Hi there! My name is Zoe Rauscher, and I am one of the volunteers and drone pilots for the Marineland Right Whale Project (MRWP).

North Atlantic right whales are a critically endangered marine mammal, with only about 380 individuals remaining at the end of 2024. The two leading causes of death for North Atlantic right whales are ship strikes and entanglements, both resulting from human activities. Calves are particularly vulnerable as they lack the experience and speed of adults to evade approaching vessels.

Thankfully, the Marineland Right Whale Project (MRWP) is directed by researchers at the Associated Scientists at Woods Hole who are able to make a direct impact in the conservation of the species! (Read below!)

However, given that the MRWP is a program run by a non-profit organization, we depend entirely on research grants (becoming increasingly more difficult to obtain due to federal budget cuts for environmental areas of research) and charitable donations to operate.

*In order for the researchers from Associated Scientists at Woods Hole to continue their impactful conservation efforts for the 2027 season, we must raise enough donations for the organization to be able to operate.*

Your donations support essential surveys, specialized equipment—such as remote-controlled drones, high-resolution cameras with telescopic lenses, and marine binoculars—as well as research, reporting, and administrative costs.

Unfortunately it is not possible to chip or digitally track right whales. As such, a designated team of volunteers surveys the ocean daily in order to locate the whales. When a team sights a whale, they inform MRWP project leaders who, in turn, provide photographic evidence of the sighting to the FWC (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission).

In response, the FWC notifies the Early Warning System, a communication system that sends alerts to both commercial and federal ships, mandating that the ships slow down and/or change course to move away from the whales. In doing so, our non-profit organization helps protect vulnerable right whale mothers and calves during their annual migration, giving this species a better chance at survival.

Please visit marinelandrightwhale.org to learn more!