Center for Oceanic Research and Education

Center for Oceanic Research and Education

Based in Essex, MA, The Center for Oceanic Research and Education (CORE) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and conservation of cetaceans.

Cetaceans are whales, dolphins and porpoises. CORE's mission is to promote stewardship and conservation of cetaceans and their marine environment.

Yankee Fleet is proud to be a founding member and major sponsor of CORE.

Why does CORE make your whale watching trip special?

We specialize in making your whale watching trip the most interesting, fun, and thought provoking experience possible. We have more staff scientists aboard than any other whale watch operator. There are 4 staff scientists on board each trip to enhance your trip with us. Activities include:

Learn about a new special topic each month. This month learn about red tides and bio toxins.
Read about whales from our selection of excellent books onboard.
Read all about current ocean news from our collection of articles.
Listen to a humpback whale song and examine real whale bones and baleen.
Participate in a plankton tow - examine specimens under a microscope and learn about plankton from scientists.
Learn about whales one-on-one from researchers working as education mates onboard each trip.
Be a research assistant for a trip! A $25 donation to CORE will allow you to work up top with CORE researchers. You'll get your very own research packet and clipboard.
Become a junior captain! Join us in the Pilot House and learn about navigation. Drive the boat and receive a junior captain's certificate.
Watch ocean videos in the cabin on the ride out.
Follow our trip on a GPS navigation display.
Kids can join the crew in the Yankee Kids Corner to participate in fun activities on the ride home.

four whales coming out of surface and passengers on ferry

Focus on Social Interaction Among Whales

In collaboration with other research organizations, CORE's research focuses on the fascinating social interactions among whales.

Through whale watch education programs, school presentations, public outreach activities and internships, CORE hopes to educate as many people as possible about the plight of endangered whales and their fragile marine environment.

four ladies standing in front of whale mural

CORE cleans up the local watershed!

CORE Watershed Project
CORE is hitting the streets to raise watershed awareness and to raise funds for CORE's ongoing education outreach programs! If you would like to support CORE's efforts, please send a check made out to CORE and send to:

CORE
245 Western Ave, Box 8
Essex, MA 01929

Your donation will be gratefully accepted! (and is tax deductible!)

What is a Watershed?
Every water body has a land area from which it drains. This is known as a watershed. Rain that falls on land will eventually drain into streams and rivers that lead to the ocean. Pollution that comes from land use within a watershed is known as non-point source pollution. This includes everything from lawn fertilizer in residential areas, to oil and debris from roads and parking lots. This type of pollution is a growing concern and is difficult to regulate since it originates from many sources.

How does it relate to me?
Everyone creates non-point source pollution every day: through the use of cars, fertilizing our lawns, by not cleaning up after pets, leaving litter and debris in streets and public use areas, and many other ways in everyday life. Land activities directly impact our coastal areas whether we live on beach-side property or 1,000 miles inland. Runoff from streets into sewer carries with it all the pollution and trash we leave behind.

How to help:

Bag that trash. Plastics often make their way into oceans where fish, turtles, and other marine life mistake them for food or become entangled. Many sea creatures ingest these plastics and starve or suffocate as a result.
Dispose of cigarette butts. They are mistaken as food by many marine animals.
Properly dispose of used motor oil, acid from car batteries, household grease and other toxic substances. Don't pour them down the drain and don't allow them to run into storm drains. Contact your local officials for special programs to dispose of hazardous materials.
Carefully read the labels on lawn products and other chemicals and use them sparingly, Use phosphate free laundry detergent.
Conserve water by not running it when it's not needed, such as when you're shaving or brushing teeth, and when washing dishes. Install a spray head onto your garden hose and install shower, toilet, and household appliances that conserve water.
Reduce, reuse and recycle materials as much as possible. This includes plastic, aluminum, paper, and cardboard.
Learn about environmental issues in your neighborhood. Participate in a local project like street or beach clean-up. Adopt a stream or pond near you and keep it clean.
KIDS! Join the Blue Planet Youth Alliance or other environmental organizations for kids.

