Research Overview:
The primary sense in dolphins is hearing and a large portion of the dolphin brain is devoted to the auditory processing of echolocation signals. Hearing deficits in dolphins potentially compromise the ability to forage, navigate, socialize, and evade predators. This presents a challenge to survival and reproduction in wild dolphins and can affect the general welfare of dolphins under human care. Currently, little empirical information on how dolphin behavior is affected by hearing loss exists. This study investigated hearing deficits in several species of stranded dolphins and age-related hearing deficits in dolphins that live in human care through auditory evoked potential (AEP) testing and evaluated whether individual behavior correlated with hearing impairment.
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Auditory Evoked Potentials and Behavioral Considerations with Hearing Loss in Small Cetaceans
DRC staff members gently hold A.J. while the hearing test is conducted.
