This June, I will be volunteering my time for Italian non-profit organization Oceanomore Delphis as a Research Assistant to help preserve cetaceans and their critical habitat off the west coast of Italy.

For 3 weeks, I will be living on the research vessel located in Ischia, Italy. We will be using acoustic monitoring and photo-identification methods to monitor and identify sperm whales, fin whales, pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, common dolphins, striped dolphins and the Risso’s dolphins.

I’m seeking financial help to get to the research vessel on the island of Ischia.

My goal is to raise funds simultaneously for the non-profit organization and for my travel route by donating 50% of all funds raised directly to the organization. In essence, for every $2 donated, $1 will fund Oceanomare Delphis and $1 will fund my travel to the research location.

Last summer, volunteer and videographer Alessandro Portante filmed a mini-documentary highlighting the important work, research and daily life aboard the Jean Gab. Watch the video here to learn how fundraising like this supports their mission.

About Oceanomare Delphis - Information from CEO & Founder Barbara Mussi, and website https://oceanomaredelphis.org/en/

What is the main goal of the Organization?
Oceanomare Delphis is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea.

Simply put, our main goal is to identify critical cetacean habitats to protect them.

Our day-to-day operations help us define the population density of cetaceans residing around Ischia. This is done by:

• estimating the size and trend of populations
• analyzing the social structure of populations
• studying the use of the environment and distribution in the area
• determining the impact on cetaceans from fishing and naval traffic operations
• describing the acoustic repertoire of cetaceans