Instrument Deployment (IMAGE) Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Caption While the gliders continue to run their surveys, the team aboard Endeavor works in rough seas to deploy a video plankton recorder, an instrument that helps them assess the availability of food for baleen whales. Scientists believe right whales may travel to the central Gulf of Maine during Nov. - Jan. to mate, but very little oceanographic or zooplankton data exists for this area, because weather conditions can be very challenging in during the late fall and winter. "We wanted to get the gliders up to this area that's very rarely surveyed by ships," says Baumgartner, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, in an attempt to fill in some of the gaps in what is known about these whales and their ecosystem. Credit (Photo by Nadine Lysiak, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) Usage Restrictions With proper credit License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.