Marine Mammal Stranding Network going strong….

Harbor seal pup at Wolf Hollow...photo by Sahale Casebolt

It always good to hear about the good work the Stranding Network does – here’s more from Amy:

The San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network (SJCMMSN) would like to thank the community for all their assistance in reporting stranded (live and dead) marine mammals over the past year.

Amy Traxler, Network Coordinator, says they received over 230 calls in 2009 reporting a variety of marine mammals on shore including harbor seals, harbor porpoise, elephant seals, and Steller and California sea lions.  With the fresh carcasses that were collected, 33 complete necropsies were performed, primarily on harbor seals and harbor porpoise.

“We depend on the community to be our ‘eyes and ears’ to let us know what’s happening along our shorelines,” states Traxler.  “Only by documenting these strandings, gathering the pertinent information, collecting fresh carcasses for necropsies, and recording all this information in our long-term data set can we monitor diseases, contaminant levels, and the impact we humans potentially have on our local populations.

To report marine mammal strandings or sightings, call the Whale Hotline at 1-800-562-8832.  If you would like more information on the Stranding Network, please contact Amy at The Whale Museum at 378-4710, ext. 27.

The Stranding Network is authorized by NOAA and administered through The Whale Museum.

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