New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance
The New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA) is this month's nonprofit partner. They work throughout New England to protect and rescue marine wildlife in the Gulf of Maine through education and research. They are an all-volunteer organization, and work with various private, government and non-government organizations to achieve its goal: the conservation of the extraordinary coastal wildlife that live in the waters of the New England region.
Through its many its many research projects and educational outreach activities, NECWA works to protect a wide range of marine wildlife including dolphins, seabirds, seals, basking sharks, ocean sunfish, and many more. Their website includes links for community members to report sightings of these animals, which helps researches from the United States and the rest of the world who operate similar conservation efforts in their respective communities. Read below to learn more about the impactful work NECWA is doing to protect marine wildlife, and click their logo to visit their website!
NECWA combines educational outreach with research and conservation activities to protect and rescue marine wildlife in the coastal waters of New England.
Donations made to the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance will have a great impact on the wildlife that reside within the waters of the Gulf of Maine. The following are a few of the unique animals they strive to protect:
- Basking sharks
- Ocean sunfish
- Diamondback Terrapin
- 10 other species of turtle native to Massachusetts
- Whales
- Dolphins
- Seabirds
- Seals
New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance's Work
Marine Wildlife Research
Biologists and scientists work with commercial whale watching companies that operate in the Gulf of Maine. This arrangement provides researchers with an affordable platform that gives them consistent access to wild populations of whales and other marine animals sighted offshore over the course of their trips. This partnership between the business and research communities forms the basis of valuable long-term studies on coastal marine wildlife. Click the above picture to be sent to the Marine Wildlife Research page on NECWA's website!
Scientific Technologies
New technologies are helping scientists better understand their long term studies and interactions with marine wildlife. Acoustic tags and sensors are used to monitor the movements and sounds of animals. With these tags and sensors, researchers can better understand the seasonal movements of different types of animals as well as evaluate the impact human activities have on the marine wildlife living in the Gulf of Maine.. Click the above picture to learn more about the Scientific Technologies NECWA uses in its research, detailed on their website!
New England Basking Shark Project
The New England Basking Shark Project (NEBShark) and the New England Ocean Sunfish Project (NEOSunfish) are community-sighting networks for both the basking shark and ocean sunfish, two commonly sighted fish in the waters off New England. The basking shark is one of the largest fish in the world, second only in size to the whale shark. Individuals can reach lengths of 38 feet and weighs up to 8,500 pounds. The basking shark is listed as vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, making it all the more important that conservation efforts are focused towards preserving this beautiful shark. Click the picture above to be sent to the NEBShark Project page on NECWA's website!
New England Ocean Sunfish Project
The most commonly found ocean sunfish in New England waters is called the Mola mola. It has a very unusual swimming behavior, making it easy to spot from the water's surface. Common molas are the heaviest bony fish in the world, reaching lengths of 6 to 10 feet and weights of 2 to 4 tons. Each year, a small number of molas strand, typically dead, on New England beaches. NECWA staff and interns respond to both live and dead strandings of mola as part of its New England Ocean Sunfish Project. Click the picture above to be sent to the NEOSunfish Project page on NECWA's website!
Southcoast Terrapin Project
NECWA staff and interns walk New England beaches in search of female terrapins coming up onto the beach to nest. The Diamondback Terrapin is the only brackish-water turtle that lives in the coastal marshes of New England. NECWA has now expanded its study on nesting females which is conducted from the end of May through mid-June. In late summer and early fall, NECWA also actively documents natural and predated nests in order to better understand the survivorship of hatchings (baby terrapins) or other new recruits in these areas. Click the picture above to be sent to the Southcoast Terrapin Project page on the NECWA website!
Turtles of Massachusetts
There are 11 different species of turtles that live and nest in Massachusetts. Sea turtles are annual visitors to its offshore waters each summer and fall, but they nest and spend their winters in southern, more tropical areas. Click the picture above to be sent to NECWA's "Turtles in Massachusetts" page, which details a verity of resources for helping turtles. "We all need to help these animals survive for they are amazing, deserving in their own right and are our backyard neighbors."
Marine Education Resources
The NECWA has a plethora of marine education resources available on their site relating to the animals and marine wildlife of the New England coastal area:
- Books for young readers
- Field guides and papers for adults
- Educational websites
- Presentations for all ages
- and more!
Join us in supporting NECWA!
75% of this month's donations will go towards our partner, the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance.
This month and every month, Wild Boyz Photography will be partnering with one nonprofit. 75% of any donations that we receive during the month will go to the nonprofit. Help the New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance continue their mission to protect and rescue marine wildlife in the coastal waters of New England.