPA while on an IFSA-Butler Approved Program, placing them on IFA-Butler’s Academic Achievement List:

• Matthew Nelson – Queen Mary, University of London
• Antoinette Nwabunnia – Queen Mary, University of London
• Emily Stabnick – Queen Mary, University of London
• Kayla Sturgeon – Queen Mary, University of London
• Yang Xu – Trinity College Dublin
• Julia Steitz – University College Dublin, Arts
• Elliot Voss – University College Dublin, Arts
• Megan Delaney – University College London
• Tra Hoang – University College London

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On March 30th, in response to the recent terror attacks, the New York Times published an article containing tips when traveling abroad in Europe, which can be found here.

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From an article at www.cardiff.ac.uk

First Minister Carwyn Jones AM, welcomed 15 students from Colgate University, Madison County, New York, to the Senedd.

The students are currently in Wales as part of a Study Abroad Scheme. In addition to their own degree subjects, students are given a unique once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study modules at the School of Welsh which focus on the language and culture of Wales.

As part of the Wales and the Welsh Language module, the students were afforded the opportunity to tour the Senedd. They also had the unique opportunity to meet and ask questions of the First Minister and Llyr Gruffudd AM, Shadow Minister for Sustainable Communities, Energy and Food. The students posed a number of questions concerning Welsh history, the Senedd and its role in Government as well as Welsh political life more generally.

Joel Sommers, Colgate University’s Co-ordinator, said: “It was an honour to be able to meet the First Minister and Llyr Gruffudd AM at the Senedd, the heart of Welsh political life. Speaking with them and having a tour of the building has given me and my students a deeper understanding of Wales and its politics, society and culture.”

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The New York Times recently posted an article about staying healthy while traveling.  It can be boiled down to drink bottled water, take Pept-Bismol preventively, and avoid hungry lions.

Read the article here:

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The New York Times reports that now is the time to renew your passport.  The State Department anticipates a surge in passport demand throughout this year, and officials hope to avoid a crush that could leave some Americans fuming in frustration with no passport in hand on the day they planned to travel outside the country.

Read more here:

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We had the great opportunity to take the breathing rates of the dolphins. Breathing rates provide helpful information to the medical staff of a dolphin’s health status. For good reason, Dolphins try to minimize their appearance of looking sick. In the wild, a sick dolphin is easy prey. As a result husbandry can be difficult. Fortunately, respiration rates can clearly indicate whether a dolphin is suffering from illness. This assessment was paramount to the health of the dolphin. To complete this task, we took to the boardwalks, clipboard in hand with a positive attitude. Each observer pair focused on one dolphin, recording the number of respirations over a five-minute interval. The total number of respiration in a five minute period was multiplied by 0.2 to find respirations per minute. This information was given to the Dolphin research Center for analysis. The average breath rate for bottle nosed dolphins is 1.5 to 4 breaths per minute. These dolphins can hold their breath for up to 10 minutes underwater. We always think that dolphins are smart; in addition, they are also masterfully adapted to living within an aquatic environment. – Sarah, Alex, and Alex.

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Today we were able to observe Talon perform match to sample. This consisted of three individuals in a line showing Talon 3 objects, two of which were the same and one of which was different. The objects were three dimensional “toys” that Talon was familiar with. The trainer would be in the middle and would hold up one of the two similar objects, while students on either side would hold up the other two. The trainer would signal Talon with a shrug. Talon would then touch the middle object and do his best to pick the matching object one of the students was holding. Talon was not always correct; apparently he had learned the process earlier and seemed to have become somewhat rusty. We were surprised to hear that Talon also tended to have “favorite” objects that he would select even when it was incorrect. He tended to like larger objects such as the ice cube tray and the toy sailboat. The trainer used several methods she used to help Talon identify the correct choice after an incorrect choice. For instance she would create an errorless trial by showing Talon only two similar objects or moving the two similar objects closer together and the different object slightly farther away.

The paper that we read involved showing dolphins planar objects, which would be more difficult, but their success rate was impressive. Two dolphins were seen to have a success rate of 76% and 89%, both of which were statistically significant. The trainer suggested that DRC was not going to do the test with planar objects.

