A collaboration of coastal community members to learn more about the seasonal occurrence of expatriated tropical and subtropical fish along the east coast of North America.

Data Gathering

The seasonal phenomenon of Gulf Stream Orphan arrivals creates a fascination shared by a large community of nature observers, divers, aquarists, and research scientists. The Gulf Stream Orphan Project hopes to provide a common place for members of this community throughout the region to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of their occurrence and environmental impact. These sightings are rare, so a large collaborative network is needed to assemble enough data to make significant inferences into the phenomenon. (IMAGE: CCS Surveying Pleasant Bay, Orleans MA)

Sustainable Exhibition

Assembling regional sighting data regarding species diversity and distribution of expatriated tropical fishes helps marine conservation organizations advance data gathering efforts and enhance the stewardship of local ecosystems. In addition to conducting biodiversity surveys, several organizations also collect a subset of specimens they observe for educational display. Exhibition of these fascinating creatures that would otherwise perish each winter helps to engage the public in marine conservation initiatives and highlight the biodiversity of coastal habitats in their region. (IMAGE: Juvenile Blue Angelfish)

Understanding Our Oceans

Extralimital subtropical and tropical species reach the coastal waters of the northwest Atlantic through the swirling of eddies and warm core rings (WCRs) of the Gulf Stream. These large parcels of water split off from the Gulf Stream and migrate north to New England while maintaining habitable water conditions for planktonic eggs, larvae, and juvenile fishes. By learning more about their distribution, we can better understand coastal ecosystem dynamics and potential changes in the biogeography of species along the east coast of North America. (IMAGE: NASA Coastal Zone Color Scanner)