relationship between the winter sea surface temperature and spring bottlenose dolphin 

 strandings. The winter 1989-90 sea surface temperatures were considered abnormally low 

 and suggest the possibility of thermally-induced stress. However, the stranding database 

 covers only 5 years and was insufficient to determine if the inverse relationship between 

 winter temperatures and spring strandings is consistent. The results of the brevetoxin analysis 

 were questionable and must be considered inconclusive, and although the phytoplankton 

 study determined that the brevetoxin producing organism was present, there is no 

 information available on the "normal" occurrence patterns of the organism within the 

 phytoplankton study area. The contaminant analyses indicated that although a few dolphins 

 had concentrations of contaminants at levels of possible toxicological concern, contaminant 

 concentrations in most of the dolphins were relatively low. Fewer than 3% of the stranded 

 dolphins received thorough pathological exams. As a result, essentially almost no 

 pathological information was available. Overall, none of the studies conducted provided 

 conclusive evidence of circumstances or agents which caused the observt.d increase in 

 strandings. 



