Ride alongside the author Pamela S. Turner and her scientific team and meet a cast of dolphin characters large enough (and charismatic enough) to rival a Shakespearean play—Puck, Piccolo, Flute, and Dodger among them. You will fall in love with this crew, both human and finned, as they seek to answer the question: just why are dolphins so smart? And what does their behavior tell us about human intelligence, captive animals, and the future of the ocean? Beautiful photos of dolphins in their natural habitat and a funny, friendly, and fast-paced text make this another winner in the Scientists in the Field series. Pair this with other intriguing stories of real-world science, at www.sciencemeetsadventure.com . The Shark Bay Dolphin Project, under the direction of biologist Janet Mann, is the subject of this latest book in the acclaimed Scientists in the Field series. Dolphins’ uncommonly developed intelligence is undisputed fact, but Mann’s field research is unique in that most other observations occur in captivity. Studying dolphins in their natural habitat off the coast of western Australia, Mann’s team has witnessed them using tools, socializing their young, developing hunting strategies, and forming alliances. Her work goes far beyond proving the fact that dolphins are smart; she seeks to discover the reasons for the development of their higher brain functions. Mann not only provides excellent examples of scientific thinking through the formulation and testing of hypotheses, she also serves as an authentic and engaging role model for girls considering careers in science. Using the team’s intimate knowledge of the wild cetaceans, Turner treats the dolphins as lively characters unto themselves in this affecting and vividly photographed work of nonfiction. Grades 5-8. --Erin Anderson "An exemplary addition to an always thought-provoking series." — Kirkus, starred review "Mann not only provides excellent examples of scientific thinking through the formulation and testing of hypotheses, she also serves as an authentic and engaging role model for girls considering careers in science. . . [An] affecting and vividly photographed work of nonfiction." — Booklist "Readers come away with an amazing, if sometimes blurred vision of a culture different from their own . . . A challenging, attractive eye-opener." — School Library Journal, starred review "There's no shortage of fascinating science in the breezy and engaging narrative. . . While being deliberately anti-mythical about dolphins, the book conveys the wonder of learning more about the intricacy of another species, and readers will be won over by both the dolphins and the sceince." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review "The detailed descriptions of the day-to-day activities of the dolphins—all of whom are given names and have distinct personalities—provide a window into the practice of animal behavior studies." — The Horn Book Magazine — Pamela S. Turner has a master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley, and a special interest in microbiology and epidemiology. Her articles for children and adults have appeared in numerous scientific publications. Her books include  Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog , Gorilla Doctors, The Frog Scientist, Dolphins of Shark Bay, and Project Seahorse.  She lives in California. www.pamelasturner.com Chapter One Mystery Dolphin Janet Mann stands on the dashboard of the Pomboo, bare toes gripping the steering wheel. She spots a gray fin in the distance.    'Unknown dolphin," the biologist calls. After twenty-five years in Shark Bay, Western Australia, Janet recognizes hundreds of wild bottlenose dolphins by the unique nicks and cuts on their dorsal fins. This animal, however, is a stranger.    Janet angles the Pomboo's bow toward the dolphin. Not quite directly, though. She never wants a dolphin to feel chased or threatened. "Does it have a sponge?' Janet asks. "Can anybody see?'    Mystery Dolphin dives before we can get a good look. Janet scrambles off her perch and cuts the engine. Sound carries far across flat water; without the thrum of the motor we might hear the dolphin's breath as it resurfaces. We are silent and tense, every ear straining for that distinctive poooff. With our faces pressed into binoculars we look like a boatload of windblown raccoons.    Poooff. Mystery Dolphin rises; a brown blob covers its nose like an oven mitt. Happy dances break out at this odd sight.    'A new sponger''    'Awesome''    'this is so cool!'    Janet, graduate student Eric Patterson, and project assistant Jenny Smith are all talking at once and slapping high-fives. Mystery Dolphin goes back to its business in the channel below.    Just as we humans are using tools (for us, a boat and binoculars), this dolphin is too. Some Shark Bay dolphins use a squishy sea sponge to protect their nose (called the rostrum) as they rummage along a channel