The Middle Island Project's objective is to protect and increase a threatened colony of Little Penguins. The project has received a great deal of national and international media attention due to the use of Maremma guardian dogs to protect penguins. Warrnambool Coastcare Landcare Network volunteers conduct population counts and breeding surveys between August and April each breeding season. Since the project commenced, no penguins have been killed by foxes and the colony has grown from less than 10 birds to about 200. The project's target is to assist the colony to grow to 2,000 birds. In 2015 the feature movie Oddball was released which tells a fictional tale based on the Middle Island Project.