Entanglement in fishing gear is a rising global concern and one of the leading causes of death among several large whale species.  These whales can carry gear for weeks if not months before succumbing to injury, exhaustion, starvation, or infection.  Since 1984, the Center for Coastal Studies has freed more than 200 large whales and other marine animals from life threatening entanglements, using techniques developed by staff in Provincetown, Mass.  Disentanglement events are dynamic, logistically challenging, and require teams with specialized skill sets and equipment.  Learn about the history of disentanglement, what a successful response looks like, and how members of the public can assist rescuers.

Our speaker, Morgan Pirozzi, graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in environmental science and studied humpback whale acoustics with Duke University. She first came to the Center for Coastal Studies as an intern with the Right Whale…