Indian River Lagoon dolphins had an unwavering champion in Dr. Gregory Bossart | Opinion

Michael R. Howard

Johnson’s sea grass (Halophila johnsonii) is found only in southeast Florida, including the southern half of the lagoon. Johnson’s sea grass is short, one to two inches long, with paired leaves that have central veins originating from a single node on a rhizome. It can form dense patches, with patches often split between deep water and shallow shoals, possibly due to competition for light with larger species. Johnson’s sea grass was named in honor of J. Seward Johnson Sr., founder of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution in Fort Pierce. The National Marine Fisheries Service considers Johnson’s sea grass to be a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, due to its limited ability to reproduce and its limited distribution.

On occasion we lose a relative, colleague or friend whose loss transcends those timeless emotions of sadness and grief and reveals a void that we know might never be filled. Such, I feel, was revealed by the loss of my friend, Dr. Gregory D. Bossart, whose passing in November leaves a void in the ongoing effort to save our unique Indian River Lagoon and its sentinel population of bottlenose dolphins.

I met Dr. Bossart years ago when he was the leading marine mammal research scientist at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. He kindly allowed me, with no marine mammal credentials other than a desire to help, to work at the HBOI Marine Mammal Research Center and participate in his prestigious Indian River Lagoon Dolphin Health and Environmental Risk Assessments.

HERA is a very complex and potentially hazardous lagoon operation, involving large numbers of boats, people and months of planning. Wild dolphins are humanely caught, subjected to a complete tooth-to-tail medical evaluation and then released back into the lagoon. This effort produces invaluable medical data on individual dolphins, and their health profile can be tracked over their lifetime and includes the entire Indian River Lagoon dolphin population. As apex predators, this information helps determine the health of the lagoon and identify potential health threats to humans.

My part in HERA was simple: provide muscle to help catch these magnificent creatures. Once a dolphin was caught and safely aboard the medical boat, I then had the unique privilege of observing Dr. Bossart work his medical magic with these magnificent animals.

His application of knowledge and skill are beyond my ability to describe. He had a sixth sense, developed over years of research and hands-on experience, in knowing the subtle and unnoticeable (to the rest of us) physical, emotional and physiological problems the dolphin might be experiencing during the process. He was always calm, decisive and quietly in charge. All dolphins in his care were safe, secure and treated with careful kindness and respect.

For the past several years Dr. Bossart worked at the renowned Georgia Aquarium, where he served as senior vice president and chief veterinary officer overseeing its animal care, research and conservation programs. But he remained actively involved with Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute's efforts to study and save our Indian River Lagoon and its marine mammals.

Even at a distance, he remained a force, advocate and activist in local preservation efforts. There is insufficient space here to list Dr. Bossart ’s impressive lifetime accomplishments. But with a quick google search, you will be amazed by his scientific achievements, contributions to conservation and his 30 years of dedicated work in marine mammal medicine and wildlife pathology on local, national and international levels.

A bottlenose dolphin surfaces in the Indian River Lagoon near Wabasso during one of the Environmental Learning Center's boat excursions to Pelican Island.

He was a quiet, introspective man cloaked in intelligence, dedication and confidence. During HERA briefs, I recall how an audience of top marine mammal experts, including scientists and veterinarians, and rowdy marine mammal wannabes like me, would all suddenly become quiet and reverently attentive whenever Dr. Bossart spoke. The respect he commanded was impressive and extended well into international marine mammal conservation circles.

I am honored to have been allowed inside his unique world and to have known such a fine man. He faced his impending death with astounding courage and dignity, just as he lived and worked for so many decades in his attempts to save our precious Indian River Lagoon and those magnificent dolphins whose lives depend on its health.

I will never again look on any Indian River Lagoon dolphin, from Titusville to Stuart, without seeing Dr. Bossart’s mark on it and thinking that those iconic dolphin smiles we all love so much are smiles in memory of their greatest friend.

Capt. Michael R. Howard is a retired Navy SEAL.