Benefiting Florida’s Oceans

The best way to conserve natural systems is to understand them and the human interactions that affect them. Since 1963, HSWRI has pioneered scientific discoveries about oceanic animals and their ecosystems. These discoveries help identify solutions to the challenges of both conservation and sustainable human development, which is HSWRI’s mission: “To return to the sea some measure of the benefits derived from it.”

HSWRI conducts a wide range of research projects in Florida. Active projects include responding to injured whales and dolphins that get stranded on the beaches of east-central Florida, evaluating the ecology of dolphins as a top-level predator in the Indian River Lagoon, mapping conservation lands associated with the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge (a globally important sea turtle habitat/refuge), providing scientific leadership to develop an international center for sharing knowledge about rare pygmy and dwarf sperm whale research, implementing cutting-edge research on the vast ocean migrations of the endangered leatherback turtles, and providing education program development to promote scientific literacy. Some recent examples of our scientific excellence and leadership include:

• Tracking the vast ocean migrations of the endangered leatherback sea turtle in the Atlantic Ocean using advanced satellite transmitters.
• Acting as a first responder in providing leadership to live and dead dolphin and whale strandings in Florida’s northeast and east-central counties, a “hotspot” region for dolphin and whale strandings in the southeastern U.S.
• Creating a world-class center for scientific research, conservation and education on lands donated to the Institute by the Richard King Mellon Foundation.
• Working with the University of Florida to develop one of the most advance marine mammal physiology programs in the nation.
• Sharing our discoveries with teachers and students to promote scientific literacy through innovative programs. As an example, HSWRI is working with the Brevard County Public School System to create a pilot program for science teacher development called the “Deep Science” program.

Our organization is an independent, not-for-profit public charity with programs in scientific research, conservation and education. It is not an advocacy organization.