Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research – To promote the conservation of bottlenose dolphins in the Outer Banks

The 14th Outer Banks Shrimp Cookoff was held on Sunday, November 5th, 2023 at Mahi Mahi’s Island Grill in Nags Head, NC! Local chefs competed to prepare the best shrimp dish. The event also featured a silent auction and 50/50 raffle. All proceeds benefited the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research! Click here to see who won the cookoff this year!

The Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research, established in November 2008, is a 501 c(3) non-profit organization engaged in a long-term photo-identification study of bottlenose dolphins in the northern Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Our mission is to promote the conservation of bottlenose dolphins in the northern Outer Banks through research and education. We seek to learn more about the population ecology, movement patterns, health, and behavior of coastal bottlenose dolphins and to expand public knowledge and concern for these marine mammals.

Our scientists also collaborate with other marine mammal scientists along the western Atlantic coast in order to further understand their long-range movement patterns.

Consider making a donation to the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research to promote conservation efforts in the Outer Banks! Funding is critical for continuing our monitoring surveys, processing our data, analyzing our results, and communicating our results to the public through engaging programs and displays. Select the donate link below to learn how you can contribute!

We are happy to announce that the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research recently received grant awards to fund two community outreach projects! The Outer Banks Community Foundation has awarded OBXCDR funds to construct an educational walking tour for the Nags Head Causeway! This walking tour teaches about the ecology of Roanoke Sound and ways to contribute to local ecological research. This project represents a collaboration between OBXCDR, The NC Coastal Federation, Coastal Studies Institute, Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership, the Nags Head Dolphin Watch, and Kitty Hawk Kites. The First Flight Rotary Club has awarded OBXCDR funds to develop educational signs to teach about how coordination between photo-identification and stranding response teams in NC can provide insight into bottlenose dolphin stock structure and promote conservation. This project represents a collaboration between the OBXCDR, Bonehenge Whale Center, and Mid-Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Catalog.

The Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research recently received a grant from the Webster-Lyerly Endowment for Coastal Resource Protection under the North Carolina Community Foundation. This grant will aid in our 2021 field research and analysis expenses!

Executive Director, Jessica Taylor, talked with Will Freund of Climate, Kayak, and Conservation about climate impacts on dolphins and addressing climate in science education. Click here to hear the podcast!

The Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research has recently completed its 2023 season with the help of our summer interns to assist with field research and outreach! Internship positions for 2024 will be advertised here this winter. Learn more about the internship and our research through this podcast interview with director, Jessica Taylor.

We are excited to announce that a new children’s book is now available about the life of Onion and the Outer Banks dolphins! Onion, A North Carolina dolphin follows the life of Onion in the Outer Banks. Written by Jessica Taylor of OBXCDR and illustrated by Nan Bowles of the NC Maritime Museum, this story is based upon real sightings of North Carolina dolphins! To learn more and purchase your copy online, click here!

We are excited to announce a new dolphin outreach display at Jennette’s Pier! This display is a collaboration between the OBXCDR, Jennette’s Pier, North Carolina Maritime Museum, and NC Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team, and includes the rearticulated skeleton of one of our long-time known males, Moe. Funding for this display was provided by the NC Aquarium Society and the Outer Banks Community Foundation! For more details about the display, click here! Moe’s homecoming was held on Sunday March 24th at 2:00 pm! Visit Moe at Jennette’s Pier and learn more about local dolphin research, how the display was developed, and ways to contribute to local conservation. Presentations were given by Keith Rittmaster, natural science curator of the North Carolina Maritime Museum, Jessica Taylor (pictured), director of the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research and Rachel Potts, stranding response coordinator for Jennette’s Pier. The event also featured door prizes and refreshments.

Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research t-shirts are now being updated with a new design! Stay tuned in the spring for available sizes!

Interested in volunteering with the Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research? We are currently seeking volunteers! Click here for more information!

In summer 2013, coastal bottlenose dolphins along the U.S. east coast experienced an unusual mortality event where record numbers of dolphins stranded along the beaches. The event reached the Outer Banks, NC in August 2013. For more information about these strandings, click here. The Outer Banks Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team responds to marine mammals strandings from Currituck County, NC south through Hyde County, NC. For more information on how to report a marine mammal stranding in the Outer Banks, click here.

Looking to learn more about dolphins in the Outer Banks? Join us on FaceBook at Onion, A North Carolina Dolphin and Outer Banks Center for Dolphin Research as well as on Instagram at obxdolphins for updates on the Outer Banks dolphins this summer!