Floating Habitats: Marine Wildlife in a Costa Rican Fjord
♡ SaveAbout this opportunity
For more than a decade, researchers and Earthwatch volunteers have studied the behavior, health, and habitat use of marine mammals in Golfo Dulce, revealing its vital role as a nursery and feeding ground. Now, the project is entering a new phase-exploring the impacts of "debris rafts," floating patches of organic material and man-made waste, and the surprising ways marine animals interact with them.You’ll assist scientists in tracking how these debris rafts influence dolphin feeding behavior, sea turtle movement, and plastic ingestion rates. Through boat-based surveys, behavioral observations, and debris analysis, you’ll help piece together the complex relationship between human-generated waste and marine ecosystems.The data you collect will help fill crucial gaps in our understanding of how pollution is reshaping ocean life in this pristine region. Your work will directly contribute to science-based conservation efforts aimed at preserving the extraordinary biodiversity of Golfo Dulce before the impacts of tourism and pollution become irreversible.2026 Dates:Jul 25 - Aug 02, 2026 TEEN TEAMDec 05 - Dec 13, 2026https://earthwatch.org/expeditions/floating-habitats-marine-wildlife-costa-rican-fjord
About Earthwatch
Earthwatch is a non-profit organization that connects people with scientists to improve the health and sustainability of our planet. Since our founding in 1971, Earthwatch has empowered over 200,000 volunteers to take action to address global change using a time-tested model of participatory science and community engagement.Earthwatch supports rigorous scientific research to inform the innovative solutions needed to address the growing impacts of global change. But the scientists can’t do it alone. Our pioneering model of participatory science enables researchers to collect large amounts of data over long periods, allowing them to gather conclusive and compelling evidence to support long-term, community-based conservation efforts.By pairing volunteers with researchers around the world, we are opening channels to communicate science far beyond academic circles. With Earthwatch, everyday people are able to gain firsthand experience with scientific research. Our participants don’t just observe: they collect data, monitor wildlife and restore ecosystems. Volunteers become active participants in environmental solutions while connecting to the natural world in a personal and often profound way.With this model, Earthwatch teams have helped to safeguard critical habitats, conserve biodiversity, promote the sustainable use of natural resources, and shape environmental policy.Are you ready to experience hands-on science in some of the world's most astounding locations?
This opportunity has already taken place.