Teresa Jablonski, B.S.
Research Scientist I
Marine Mammal Health and Population Ecology
tjablonski@hswri.org
Major Research Areas
Marine Mammal Health
Education
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B.S., University of Central Florida
Current Research
- Population biology of estuarine dolphins
- Marine mammal health and ecology
- Marine mammal emergency response
- Post-release monitoring of dolphins: Evaluating intervention success
Teresa Jablonski is a Research Scientist I at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute’s Florida Laboratory. She holds a B.S. degree in Psychology with a minor in Biology from the University of Central Florida. She began her career in the marine mammal field as a volunteer for our marine mammal stranding and research team. She has studied the population biology, behavioral ecology and health of marine mammals for over 16 years, has published several scientific manuscripts, and is frequently an invited guest speaker at local organizations, government training sessions and outreach events. She is committed to mentoring future scientists and serves as the volunteer coordinator in Florida. Her professional interests include contributions to marine mammal science and conservation and the rescue of dozens of dolphins, including the famed dolphin, “Winter,” the star of Dolphin Tale.
Research Overview
Teresa is an integral part of the HSWRI Marine Mammal Research and Rescue Program in Florida which is on call 24/7 to respond to whale and dolphin stranding events across nearly 40% of Florida’s east coast. Her research is focused on marine mammal health and life history, fishery interactions, and the population biology of Indian River Lagoon and Halifax River estuarine dolphins. She recently participated in the first comprehensive aerial and vessel-based survey to determine an accurate population size for local dolphin populations. She also is involved in extensive tracking efforts for individual Indian River Lagoon dolphins.
Selected Publications
Durden, W.N., O’Corry-Crowe, G., Shippee, S., Jablonski, T., Rodgers, S. Mazzoil, M. Howells, E., Hartel, E., Potgieter, B., Londono, C., Moreland, L., Townsend, F., McCulloch, S. and Bossart, G. 2019. Small-scale movement patterns, activity budgets, and association patterns of radio-tagged Indian River Lagoon bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Aquatic Mammals, 45(1): 66-87. doi: 10.1578/AM.45.1.2019.66
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/radio-tracking-bottlenose-dolphins.php?platform=hootsuite
https://wsbuzz.com/science/male-dolphins-have-a-best-buddy-they-rely-on-for-years/
Rousselet, E., M. Stolen, W.N. Durden, T. Jablonski, N. Stacy, and D. Rotstein. 2018. Bilateral polycystic kidneys and focal renal cystadenoma in a pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps. Journal of Wildlife Diseases. doi: 10.7589/2018-01-019.
Durden, W.N., E.D. Stolen, T. Jablonski, S. Puckett, and M.K. Stolen. 2017. Monitoring seasonal abundance of Indian River Lagoon bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) using aerial surveys. Aquatic Mammals.43 (1): 90-112
Stolen, M.K., W.N. Durden, T. Mazza, N. Barros, J. St. Leger. 2013. Effects of recreational fishing gear on bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Indian River Lagoon system, Florida. Marine Mammal Science 29: 356-364 2012
Stolen M., J. St. Leger, W.N. Durden., T. Mazza, E. Nilson. 2013. Fatal Asphyxiation in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) from the Indian River Lagoon. PLoS ONE 8(6): e66828. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066828
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3686726/
Durden, W.N., J. St. Leger, M. Stolen, T. Mazza, and C. Londono. 2009. Lacaziosis in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 45: 849-856
https://www.jwildlifedis.org/doi/pdf/10.7589/0090-3558-45.3.849