We think that it makes sense that dolphins would be able to perform tasks like match to sample since dolphins rely heavily on recognition for numerous facets of their life. For example in the wild they would need to be able to distinguish optimal prey types when hunting in order to catch the most nutritious food and maximize caloric efficiency. In social settings they need to be able to distinguish between each others signal whistles as well as their visual appearances. It would be interesting to see if they could perform better under the water, as the ability to use echolocation could increase their response accuracy.

By: Trevor Sands and Tori Hymel

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Another study that we observed this week was the blindfolded imitation study. The aim of this study was to see whether dolphins could imitate another dolphin when their sense of sight was taken away. This was done using silicone eye cups that would easily suction over the subjects eyes. One eye cup was removed and the subject was given the hand signal to “imitate”. The second eyecup was then replaced. The other dolphin was then silently signaled to do a random behavior. The researchers avoided doing behaviors that would endanger a sightless dolphin (ie. out of water dives, etc.). The trial was considered a success if the blindfolded dolphin correctly imitated the second dolphin’s behavior. The trail was considered a failure if the blindfolded dolphin did not correctly imitate the second dolphin’s behavior.

We got to experience this study first-hand by assisting trainer Jane with a demonstration with dolphins AJ and Tanner. In our demonstration, Tanner was blindfolded with the eyecups. We were able to silently signal AJ to perform a behavior, while the trainer signaled Tanner to imitate. In the majority of trials, Tanner was successful at imitating AJ while blindfolded, consistent with the DRC’s published article “Blindfolded Imitation in a Bottlenose Dolphin” (Tursiops truncatus)” (2010). How did he do this? He used passive listening and echolocation. This was determined in the blindfolded imitation study by performing the trials in the presence of underwater microphones, called hydrophones. To confirm the use of echolocation and passive listening, rather than communication between blindfolded and sighted dolphins, the DRC also had Tanner imitate human movements in water while blindfolded, which would eliminate the possibility that dolphins were communicating. Similar to previous trials, Tanner successfully imitated human movements while blindfolded. From this demonstration and corresponding study, we learned that dolphins have the capability to problem solve when their sense of sight is removed to imitate another subject. It was a great experience!

By: Claire Kittock and Anna Olson

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By Elly Hilton, Madeleine Tsao, and Lacey Williams

One study the Dolphin Research Center conducted investigated the dolphins’ capacity to understand object permanence. The idea of object permanence is an animal’s ability to understand that an object still exists or is still there, even when it is hidden from view. Human babies also have to learn object permanence and do so at about one year old, hence the novelty of peek-a-boo for infants. DRC wanted to investigate if dolphins could also grasp this general concept using visual stimuli.

Three identical, opaque, black trash bins were placed in a row at the edge of the dock and weighed down with cement inside. The dolphin is called to attention by the trainer in front of the bins. A second trainer is standing on the opposite end of the dock with their back turned so they do not know the location of the stuffed animal in order to avoid cuing the dolphin. The first trainer puts the alligator into one of the three bins and places the lids on all three at the same time as the lids are connected by PVC piping to form a singular apparatus. The first trainer then turns around, taps the second trainer on the shoulder, and stands with their back to the bins. The second trainer goes up to the bins and gives the signal asking for the location of the hidden object. The dolphin will touch the bin it deems is the correct answer. The trainer then opens the bins and reveals the location of the stuffed animal to the dolphin, rewarding and reinforcing the dolphin’s choice when it chooses correctly.

We all had the opportunity to try out this experiment for ourselves during a training session with Talon. It had been a while since Talon had performed this behavior, and so we first familiarized Talon with the stuffed alligator toy. To do so we placed the alligator around the dock exposed so that Talon could remember to touch the alligator to complete the behavior and receive a reward. We also performed a few trials where the alligator was placed in one of the bins as in a full experimental trial, but the stuffed alligator’s tail was exposed so that Talon could still see. After familiarization, we performed several full trials where the alligator was completely hidden. These steps from fully exposed to fully hidden reflected the training steps undertaken during preparations for the formal experiment.

In the published paper, found here by Jaakkola et al. (2009), Talon was able to locate the stuffed alligator at a success rate greater than 80%, indicating statistical significance and showing that dolphins are capable of understanding the basic concept of object permanence.

