The Ruth DeLynn Cetacean Osteological Collection at Mote Marine Laboratory
Mote scientists observe dolphins from cradle to grave and beyond through the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, the Stranding Investigations Program and the Ruth DeLynn Cetacean Osteological Collection.
  • The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program — a partnership between the Chicago Zoological Society and Mote Marine Laboratory — is the world’s longest-running study of a wild dolphin population. Program staff perform in-depth investigations into the lives of the 160 or so dolphins that call Sarasota Bay home. The Program began its work in 1970.
  • The Stranding Investigations Program investigates why animals strand and how they die. Program staff performs in-depth necropsies and tissue analyses on carcasses collected from the wild to help uncover the reasons why animals perish.
  • The Ruth DeLynn Cetacean Osteological Collection catalogues the bones of the dolphins and whales. According to the Committee on Systematic Collections of the American Society of Mammalogists, the DeLynn collection is “one of the most important and significant cetacean collections in the world” and a “a vital resource for monitoring the environmental health of the Sarasota area and our understanding of cetaceans.”
Combined, these efforts illuminate the cetaceans’ way of life — and death.
The DeLynn Collection
• Holds approximately 650 individual specimens of 17 cetacean species.

• The majority (~550) are bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Of these, 68 are from the local Sarasota Bay resident population studied by the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program since 1970. Associated data on life history, health, habitat use, environmental contaminant concentrations and behavior are available for many of these Sarasota Bay resident dolphins, through the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program.

• Other species: (1) Delphinis delphis, (6) Feresa attenuata, (3) Globicephala macrorhynchus, (6) Grampus griseus, (11) Kogia breviceps, (8) Kogia sima, (11) Lagenodelphis hosei, (1) Mesoplodon europaeus, (2) Mesoplodon densirostris, (3) Peponocephala electra, (6) Stenella attenuata, (2) Stenella coeruleoalba, (9) Stenella frontalis, (15) Stenella clymene, (2) Stenella longirostris, (21) Steno bredanensis and (1) Ziphius cavirostris.

This skull is from a Tursiops truncatus known as FB05 during its life. First tagged in 1970, she was followed until her death in 2009. Her skeleton and the records of her life history are now housed in the Ruth DeLynn Cetacean Osteological Collection at Mote.


FB05's tail bones.
A "Quality Collection" for Researchers
According to the Committee on Systematic Collections of the American Society of Mammalogists:

  • “The collection of mammals at the Mote Marine Laboratory is the best organized and cared for any of us have ever seen. Data associated with the specimens, many of which have been monitored by [Sarasota Dolphin Research Program Director] Dr. Randy Wells, render the skeletons archived at Mote as some of the most important and significant cetacean specimens in the world. Curator Ruth DeLynn has accomplished a Herculean task in her collection, preparation and organization of this collection. The meticulous detail that is afforded each specimen from the preparation to installation is remarkable.”

The collection is readily available to qualified users. 
To gain access, please contact Curator Ruth DeLynn at delynn@mote.org or Stranding Investigations Program Manager Gretchen Lovewell at glovewell@mote.org. 

Learn More
Read more about the DeLynn Collection in the following Mote Magazine articles:

Read the press release about the dedication of the DeLynn Collection in honor of 25-year volunteer curator Ruth DeLynn:
About Us

Mote Marine Laboratory has been a leader in marine research since it was founded in 1955. Today, we incorporate public outreach as a key part of our mission. Mote is an independent nonprofit organization and has seven centers for marine research, the public Mote Aquarium and an Education Division specializing in public programs for all ages.

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