Floating Habitats: Marine Wildlife in a Costa Rican Fjord

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 TEAM

Dec 05 - Dec 13, 2026

https://earthwatch.org/expeditions/floating-habitats-marine-wildlife-costa-rican-fjord