My name is Richie Wise and I am the volunteer drone/uav operator involved with TESS (Tees Estuary Seal Study) up here in the North East of UK. We are a totally independent and totally unfunded (due to losing out on funding application) small core group trying our best to find out the cause of our Harbour Seals pups 100% mortality. We have been conducting a groundbreaking photographic/videography study survey in its 3rd year now mainly over the pupping season solely out of our own savings and whatever we can scrape together. This year we finally had everything in place for scientific sediment sampling of the haul out areas on the mudflats at Seal Sands which we have collected. Now we have hit a stumbling block with totally independent laboratory funding for the analysis fees of eDNA in sediment samples of approx £1700.

Good friends donated the cost of lab testing kits which we are highly grateful for, but now urgently need to get funding for the analysis.

We have one of the most highly respected authorities on Harbour Seals as our lead person in Dr Sue Wilson who has devoted her lifetime to Seals worldwide and even now in retirement gives so much dedication and time simply because of her passion for the species.

We have evidence of chemical and biological (including E. coli) contamination from the dead pups over the last two years)

Any/all funds will be paid directly into Sue's bank account to pay directly to the laboratory for this analysis which could prove to be a groundbreaking breakthrough or at least set a baseline for future follow up testing and data collection.

Our team would be highly grateful whatever each person can donate and even if you can't personally please give this GoFundMe a share.