A further step in the aforementioned study examined whether Talon could correctly locate the stuffed alligator after the bins had been swapped. This is the equivalent of what we know as the shell game where an object is hidden under one of three containers and then they’re all shuffled around before the individual has to figure out where the object is hidden. Even though the bin was moved over only one spot in front of Talon, he was not able to correctly choose the new location of the stuffed alligator. Instead, he would consistently choose the bin in the position where the alligator had originally been hidden.

Here is a video of Lacey performing a standard trial with Talon.

Here is a video of Elly performing a training trial with Talon, where the alligator was partially hidden.

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Dolphin Lab Journal Part 2!

Day 6: Friday!

Today was our last day of Basic Dolphin Lab, marking the halfway point of our time at the Dolphin Research Center. We started the day off with a Farewell to Friends session with the dolphins, in which we got to do backrubs and ask the dolphins for one final signal. Some of the behaviors we asked for were raspberries (the dolphins make a raspberry noise), scuba impression (the dolphins blow bubbles underwater), bob (the dolphins bob up and down), speed runs, shark (the dolphins imitate a shark) and others. Then the group split up – most people went to Bahia Honda National Park to snorkel and spend time on the beach, while four students – Lacey, Zach, Maia and Anna – stayed behind at the DRC to watch and participate the program offered for the Wounded Warriors, who had just the 2016 Soldier Ride, a bicycle trip through the Florida Keys. For information about the Soldier Ride and an interview about the Dolphin Encounter, check out this link: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jan/10/wounded-veterans-participate-in-ride-across-florid/)

The students who stayed behind at the Dolphin Research Center got to watch a wide variety of training and enrichment sessions with the dolphins and sea lions before the Wounded Warriors arrived. One of the most interesting sessions was the enrichment session, in which the trainers had no food, and they simply sat on the docks and played with the dolphins who chose to come over to them. Several dolphins chose to take part in this. Both Diva and summer played with balls for several minutes, Diva kept bringing the ball back to the trainer in a game of fetch, while Summer swam away with it and pushed it under the water so that it would fly into the air. Diva also played with a squirt gun; the trainer would squirt water into the lagoon from the gun, and Diva tried to catch the stream of water in her mouth. Finally, Tursi took a scarf from the trainer, and she swam around with it on her fin for several minutes. It was very interesting to see that the dolphins chose to interact with the trainers even when they had no food motivation, and they really seemed to be enjoying the games they played.

In the afternoon, Anna, Maia, Zach and Lacey got to participate in the Heroes’ Welcome for the veterans, where all the DRC staff and guests lined the entrance way and formed a channel that led to the front lagoon (where the encounter sessions would be held). It was incredible to hear that almost all of the veterans were saying thank you to everyone as they walked by – when they really should be the ones being thanked. It was also amazing to see their reactions as they interacted with the dolphins. For some of them, their first interaction with the dolphins was the first time that we saw them smile. The dolphins were very well behaved – they did dorsal tows for the veterans who could hold on, and for those who could not, the dolphins pushed them around in their water by their feet. Additionally, they did many imitations with the veterans, such as bobs, spitting water, dancing, laughing, and more. Tursi and Molly both showed off for the large crowd, doing a full frontal flip out of the water (to see Tursi’s flip, see this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqN5GY2zH-c). All in all, it was a very special afternoon, and it was touching to see how much the veterans enjoyed spending time with the dolphins. We also got another chance to talk to Mandy, who came up to us and told us more about how dolphins really helped him in his recovery from PTSD. He told us that the impact the dolphins had was not something that could be easily described, but rather see for ourselves, and he was right.

