Pelagic Odontoceti Research Project
Marine Life Studies is a volunteer 501(c)3 not for profit organization that is committed to protecting our oceans, whales, dolphins, and other marine wildlife through research, education, and conservation. Through our Research Scientist Program , we have been progressing on our new Pelagic Odontoceti Research Project, lead by researcher, Josh McInnes. The project consists of collecting data on photo-identification, occurrence patterns, and foraging behavior of toothed cetaceans inhabiting the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Two areas we are comparing are Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) and the Salish Sea off Vancouver Island British Columbia, with hopes to publish guides to be distributed to other researchers and the public through a citizen science philosphy. Both areas exhibit different species diversity based on physical dynamics of ocean patterns. We feel that collaboration and citizen science is important for the productivity and efficiency of future research. Our goal is to continue this project year-around and to present our research work at the 22nd Biennial Society for Marine Mammalogy Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia in October 2017. 
Please contribute to this important research. By doing so, you become the most critical part of our project by supporting our team to learn more about the many species of toothed cetaceans in the MBNMS. We need to research more about the species and the habitat they live in so that we can discover and understand the behavior and ecology, with addition of helping protect them from growing threats. 
These funds will cover our operating costs so the team can continue conducting dedicated field surveys, including costs and fuel for our 40-foot research vessel, slip fees, and research equipment. 
Funds will also contribute to send our team to the Marine Mammal Conference in Halifax to display a table exhibit and poster/video presentation of our research. Additional funds over our goal will cover costs associated with the maintenance of equipment and purchases of “new technology” to benefit the project for longer-term monitoring of these species.
