Cape Cod Researchers Launch Fundraiser To Protect North Atlantic Right Whales

A Cape Cod–based research group has launched a fundraising campaign to support research and conservation for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

According to a Boston.com report, the Marineland Right Whale Project (MRWP) launched a GoFundMe campaign in February. To date, the fundraiser has received approximately $630 toward its $15,000 goal.

MRWP volunteer and drone pilot Zoe Rauscher organized the effort.

“In order for the researchers from Associated Scientists at Woods Hole to continue their impactful conservation efforts for the 2027 season, we must raise enough donations for the organization to be able to operate,” Rauscher stated on the fundraiser page. 

Funds raised will cover field activities, such as aerial and vessel surveys, and help purchase equipment, including drones, high-resolution cameras, and marine binoculars.

North Atlantic right whales remain critically endangered due to vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements. Whale calves are especially vulnerable to these threats. Recent whale deaths — including a 3-year-old female which was found washed ashore off Virginia and a male entangled in fishing gear — have renewed the focus on conservation.