Kat and Elly running with the birds at Bahia Honda

Meanwhile, the other Colgate students had a beach day at Bahia Honda, a state park in Big Pine Key. It was definitely not the best beach day (colder, windy, and rainy) but we still enjoyed our day off! Trevor snorkeled and saw a stingray, cowfish, juvenile sergeant majors, and yellow snapper. The rest of us took walks on the beach looking for shells, and walked on the huge sandbar in the ocean. Our day was uneventful, but very relaxing after the week of Dolphin Lab! After the day at the beach and with the Wounded Warriors, we went to a restaurant that served lionfish sushi, specifically for the lionfish. Lionfish are native to the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean, but are an invasive species to the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Lionfish are currently posing a huge problem in these places. They are extremely fast breeders, and in their new homes they have no natural predators, instead outcompeting native fish species for prey and are causing severe population decline in native species, as they eat EVERYTHING. Lionfish seem like an unsafe fish to handle and consume due to their venomous spines, but if they are prepared correctly, they are perfectly safe to eat, and quite delicious, as we have tasted! Lionfish are essentially destroying the ecosystems of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, and creating a market for them would be both insanely helpful and tasty. Moral of the story: EAT LIONFISH and you will be helping to save the world.

Below are a picture of lionfish in the wild (top) and the lionfish sushi that students ate (bottom)

Image from: http://www.aquariumcreationsonline.net/Lion_saltwaterfish.html

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Dolphin Lab Journal!

Day 5: Thursday

by Maia Dinsmore and Kaitlyn Farrell

Today was our last full day of the first week of Dolphin Lab! We started the day off with a short observation period, and a long encounter with the dolphins which was incredible despite the fact that the water was significantly colder than earlier this week. Our group split into two, with half of us working with Gypsi and Gambit, and the other half with Louie and Reese. During the session, we got to do back rubs, handshakes and kisses, a dorsal tow (where we held on to the dolphins’ fins while they were swimming), imitations, and group commands. It was interesting working with the younger dolphins, especially during the imitations and the dorsal tows, because they sometimes did not perform the commands correctly. When this happened, the trainer simply did not reward them, and waited patiently until they either figured it out for themselves, or gave up and came back to wait for another command. The dolphins were very energetic during this session, especially during the dorsal tows – Gypsi and Gambit went extremely fast when they were with Claire, almost as fast as during their speed runs!

This video shows what a speed run looks like:

And this video shows Lacey swimming with Reese and Louie:

Later in the day, we had a seminar on the various Special Needs Programs that the  Dolphin Research Center has available. We learned about the special equipment that the center has available for these programs, such as the Aqualift chair, which helps lower handicapped people into the water so that they can interact with the dolphins, and modified life jackets that can give disabled people more support while they are in the water. We also learned about the DRC’s involvement with the Wounded Warriors program – several times throughout the year, the DRC offers complimentary encounters to veterans involved in this program that suffer from PTSD, TBIs, or a wide variety of other injuries. Additionally, the DRC has participated in one 12 week program with veterans suffering from PTSD, to observe the impact of dolphins on their therapy. This program was extremely important to the founder of Dolphin Research Center, Mandy Rodriguez, who served in Vietnam when he was a teenager and said that his relationship with dolphins saved his life upon his return to the US.

We also had a session with Mandy, the owner and founder, called “Mandy Unplugged.” This was our opportunity to ask Mandy a variety of questions about his life and experience with the Dolphin Research Center in the past and present. Mandy was asked mostly about his relationships with the dolphins, specifically with a dolphin named Natua who has passed away. Mandy seemed to truly have a special connection with Nat, and Nat even starred in some dolphin movies with Mandy’s help! Because of their relationship, Mandy was able to get Nat to do exactly what the directors and producers wanted, much to their surprise. He also told us about one time that Nat ended up “running away” with Theresa, his mother, while filming a movie. Theresa was found, but Nat ended up in the Bahamas. The dolphin wouldn’t let people try to help him by getting him with a net, but once Mandy showed up, Nat swam right into his arms. Mandy Unplugged was very enjoyable, and Mandy was extremely charismatic and open to all opinions and questions.

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Today we had a “field trip” day and ventured out from DRC to visit The Turtle Hospital and Aquarium Encounters!

At the Turtle Hospital, we learned about species, behaviors, threats, and veterinary care for different sea turtles. The hospital’s motto is “Rescue, Rehab, Release,” and they’ve done just that for well over 1500 turtles of several species. Turtles are relatively easily rehabilitated because they do not rely on parental learning or highly learned, flexible behaviors like hunting; however the animals are very susceptible to injuries which can include boat strikes, entanglement in garbage, digestive impaction from attempting to consume garbage, and others and can have results ranging from paralysis to imbalanced and uncontrollable buoyancy, both of which can be a death sentence without care lasting from a few months to a few years.