Adopting a Whale

Sponsoring a whale is a wonderful way to support the Center for Oceanic Research and Education's (CORE) on-going research efforts. The mission of The Center for Oceanic Research and Education is to promote stewardship and conservation of cetaceans and their marine environment. Through whale watch education programs, school presentations, and public outreach activities, CORE endeavors to stimulate awareness of, and concern for the environment.

Each Adoption Packet includes:

A letter of welcome
A 5 x 7 color photograph of your sponsored whale
The life history of your sponsored whale
A certificate of sponsorship
A complimentary CORE magnet
Updates on your whale all year long on CORE's website
A bi-annual newsletter updating you on any observations of your whale, as well as CORE's research

Become a member!

Becoming a member of CORE can help whale research in several ways. Monies raised through memberships create an important foundation for implementing CORE's mission, as well as the continued growth of the organization.

In past years with membership donations, CORE has procured a variety of important research and office materials, including a much-needed photo/negative scanner and two additional computers. Contributions are also utilized to purchase archival equipment, film and the development of literally thousands of identification photographs. Each year it is also necessary to maintain and expand the catalogs of Gulf of Maine Humpback Whales and Fin Whales.

In the future, CORE hopes to expand the scope of the research programs to include a Minke Whale program. Other upcoming plans call for more intensive research trips, purchasing and utilizing hydro phone equipment, as well as continuing our community and school outreach programs. We thank you for considering a membership to CORE. Your support is sincerely appreciated.

In collaboration with other research organizations, CORE's research focuses primarily upon the populations of Fin Whales and Humpback Whales found in the inshore waters of New England. We are currently working on several projects including:

A study regarding the hierarchy among social/feeding groups of Humpback Whales.
Novel feeding behavior (the use of bubbles) in Fin Whales.
The presence of Orca scars on Humpback Whales, their main predator in the North Atlantic.
Bias in whale watching regarding the amount of data and photos we're able to collect on Humpback Whales vs. Fin Whales.
Shifts in distribution of whale species over time.
And many other studies in progress.
On-going studies include photo-identification studies of Humpback Whales, Fin Whales, Sperm Whales, North Atlantic Right Whales, Minke Whales and Pilot Whales.

Through Whale Watch Education Programs, School Presentations and public outreach activities, CORE hopes to educate as many people as possible about the plight of endangered whales and their fragile marine environment.

CORE researchers conduct their research aboard Yankee Whale Watching vessels out of Gloucester. These opportunistic research platforms allow CORE to observe whales in several feeding areas including Jeffrey's Ledge, Stellwagen Bank, the remote Canyons at the Continental Shelf, and the Great South Channel. Coverage over such an immense area of the Gulf of Maine ecosystem helps us better understand the habits of Humpback, Fin and Minke whales. Armed with better understanding, we hope to assure the future conservation of the critical habitat so important to our endangered subjects.

To become a member call 1-800-WHALING,1-800-942-5464.

Internships

Interns can expect to participate in and learn a variety of facets of research including:

Data collection; data entry; archiving and cataloging photographs and negatives; general office work.
Data analysis methods; individual identification of whales through photo analysis; data submission to educational on-line program WhaleNet.
Public speaking; fund raising; correspondence with other organizations, researcher and students.
Interns are also assigned a specific on-going research project and will be expected to complete an extensive reading list to gain important background knowledge.
Basics of navigation; boat handling; use of marine electronics including GPS, LORAN, radar and echolocation machines; handling lines; and general knowledge of vessel safety and emergency protocol.

CORE offers year-round internship opportunities to qualified college students or graduates. We require a two-month minimum stay. We do not provide room or board, but will assist interns in any way in finding housing and transportation (if necessary). We also offer flexible hours, so that interns can obtain part-time jobs, if needed.

Application deadline for the summer internship session April 1, with interviews being conducted through the first weeks of May. The deadline for the fall internship session is July 31st, with interviews through mid-August. We also accept applicants for spring or winter. To apply for an internship, please complete an application and send your resume or CV, a letter of interest identifying your reason for applying, and a letter of recommendation to the below address.

Internship Program
Yankee Fleet
PO Box 1325
Gloucester, MA 01931