Funded by: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Foundation

Minimizing the possibility of ship strikes for the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale is the first objective of Wildlife Trust’s right whale recovery plan.  Knowledge of how right whales behave or respond to ships is needed to determine the best method of preventing ship collisions, the main source of human-caused right whale mortality. 

This study uses behavioral observations and non-invasive multi-sensor digital tags (DTAG) to record information on whale movements (fluke stroke, pitch, roll, etc.) and gather acoustic information to determine whether right whales respond to approaching ships in the southeast U.S.  This important data will provide development for the most effective ship management techniques.

To learn more about our partners please click on the links provided

   Georgia Department of Natural Resources
   Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
   Florida State University