Dolphin Interleukin-1 Alpha (IL-1α) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine belonging to the IL-1 family—which includes IL-1α, IL-1β, and the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra)—and plays a central role in initiating innate immune responses in dolphins, particularly the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). IL-1α is constitutively expressed in epithelial and barrier tissues and functions as an intracellular alarmin that is rapidly released upon cell injury, necrosis, or environmental insult, triggering early inflammatory signaling. Upon binding to the IL-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1), IL-1α activates NF-κB and MAPK pathways that promote leukocyte recruitment, endothelial activation, fever, and amplification of pro-inflammatory cytokine cascades. In dolphin health, IL-1α is particularly relevant in inflammatory conditions such as respiratory infections, bacterial and fungal dermatitis, wound healing, and systemic inflammatory responses, as well as in immune activation associated with environmental stressors including pollutant exposure and harmful algal blooms. While essential for pathogen defense and tissue repair, excessive IL-1α signaling may contribute to tissue pathology and chronic inflammation. As an early mediator of sterile and infectious inflammation, dolphin IL-1α serves as a biomarker of tissue injury and immune activation in both managed and free-ranging populations. In comparative and conservation research, characterization of dolphin IL-1α supports studies of inflammatory regulation, environmental immunotoxicology, and host resilience mechanisms, providing insight into innate immune responses in marine mammals and broader mammalian inflammatory biology.