The Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute (BDRI) is a research and educational centre dedicated to the understanding and conservation of cetaceans and the marine environment in which they live. The Institute's BDRI center was founded by the biologist Bruno Díaz López in Sardinia, Italy in 2005. In 2014, the BDRI opened a new facility in Galicia, Spain.

BDRI concentrates its efforts on research into dolphins because, as predators, they can serve as indicators of the ecosystem’s health. The BDRI researches ways to alleviate threats to dolphins such as marine pollution, over-fishing, entanglement in nets, and whaling.

BDRI research projects

BDRI research projects provide scientific data to assist environmental agencies in managing and conserving marine natural resources.

- Cetacean distribution along the Galician coast: Current studies by the BDRI highly focus on cetacean species frequenting the inshore waters of the Ría de Arousa. Twenty species of cetaceans have been recorded in Galician waters, of which the most abundant appear to be short-beaked common dolphins and common bottlenose dolphins. Other species present in the area include harbour porpoises, Risso's dolphins and the long-finned pilot whale. Conservation issues for cetaceans in Galician waters include interactions with fisheries (which may be a significant cause of mortality), overfishing, and oil spills.Diaz Lopez, B.; Shirai, J. A.; Bilbao Prieto, A. & Méndez Fernández, P. (2008). "Diving activity of a solitary wild free ranging bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)". Journal of Marine Biological Association U.K.88(6): 1153-1157.Bernal Shirai, J. A.; Diaz Lopez, B.; Méndez Fernández, P.; Bilbao Prieto, A. & Díaz da Silva, J. I. (2006). "Analysis of diving behaviour of a solitary male bottlenose dolphin in the inshore waters of Galicia (Spain)" 20th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society ECS 2006 - Gdynia, Polonia.

- Behavioral ecology of dolphins and impact of human activities on their lives: Much of the research work is based upon repeat observations of individual dolphins, providing data for a range of long-term and ongoing studies on the abundance, site fidelity, home range, social structure and behavior of this population. The study of dolphins’ social structures defines an important class of ecological relationships between individuals and their nearby conspecifics. Common bottlenose dolphins live in fission–fusion societies within which individuals associate in small groups that change in composition, often on a daily or hourly basis. Fission–fusion societies limit the effect of within-unit competition through unit splits during periods of high competition, and they enhance cooperative effects through unit cohesion when the ecological costs of aggregating are low or benefits of sociality are high. Human activities can influence the distribution of food resources, which may promote the evolution of social organizations as a response to fluctuations in the costs of feeding competition. Therefore, fission–fusion societies present a good opportunity to examine the costs and benefits of association in dolphin populations affected by human use of coastal waters, especially by fisheries activities and habitat modification.

Individual-based studies focusing explicitly on the variability of social unit structure in relation to anthropogenic factors are few. BDRI researchers studied interactions between dolphins and gillnets along the north-eastern coast of Sardinia. Although dolphins benefit from taking fish entangled in gillnets, the association with gillnets is harmful because it exposes dolphins to additional risk. An observed annual estimate of the number of dolphins caught in gillnets was 3.54%. The extent of the estimated by-catch is worrisome, in terms of the ability of bottlenose dolphins off Sardinia to sustain such an annual loss. The higher annual numbers of immature dolphins than adults dolphins caught in gillnets was related with a lack of experience, and the tendency of immatures to play and/or spend a lot of time scouting.Diaz Lopez, B.; Addis, A.; Fabiano, F. (2013). "Ecology of bottlenose dolphins along the north-western Sardinian coastal waters (Italy)". Thalassas, 29 (2): 35-44.Diaz Lopez, B. (2007). "The pressures of aquaculture and gillnets fisheries on coastal bottlenose dolphins off Sardinia" ACCOBAMS - MiPAAF. Rome, 10–11 September 2007. Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery.Diaz Lopez, B. (2007). "Bottlenose dolphin depredation on aquaculture and gillnets along the north-eastern coast of Sardinia" ACCOBAMS - MiPAAF. Rome, 10–11 September 2007. Italian Ministry of Agriculture and fishery.Fortuna, M.; Bearzi, G.; Bedocchi, D.; Bortolotto, A.; Butti, C.; Corsolini, S.; Cozzi, B., Díaz López, B.; Di Guardo, G.; Fossi, M. C.; Fozzi, A.; Gattoni, A.; Impetuoso, A.; Magnone, F.; Marsili, L.; Nuti, S.; Pavan, G.; Podestà, M.; Politi, E.; Panigada, S.; Tunesi, L.; Zuppa, F. and Zucca, P. (2008). Italy. Progress report on cetacean research, January 2007 to December 2007, with statistical data for the season 2006/2007. International Whaling Commission IWC C/60/ Progress Report Italy.Fortuna, M.; Agazzi, S.; Bortolotto, A.; Canese, S.; Clò, S.; Cozzi, B.; Di Guardo, G.; Diaz Lopez, B.; Fossi, M. C.; Gaspari, S.; Gattoni. A.; Giusti, M.; Impetuoso, A.; La Manna, G.; Lauriano, G.; Marsili, L.; Mazzariol, S.; Mazzola, A.; Moulins, A.; Nani, B.; Natoli, A.; Nuti, S.; Pavan, G.; Pelusi, P.; Podestà, M.; Rosso M., Rotta, A.; Trombetti, C.; Tunesi, L. and Volpi, C. (2007). Italy. Progress report on cetacean research, January 2006 to December 2006, with statistical data for the calendar year 2005. International Whaling Commission IWC C/59/ Progress Report Italy.Diaz Lopez, B. & Bernal Shirai, J. A., 2006. "Diurnal & Nocturnal behaviour of bottlenose dolphin groups with emphasis on foraging activity on the northeastern coast of Sardinia (Italy)". In: European Research on Cetaceans, 20th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society ECS 2006 - Gdynia, Polonia.Fortuna M, Agazzi S., Arcangeli A., Bedocchi D, Blasi F., Borsani F. Bortolotto A, Buffa G., Cozzi B., Di Guardo G., Diaz Lopez B., Fattorosi L., Fossi M.C., Fozzi A., Gattoni M., Giurisato M., Gnone G., Impetuoso A., Lauriano G., Maggiani F., Magnone F., Mancusi C., Marsili L., Mazzariol S., Moulins A., Natoli A., Nuti S., Pavan G., Pelusi P., Podestà M., Rosso M., Serena F., Tepsich P. and Tunesi L., 2006 Italy. Progress report on cetacean research, January 2007 to December 2007, with statistical data for the calendar year 2006. International Whaling Commission IWC C/60/ Progress Report Italy.Diaz Lopez, B., 2005. Interactions between bottlenose dolphins with trammel nets in the Sardinia Island. International Council for Exploration of the Sea Document CM 2005/X 1.Diaz Lopez, B.; Polo, F. and Marini, L. (2001). "Feeding behaviour of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) along the north-eastern coast of Sardinia". Talk presented at the 29th Annual Symposium EAAM. Genova 9–12 March 2001.Diaz Lopez, B.; Marini, L.; Polo, F. and Brovelli, M. (2001). "Etologia del tursiope, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821), lungo la costa nord-orientale della Sardegna". Talk presented at the 5 Convegno Nazionale sui Cetacei e sulle Tartarughe Marine CSC. 6–9 December. Comune di Monte Argentario (GR), Italy.

