The Bunbury Dolphin Discovery research program has grown in recent years and has been developed with three overall aims in mind:

• To provide information which is of significance to our understanding of the ecology of dolphins and to their future conservation and management,
• To develop recommendations pertaining to human disturbance on the dolphin population so that impacts are minimised which will help ensure the sustainability of the dolphin watching experience in Bunbury, and
• To build Bunbury Dolphin Discovery into a nationally and internationally recognised dolphin research centre that excels in scientifically rigorous marine research.

The Objectives of the Research Program

The program itself is still in its infancy however it does have a number of specific objectives:

• To identify the population dynamics of the Bottlenose dolphins in the Bunbury area and how this changes over time.
• To identify the importance of different habitats used by Bottlenose dolphins in the Bunbury area.
• To quantify the effect of boat traffic (including tourism activities) on Bottlenose dolphins in an area of high human impact, and compare results to locations in more pristine areas.