Interview: Dr. Lori Marino, Kimmela Ctr. for Animal Advocacy

Dolphins are some of the most intelligent creatures on earth, and yet we humans remain largely ignorant of their astonishing capabilities and their relationships with each other, much to our detriment as well as theirs. Join us in our conversation with Dr. Lori Marino as we discuss, among other topics, the effects of captivity on cetacean behavior and the ethics of human-nonhuman relationships.

ABOUT LORI MARINO, PH.D.

Dr. Marino is the founder and executive director of the Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy, Inc., the only organization focusing exclusively on bridging the gap between academic research and scholarship and on-the-ground animal advocacy efforts. A neuroscientist and expert in animal behavior and intelligence, she serves on the faculty of Emory University and is internationally known for her work on the evolution of brain and intelligence in dolphins and whales and comparisons to primates.

In 2001 she co-authored a ground-breaking study offering the first conclusive evidence for mirror self-recognition in bottlenose dolphins, after which she decided against further research with captive animals. She has also published numerous empirical and review papers on human-nonhuman animal relationships, including the psychological and philosophical bases of animal exploitation and, more specifically, critiques of dolphin assisted therapy and other captivity issues.

Dr. Marino also serves as the science director for the Nonhuman Rights Project.