How are bottlenose dolphins protected?
In the United States, bottlenose dolphins are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. This act states that it is illegal to harm a dolphin or change its behavior. Changing a dolphin s behavior may be caused by approaching wild dolphins, feeding them, trying to swim with them, or pursuing them. The National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible for completing a report every year stating the status of the species. This is known as a Stock Assessment Report. This report contains valuable information about bottlenose dolphins, such as the species range, current population size, and potential threats in the environment. Bottlenose dolphins along the U.S. Atlantic coast are also considered to be a depleted population, due to a major die-off in 1987. Although several theories exist for the reasons for the die-off, the actual cause has never been determined. However, in six months, approximately 740 dolphins stranded on the beaches from New Jersey south to Florida. It is un
