Marineland Canada partners with Sea Research Foundation for beluga whale conservation

Marineland Canada and a Connecticut-based Sea Research Foundation have announced a ten-year partnership focusing on beluga whale research, conservation, and education.

The long-term relationship will support an international investigative research effort looking to assist marine scientists gain further knowledge of beluga whales.

Their goal is to improve the health and survivability of the endangered population in the St. Lawrence Seaway,

Scientists will use data findings and analysis from the work at Marineland to develop real-time solutions for conservation management of belugas in the wild.

This partnership is the largest commitment to beluga conservation and research in North America.

Sea Research Foundation will produce annual reports, present findings at scientific meetings and collaborate with Marineland on the publication of research results.

“Sea Research Foundation’s internationally recognized researchers will enable us to take our work to the next level,” said Marie Holer of Marineland Canada.

The research effort will begin with an in-depth study of the whales at Marineland to establish baseline data on beluga health, including their nervous and immune systems.

The research will be led by scientists at Sea Research Foundation in collaboration with interdisciplinary scholars and scientists from some of the world’s leading oceanographic and marine science research institutions such as National Geographic, Woods Hole, Oceanographic Institution, University of Connecticut, University of Rhode Island and Tufts University.