Holli Eskelinen

Learning about the marine environment and advancing our understanding of marine mammals is my passion! Hired at Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder in early 2001, my dream of working and learning about dolphins was fulfilled. Through the evolution of wanting to work with dolphins, to striving to learn more about their behavior, communication, cognitive abilities, and how they perceive their world I realized that acquiring knowledge about animals, contributing to the existing body of scientific literature, and educating the public is crucial to protecting and furthering our understanding about the marine environment.

For the past decade, we have conducted and published research on marine mammal behavior, cognition (imitation, working memory, perception, innovative behavior), acoustics (communication), animal welfare, energetic requirements and nutrition, clinical reference intervals, and participated in national and international scientific conferences. Currently, I also work as a lecturer at the University of Miami in the Marine and Atmospheric Science Department and adjunct at the Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition Laboratory at the University of Southern Mississippi, where I have the privilege of serving on the committees of numerous graduate students (Masters, Ph.D.). I am passionate about assisting students with project development, data collection analysis, and dissemination through publication, with the ultimate hope of inspiring young scientists to contribute to the field. My enthusiasm for advancing marine mammal science is fueled daily by the numerous non-invasive, independent investigations; I embrace the role as scientist, caretaker, and educator.

May 2018