Dolphin Ecosystems

Blubber Adapation

• According to the teacher website "Scholastic," dolphins are capable of living in any body of water. However, to live in the coldest waters, especially the Arctic and the Antarctic, dolphins require extra protection to survive. Since dolphins are mammals, they store fat from the food they eat. Dolphins found in colder waters tend to have extra fat around their internal organs, often called blubber, to help them keep warm. Dolphins in warmer waters tend to have less blubber.

Shallow-Water Habitats

• Most dolphins do not dive more than 150 feet underwater, according to "Scholastic" and the website "Earth Trust." This is because, like all cetaceans, dolphins require air to breathe. Diving too far down into any part of the ocean would lower the chances the dolphin has for coming up to get air. Also, most of the food dolphins eat consists of small shallow-water animals, such as fish and crustaceans. Only the largest dolphins, such as orcas, eat large animals like seals, but seals are also shallow-water living animals.

Close to Shore Versus Deep Ocean

• Although anyone can find a dolphin species in any body of water, scientists at Sea World claim that most dolphins can be differentiated in terms of coastal habitat dolphins as opposed to deep ocean dolphins. Coastal dolphins are more social toward humans, have less body fat and are generally smaller. On the other hand, deep water dolphins are usually bigger and less social toward humans. This is because deep water dolphins are more adapted to fight against predators in the heart of the ocean. Deep water dolphins also have more body fat since ocean temperatures are colder farther away from the coast.

Migration Adaptation

• No matter what the species, most dolphins are bred to migrate across the oceans. Dolphins that live close to shores migrate the most. According to Sea World, this is most likely because these dolphins are able to sense the seasonal shifts apparent in the atmosphere more. For example, dolphins living near New England and northeast Canada swim down toward the south of the United States when fall and winter approach in the northern regions. For other dolphin species, especially those deep in the ocean, migration occurs when food supplies shift toward warmer or colder climates.