CFVI provided a grant to Haiti Ocean Project, Inc. from the Judith A. Towle Environmental Studies Fund to conduct rapid ecological assessments along the inner southern coastline of Haiti in order to identify, categorize and document marine mammal populations in the area. The objectives of the project were to conserve and protect high priority marine life, such as marine mammals, sharks, sea turtles and stingrays, through the training of local fishermen to capture and record marine mammal sightings, and through the research and data collection of these recorded sightings. Funds were used to train local fishermen on documenting marine mammals and to provide them with camera phones and stipends for their time. They covered 50 miles of territory from Miragoane to Corail in a 6-week time period and identified five marine mammal species (sperm whale, pantropical spotted dolphin, bottlenose dolphin, Cuvier’s beaked whale and short-finned pilot whale). To learn more about the Haiti Ocean Project, click Read More.