While humans are the cause of many patients injuries, some come in with natural injuries, and many neonates come in when they don’t leave the nest. Scientists dig up nests after counting to get a census of how many were born, and they often find hatchlings that don’t seem make it out of the nest. Since the species are mostly threatened, these animals are often sent to the hospital to help increase wild population size. Originally, the hospital was largely supported by running a joined hotel (which was the original property), but after hurricane damage it was not repaired or reopened. They operate a fleet of turtle ambulances for rescues and transits. Release is, however, extremely successful. When turtles are deemed non-releasable, it is most often because their injuries are too disabling to thrive in the wild. These animals become permanent residents of the hospital, often with decades or even centuries to make friends and help heal new patients. We learned that once healthy, the turtles can literally help save lives! The healthy residents can donate blood to save incoming patients with severe trauma and blood loss.

Next, we made our way to Aquarium Encounters, a commercial attraction featuring fish, rays, sharks, turtles, tortoises, and more! We got a better look at some animals we had seen briefly in the wild, and met some we hadn’t yet encountered. A lot of us spoke later and were put off from the facility a bit, after living and learning DRC’s clear prioritization of welfare, animal enrichment, research, education, and only finally entertainment; we were more aware that Aquarium Encounters was mostly an entertainment vacation attraction. They explained that they contract with a company to wild capture the animals they want to exhibit, then often simply release them after they outgrow the aquarium.

By contrast, no dolphins have been captured from the wild for any facility in the United States since the late 1980’s. While we did engage in touch tanks and ray feedings, we noted the difference in the tanks, which were almost completely accessible to the public, whereas at DRC the animals only interact with people when they seek to and can easily retreat from any undesired interaction. We didn’t discuss life expectancy, mortality, husbandry, or veterinary care in the depth we have at DRC, but whereas DRC dolphins can expect to live twice as long as their wild counterparts, we did not get the same impression from Aquarium Encounters.

When we finally returned to DRC, it felt like we had been away for ages! We had a short coral reef seminar, where we learned about how delicate reefs have been devastated by human impacts in the last 50 years. This seminar helped us appreciate our recent snorkel trip to Looe Key, identify, and know the ecology of the species we spotted. Next,  we visited our dolphin friends in an evening observation session. It was Gypsy’s birthday today so we wished her well and headed home for the evening!

Written by Kat Titterton and Zach Papadopoulos

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DOLPHIN RESEARCH– Let’s break it down…

Demo: we observed our first sea lion demo with Kilo, Lina, Karen, and Diamond

Ocean heroes: a seminar on the importance of education about marine mammals

Laws: the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Animal Welfare Act protect the wildlife at the Dolphin Research Center

Paint: the dolphins love many activities including art—especially painting

Heated debate: should marine mammals remain in human care? Should they breed?

Iguana: there are more than mammals at the DRC

Nighty night dolphins: at the end of each day we go on the boardwalks to say goodnight to our flippered friends

Rostrum: the dolphin’s snout—you can identify some dolphins by their unique rostrums

Eat: dolphins, on average, can eat 20-50 lbs of fish per day! This costs the DRC over $1 million per year

Stranding seminar: Louie and Jax were both stranded, but now call the DRC their permanent home! If you see a marine animal in distress, call the Department of Fish and Wildlife!

Echolocation: a series of clicks used by dolphins and other cetaceans to perceive their surroundings

Anticipation: Gypsi’s birthday is tomorrow!

Rescue: the DRC still participates in manatee rescues; however, they no longer rescue dolphins due to fears of morbillivirus

Cognition seminar: dolphins are very intelligent

High energy: flips and dives keep the dolphins physically and mentally stimulated

By: Claire Kittock and Anna Olson

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Also by Madeleine Tsao, and Lacey Williams

We began the day as usual with a walk around the docks to each lagoon, waving and saying hello to each dolphin. We were still amazed to see the eagerness with which each dolphin approached us, seeming to recognize us from the day before. From the far side of every lagoon the dolphins would swim over to us as soon as the spied us walking down the docks, swimming the length of the dock and eyeing us with an curious sense of recognition and interest. After the rounds we headed over to the front lagoon to prepare for our second dolphin encounter.