Marine aquaculture and, in particular intensive fish farming, have shown a large expansion in most Mediterranean countries over the last ten years. To curb predation, many marine fish farms employ control methods which exclude, harass or remove predators. One such method, predator netting, creates a physical barrier that protects farmed fish from attacks by airborne and underwater predators. The incidental capture of marine mammals by commercial fisheries is often a controversial and emotive issue. A potential impact on marine mammals as a result of aquaculture interaction is death or injury through entanglement in gear. BDRI researchers carried out the first attempt in the Mediterranean basin to obtain information on encounter rate, group size and incidental capture of bottlenose dolphins in a marine fish farm. The regular occurrence of some dolphins suggests individual preferences for the fish farm area. The incidental bottlenose dolphin capture observed in large, loose predator nets is cause for concern, as it is questionable whether or not the bottlenose dolphins in the area can sustain incidental capture of this magnitude. The information gained from this study showed the necessity for further regulations to be established, both in the use of predator nets and management of marine fish farms.Diaz Lopez B. and Shirai, J.A., 2008. "Marine aquaculture and bottlenose dolphins social structure". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 62(6): 887-894.Diaz Lopez B. and Shirai, J.A., 2007. "Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) presence and incidental capture in a marine fish farm on the north-eastern coast of Sardinia (Italy)" Journal of Marine Biological Association U.K, 87, 113-117.Diaz Lopez, B., 2006. "Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Predation on a Marine Fin Fish Farm:Some Underwater Observations". Aquatic Mammals 32(3): 305 - 310 pp.Diaz Lopez, B., 2007. "Bottlenose dolphin depredation on aquaculture and gillnets along the north-eastern coast of Sardinia" ACCOBAMS - MiPAAF. Rome, 10–11 September 2007. Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery.Diaz Lopez, B., Marini, L. and Polo, F., 2004. "Evolution of a bottlenose dolphins population in the North-Eastern waters of Sardinia (Italy)". In: European Research on Cetaceans - 15 (Ed- P.G.H. Evans). European Cetacean Society ECS, pp 70-73. Cambridge, UK. 2002Diaz Lopez, B., Marini, L.., Polo, F. and Brovelli, M., 2001. "Etologia del tursiope, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821), lungo la costa nord-orientale della Sardegna". Talk presented at the "5 Convegno Nazionale sui Cetacei e sulle Tartarughe Marine CSC ". 6–9 December. Comune di Monte Argentario (GR), Italy.Diaz Lopez, B., 2005. "Interaction between bottlenose dolphins and fish farms: could there be an economic impact?" International Council for Exploration of the Sea Document CM 2005/X 10.Diaz Lopez, B., Marini, L., Polo, F., 2005. "The impact of a fish farm on a bottlenose dolphin population in the Mediterranean Sea". Thalassas international Journal of Marine Sciences, 2005, 21 (2): 53-58.Diaz Lopez, B., 2005 & Shirai, A., 2005. "A survey of anti-bottlenose dolphin control at marine fish farm". Talk presented at the 6o Convegno Nazionale sui Cetacei e sulle Tartarughe Marine CSC. November. Comune di Sperlonga (LT), Italy.