About the Riverhead Foundation

The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation’s primary mission is to preserve and protect our marine environment through education, rehabilitation and research. The Riverhead Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that operates the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program in New York State.

The Riverhead Foundation is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of seals, sea turtles, whales dolphins and porpoises. Some of these species are critically endangered and may become extinct in our lifetime. All are protected under New York, federal and, in some cases, international laws.

The Riverhead Foundation’s Rescue Hotline 631-369-9829 is a 24-hour phone line for reporting an animal in need of care.

The organization engages in tours of the facility, lectures, seal cruises, ecology walks, and beach cleanups to foster good stewardship of the environment. In addition, the foundation engages in research, such as the current extensive marine mammal and sea turtle abundance study throughout the coastal waters of New York State. It encompasses aerial, shipboard land-based surveys. The goal of the project is to establish baseline populations for several species of marine mammals and sea turtles. The baseline population data can then be used by regulatory authorities as a basis for decisions regarding management parameters, stranding and rehabilitation efforts, and public conservation and education.

The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research & Preservation relies on donations to help carry out its mission. Donations take the form of corporate/individual sponsorships, memberships and animal ‘adoptions.’ The Foundation also relies on the public for its dedicated force of volunteers, who are involved in every aspect of its operation.