The dolphins that occur in Virginia coastal and estuarine waters are part of the coastal migratory stock of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. More information about the range and distribution of these dolphins is needed to effectively manage the stock. Although bottlenose dolphins are known to ascend into rivers, only anecdotal evidence of dolphin occurrence in Virginia rivers are available. In 1995, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission completed a Management Plan for Sea Turtles and Marine Mammals in Virginia . This project served as a pilot study to investigate the use of volunteers in wildlife management projects.
Volunteers can often cover a broader study area than scientists and managers for much less money.
Two types of survey forms were developed. Volunteers were asked to indicate the location and size of their observation area on the maps. Ideally these volunteers could provide observation effort and size of the area surveyed. Maps and survey forms were returned to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and were analyzed to develop GIS-based maps of river basins showing locations of bottlenose dolphin groups and areas surveyed. Additional data layers included aerial survey results from two surveys conducted to supplement volunteer coverage.