To demonstrate my creative problem-solving, I chose my research project for the Community College Undergraduate Research Program (CCURE), an honors class provided by SPCC in collaboration with the University of North Carolina Wilmington. This was my second semester taking a CCURE honors class, and prior to that I did have opportunities to complete mentored undergraduate research for BIO-111 and BIO-112. I was particularly excited about this project, as I had the opportunity to present it at UNCW's student research and creativity symposium, which I had not been able to do in past CCURE classes due to traveling.

My project was titled "Sponging Tradition of Dolphin Populations in Shark Bay, Australia," and it primarily compared and analyzed documentation of the location-specific sponge foraging behavior in dolphin populations, highlighting variations in female sociality driven by prey distribution, habitat heterogeneity, and foraging tactics, as well as how those factors potentially explain observations such as stronger associations between sponging individuals compared to non-spongers. I was drawn to this subject after discovering that Shark Bay had a population of dolphins that exhibited a remarkable cultural phenomenon, the use of sponges as tools, which had not been documented in other populations and environments. In researching further, I discovered that it was a primarily female practice passed from mother to daughter, which added to my intrigue. While the research for this project did not have a fieldwork component like my previous projects, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The goals I had selected previously for this assignment were to find new strategies to represent my personality through my artwork and to learn new scientific processes to study animal behavior and complete research in the zoological field. Because this was not an art-specific assignment, the first goal is not relevant though I did accomplish it in several other works, such as my honors project for ART-132 (Drawing I). The second goal, though relevant to my research in animal behavior in the zoological field and this specific project, was not as measurable as I would have liked, though I do feel it was more measurable for my scientific literacy artifact on undergraduate herpetology research. The alternative goals I selected were to demonstrate a proficient understanding of dolphin behavior and foraging techniques and to connect previously documented research in order to form my own hypothesis' and thoughts on the topic.

For my first goal, demonstrating a proficient understanding of dolphin behavior and foraging techniques, I compiled multiple sources on dolphin behavior, both from Shark Bay populations and populations in other locations, limiting them to focusing on the bottlenose species. Reading and annotating each source allowed me to establish a basic understanding of dolphin behavior, and after doing so, I further analyzed the sources and narrowed down topics of interest—particularly foraging behavior, using sponges and other techniques. After spending a great deal of time both researching and annotating, I compiled some of my writing and began working on my poster for my presentation, which allowed me to demonstrate the proficient understanding of dolphin behavior that I had developed throughout my time researching. 

My second goal, connecting previously documented research in order to form my own hypothesis' and thoughts on the topic, was more difficult than the first, as I had to analyze research papers more thoroughly than I typically did in order to form connections between one or more. Fortunately, some connections were easier to make, such as the timing of research conducted or certain observations documented in one paper but not explained and further explained in another. My ultimate goal, as I previously mentioned, was to compare and contrast how prey distribution, habitat heterogeneity, and specific foraging behaviors influence social dynamics among sponging females, as well as how those factors potentially explain observations such as stronger associations between sponging individuals compared to non-spongers, which I believe I successfully accomplished through forming connections between a variety of published research.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this project as I have always been particularly drawn towards marine mammals, and it allowed me to further explore a topic that I had not previously heard of but absolutely loved getting to research. Through my research, I also discovered new opportunities for on-site field research for both undergraduate and graduate students in Australia and was able to form connections with some of the lead researchers of the Shark Bay Dolphin project, through which I gained valuable advice and information on pursuing a career in behavioral ecology, as well as information on how to apply for undergraduate and graduate research positions working with cetaceans.