We divided into the same two groups. Our group worked again with Merina and her daughter Windley. We all gave backrubs and handshakes, feeling the slippery skin of the dolphins slough off as our fingers ran down their charcoal hides. FUN FACT: Dolphins regenerate their skin about every two hours, so feeling dolphin skin on our fingers after each touch was actually a normal phenomenon. During our individual encounters we each got to help train the dolphins by practicing various imitation skills. Elly was instructed to practice bobbing with Merina, but Windley wanted to join in and practiced her bobbing too! After imitation, we had the opportunity to actually swim with the dolphins! We hung onto the dorsal fins of both girls and were towed around the lagoon. It was a hilarious and wonderful experience with a combination of amazement that we were swimming with real dolphins while trying not to laugh from the constant belly bumps from their tails. Being a terrestrial species, however, we were always eager to sluice ourselves in freshwater showers following marine interactions.

After lunch we had three seminars about dolphin acoustics, DRC training methodology, and general marine mammal conservation. We even got to participate in a workshop to try and train each other! It was hilarious to watch our peers figure out that we were being instructed to whip and nay-nay or do the Macarena.

Here are Madeleine’s three favorite facts from the seminars:

1. Acoustics: Underwater, it’s easy for sounds to get mixed up. From a hydrophone, it’s often hard to distinguish clicks and whistles between the various dolphins within range. Therefore, in order for researchers to identify the source of a specific sound, underwater acoustics are recorded from at least three different positions underwater in order to “triangulate” the acoustics reception and identify the sound source by matching location of the hydrophone with strength of the target sound.
2. Training: There are many ways to teach (and discourage) behaviors in animals. At DRC, only one method is used for most all behavioral teaching: positive reinforcement, or the addition of a stimulus as a reward signal. The dolphins here have been conditioned to associate the sound of your basic whistle with praise. The dolphins therefore know when they’ve done a behavior correctly when the whistle is blown, and they know alterations are necessary in its absence. This is also cool since unlike most household pets, these dolphins are not food motivated. Many of the individuals here won’t even accept food as adequate praise, and will get bored without the occasional hugs and verbal applause. In addition to positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, or the removal of a stimulus as a reward signal, is used sparingly and most often in the context of medical assistance.
3. Conservation: Everyone knows that pollution is a major contributor to dwindling populations of dolphins (and others) in the wild. However, did you know that noise is a form of pollution as well? (Neither did most of us.) In fact, noise pollution is a huge concern for conservationists of marine mammals. Everyday man-made noises from sonar, off-shore drilling, cargo ships and modern super tankers that seem relatively benign above water are amplified to underwater ears, which may cause permanent damage to delicate parts to auditory organs. Additionally, dolphins rely primarily on their sense of hearing for navigational and communicational purposes. Therefore, sound pollution obstructs important signaling and creates directional confusion between and within pods.

After the seminars, we attended a training demo with Merina and Windley. The trainer explained to us about their various enforcement methods. Some dolphins, we found out, were not motivated by food but actually preferred other forms of positive reinforcement from high fives or kisses to cheering and clapping. She then proceeded to show us how they train calves, using imitation as well as a specific behavioral chain. FUN FACT: Behavioral chains are a detailed set of steps that break down a specific behavior into many smaller segments that facilitate teaching and learning by the dolphins. They try to switch up the times of day and the time within each session in order to keep the training session fun, interactive and exciting!

Above is a video  of Merina showing her belly and below is another snippet of her beaching herself, both from our training demonstration, where the trainer was practicing certain behaviors for medical examinations.

This helps familiarize the dolphins with the equipment and behaviors in a fun, low-stress environment in order to prepare for any future serious illnesses and/or procedures.

Overall, it’s been an exciting start to the week, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip has in store!

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Antwerp, Belgium – site of EuroSim 2016

I cherish the bonds that I have formed with my fellow raiders and delegates from various schools. However, one of the most meaningful aspects of the conference to me is that our proposals will be presented to the European Union’s leaders. It is exciting and humbling to know that our work as students may have an impact in the refugee crisis. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in the solution to the crisis from a policy angle.

Here is a photo essay of my trip.

