‘New York has one of the busiest ports on the eastern seacoast – and it is only expected to increase with proposed plans for multiple industry projects off our shores. At Gotham Whale, the only research group currently monitoring marine mammals around NYC, we are working to build a picture of the population of seals, dolphins, and whales in this area of high human activity.
The data that our citizen scientists at Gotham Whale produce is critical to enhancing our understanding of marine mammal movements. Collecting the data is one thing, but being able to share it and inform decisions up and down the east coast is equally critical to our work. Through the regional ocean planning process, we are actively engaging with scientists, stakeholders, industry members and government officials to help map out critical habitats and – when the time comes — allow these data to help accommodate potentially conflicting uses while protecting these critical species.’
Photography by Artie Raslich/Gotham Whale (background)