Overview
MET is the primary sponsor and the only state funding for the Atlantic Large Whale (and Sea Turtle) Disentanglement Network (ALWDN). The ALWDN program fulfills a mandate of the state to protect and help ensure the survival of endangered marine animals under the federal Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act. MET achieves this objective by partnering with the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to respond to a timely and critical need to ensure the survival of at-risk marine animals dependent on safe habitat and healthy ecosystems for feeding, places to breed, and migration stopovers.
Examples of the kinds of eligible project concepts:
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Advancement of conservation measures and the understanding of marine mammal ecology;
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Advancement of progress in developing fishing gear that is safe for marine life;
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Collection, analyses, and sharing of scientific data regarding at risk sea turtle and whale populations that inhabit, utilize, or migrate in state waters; primarily the North Atlantic right whales;
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Expansion of methods of monitoring whale movements that may provide additional early-warning detection systems and advance notification that will help prevent accidental boat/ship strikes to marine animals;
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Dissemination of information for the purpose of preserving and safeguarding whale populations;
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Assistance and care for injured and/or stranded marine animals.