The conference commenced with a trip to the European Parliament in Brussels!

A staff member gave us a comprehensive overview of the Parliament.

This is the Plenary Chamber where member state representatives meet one week each month

I’m smiling because I’m excited to be inside of the European Parliament!

I participated in the Sub-Committee on Human Rights as a Swedish representative (Lars Adaktusson) in the European People’s Party (EPP). The EPP successfully collaborated and compromised with the other parties in the Committee to write and pass amendments to the Dublin IV Regulations and the DROI report on the Valletta Summit.

Delegates gathered for a lovely dinner banquet at the Antwerp City Hall

We enjoyed a delicious meal catered by Het Rekreatief, a local company that began as a social employment project for people who are disadvantaged or have endured long-term unemployment.

The Antwerp City Hall yielded a beautiful view of Antwerp’s 16th century Cathedral of our Lady!

The beautiful paintings, sculptures, and interior architecture make the Cathedral an even more captivating historical structure.

I encourage students to apply for the extended study programs that Colgate offers because of the educational and personal growth that these programs foster. I am returning to campus this semester well informed about the processes and procedures within the European Parliament and the myriad factors that influence the refugee crisis. I have stretched my perspective of the world and expanded my social network with new and strengthened friendships with peers from Colgate and many regions around the world.

Tot ziens! (Goodbye!)

Jazmyn.

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Today was our first day with the DOLPHINS! The first thing we did was hop into the water for a chance to meet our new friends. Tori and I were in a group with the dolphin Aleta who was 31 and her two-year-old daughter Diva. We were able to do handshakes, got to rub their back and even do some commands. My favorite was when I got to have a splash war with Aleta, Tori’s favorite was Aleta’s giggle behavior where the dolphin imitated a person’s laughter. The young dolphin Diva was still learning some of the behaviors. It was really cute to see her try her best to imitate her mom and perform behaviors requested by the trainer.

After we met the dolphins we attended seminars on maternity, physiology and echolocation. We learned about dolphin parents and how the mother plays a large role, whereas the father doesn’t really. It was also surprising to learn that dolphin mothers often rely on their close friends to help nanny their children. This system is called alloparenting. The echolocation portion was surprising as we learned that dolphins actually use their teeth to help with echolocation. They have evenly spaced teeth, which can sense vibrations and can help them use only hearing to “see” their surroundings.

At the end of the day we were able to observe a medical demonstration. We saw how the trainers make behaviors necessary for them to draw blood or other biological samples into a game so the dolphins are not stressed and feel comfortable. We all cheered and encouraged them a lot for all their medical behaviors in order to reinforce their actions. These behaviors have to be very precise and are very important so dolphins and trainers get very excited when they are performed correctly.

We have been working hard to learn the names of the different dolphins and to do so we rely on differences in the dolphins’ fins and tails for the most part. There are some other differences too though such as Luna’s birth mark or Jax’s scars from a shark attack. At the end of the day we said good night to all of the dolphins at each of their lagoons. They like people so they will come over and look up at you from the water and let you say a nice good night to them.

By: Trevor Sands and Tori Hymel

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Here are the 13 lessons we learned on our extended study to Florida Keys before arriving at the Dolphin Research center (12/28-1/2).

1. Flight delays are a very real thing…and when you arrive at the rental car agency at 3 o’clock in the morning, it’s a really mixed bag. You could end up with a white minivan. Or you could end up with a Dodge Charger that can break on a dime.  No matter how much you prepare, the airports of America will find you and they will find a way to thwart you. You must be resilient. You must find that strength of will.
2. One of the longest bridges in the world is in the keys. Seven Mile Bridge is 35,700 feet long and, at its creation, it was the longest bridge in the world. It is part of the Overseas Highway that stretches across the island chain of the Florida Keys, situated at the southernmost portion of continental US. This famous bridge is featured in Fast and Furious 2 and Mission Impossible III.
3. When you see dolphin on the menu, don’t panic. @Alabama Jack’s. It’s actually mahi mahi. Not the kind of dolphins that we will be kissing. ALSO EVERYONE DOWNLOAD THE SEAFOOD WATCH APP (@LACEYWILLIAMS) IT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD. (Note: This app will help you be an informed consumer of humanely caught seafood.)
4. Teamwork makes the dream work. How many Colgate students does it take to put up a tent? We still don’t know….But it was a great team-building activity. And we’re very fast at it now. You know what they say… You can give a man a tent and he will sleep for one night, but teach a man to pitch a tent and he will sleep for a lifetime.  Another life lesson: Coconuts are nature’s hammer.
5.  Fresh coconut is delicious. Thanks to our liberal arts education, a healthy dose of curiosity and a little bit of ennui, we learned to utilize tent stakes to extract coconut milk from ripe coconuts. Colgate biology students might be able to sustain themselves after college.
6. Every restaurant in the keys has the “best key lime pie”. Obviously, we had to test every one. For science. Shout out to Mangrove Momma’s for our favorite.
7. There are a number of forts in the Florida Keys. These were an integral part of the Anaconda Plan, which allowed the union to create a blockade and suppress the confederacy during the American Civil War.
8. The Florida Keys are serious about their deer. Seriously. They care more about deer than human pedestrians. There is a special nighttime speed limit to protect the deer, which actually is a really good idea. Key deer are smaller than white tailed deer found in the northeast and are very friendly. They’ll walk up to you and lick your hand if you click your tongue. They’re an endangered subspecies of white-tailed deer that only lives on Big Pine. Their population was as low as 25 at one point but stabilized at 800, so maybe there’s something to be said for those annoying nighttime speed limits
   

   Protected Key Deer walked the beaches at our campsite

9. If you arrive at a restaurant in a group of 18, expect to wait. The wait was so long at one restaurant that we were given free minigolf tickets. We are proud of all of our community members, especially Kat, Kait, Zack, Anna and Trevor who all had a hole in one, and Sarah, who really made up for lack of technical skill with enthusiasm.
   

                                 Cuban Food!!!

10. Mangroves smell bad but make up for it by being beautiful and performing valuable ecological services. See our video “An Introduction to Mangroves,” narrated by Madeleine Tsao 
11. The place to be on New Years Eve is Key West. On the main stretch called Duval street, people from all over the world come to see one of the most unique traditions: the big shoe drop. In the street in front of the Bourbon Street Pub, a lavishly dressed drag queen named Sushi sat in a big red stiletto above the crowd, throwing beads and inciting the crowd to have a great night. Underneath her, the crowd attends live performances of classic covers played by a host of drag queens. It was a sight to see.
12. A purple flag at the beach means dangerous marine life is out. AKA a “Portugese Man of War”. These sassy electric blue creatures will sting you if you get too close but are very beautiful. They have a peculiar similarity to inflated plastic bags, and unfortunately many marine animals also confuse the two.
    

    Portuguese Man O’ War Jellyfish

13. Fish are friends, not food. And if you swim through their schools above the colorful coral and pretend that you are also a fish they’re pretty happy to adopt you. Coral reefs are the most biodiverse marine ecosystems, holding 1/3 of the worlds marine fish species. Marine life we saw while on our dive/snorkel trip to Looe: manta ray, reef shark, angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda, moray eel, sponges, fan coral, moon jellyfish, comb jellies, Goliath grouper, red fish, blue fish, one fish, two fish. Diver’s rule: if you don’t know what it is, don’t touch it. If you do know what it is, don’t touch it.

Colgate well-represented during dive trip to Looe Key Sanctuary (Elly Hilton, Sarah Anderson, Alex Maulden)

More than anything we learned that the Ingram Filipowicz family is as generous as they are hospitable. We thank them for the wonderful opportunity to participate on this extended study.

Written By: Alex Schaff, Sarah Anderson, Alex Maulden

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Colgate students in Antwerp, Belgium ran into John D. Occhipinti ’89 (pictured left) at EuroSim in Belgium. Occhipinti, a professor at Canisius College in Buffalo, is the faculty adviser for the Canisius delegation at EuroSim.

After Professor Occhipinto on the left, pictured left to right are Nick Yap ’16, Piper Marsh ’16, Sarah Chandler ’16, Jazmyn McKoy ’17, James Carino ’16, Madison Paulk ’16, Stacey Stein ’17, and Jack Conley ’16.

Related:
EuroSim delegation arrives in Belgium

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