The Marine Mammal Center is a private non-profit
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
organization centered on rescue, rehabilitation, environmental research and education regarding marine mammals such as cetaceans and
sealsPinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae...
.
Located near
Rodeo BeachRodeo Beach is a beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area located in Marin County, California, two miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is characterized by a spit of around 50 meters width at the mouth of a long embayment, known as Rodeo Lagoon; for much of the year the lagoon is cut...
in
Marin County, CaliforniaMarin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2007, the population was 248,096. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is...
, the Center has received over 12,000 sick, wounded and orphaned animals since its founding in 1975. These animals strand along the Pacific Coast of the western U.S. and represent the following major species:
California sea lionThe California Sea Lion is a coastal sea lion of western North America. Their numbers are abundant , and the population continues to expand at a rate of approximately 5.0% annually. They are quite intelligent, can adapt to man-made environments, and even adult males can be easily trained...
,
Northern elephant sealThe Northern Elephant Seal is one of two species of elephant seal . It is a member of the Phocidae family...
, Pacific harbor seal,
fur sealFur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...
,
dolphinDolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly...
and the
endangered speciesAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Also it could mean that due to deforestation there may be a lack of food and/or water...
Southern
sea otterThe sea otter is a marine mammal native to the coasts of the northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean. Adult sea otters typically weigh between 14 and 45 kg , making them the heaviest members of the weasel family, but among the smallest marine mammals...
. Most of the animals brought in are successfully rehabilitated and released to the wild; no medical research is conducted using the rescued animals, although valuable scientific data is collected through routine diagnostic and necropsy analyses from the normal course of providing
rehabilitationPhysical medicine and rehabilitation , or physiatry , is a branch of medicine which aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with physical impairments or disabilities. A physician who has completed training in this field is referred to as a physiatrist...
to rescued animals, which data is employed to assess disease
pathologiesPathology is the study and diagnosis of disease through examination of organs, tissues, bodily fluids, and whole bodies...
and relation to the marine environment.
Scientists at The Marine Mammal Center collaborate with their counterparts around the world (most notably from
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
,
ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
and
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
) in working on complex individual animal treatment cases, and also participate in joint research projects regarding interaction of
oceanAn ocean is a large body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 75% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...
dwelling mammals with the marine environment. Research at the Marine Mammal Center has included relationship of
red tideRed tide is a common name for a phenomenon more correctly known as an algal bloom , an event in which estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the water column and results in discoloration of the surface water...
s and neurological damage to Pacific Coast
pinnipedia and
carnivora. Other recent studies have involved the causation of increasing outbreaks of
leptospirosisLeptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease caused by spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira that affects humans and a wide range of animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles...
, a pathogen induced illness creating acute
kidneyThe kidneys are paired organs, which have the production of urine as their primary function. Kidneys are seen in many types of animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. They are part of the urinary system, but have several secondary functions concerned with homeostatic functions. ...
damage, in marine mammals. The education outreach program reaches in excess of 100,000 school children and members of the general public each year, emphasizing man’s connection to the marine environment.
Rescue and rehabilitation
The primary mission of The Marine Mammal Center is to take in animals that are not at present fit to survive in the wild and proceed to diagnose and rehabilitate these creatures. While most of the animals treated are afflicted with natural illness such as disease or malnutrition, a certain number have received injury from human action: most commonly from illegal pickup, gunshot, fish netting entrainment. There are also illnesses suspected from human activity such as chemical pollution of the ocean. The Marine Mammal Center is able to rehabilitate a strong fraction of the animals cared for and accomplish a release into the wild.
Sometimes release into the wild is not a viable option. For example two sea lion pups were hand reared by humans at The Marine Mammal Center, because the mother sea lion died shortly after giving birth. Due to the imprinting that was a necessary outcome of successful rearing of the pups, these pups lacked the survival skills to compete in the wild marine environment. They were transferred to the National Zoo, who wanted two pups to complete a sea lion family.
Facilities, budget and governance
Approximately $5,000,000 per annum is required to finance The Marine Mammal Center’s present operations. Having a lean overhead, 87% of expenditures go directly to animal care, veterinary expense and education programs. Facilities include the
Marin HeadlandsThe Marin Headlands is a hilly area at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Headlands are located just north of San Francisco, immediately across the Golden Gate Bridge. The entire area is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
headquarters, California field stations in San Luis Obispo,
MontereyThe City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Variants of the city's name are recorded as Monte Rey and Montery. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of 2005, the city population was 30,641...
,
Anchor BayAnchor Bay may refer to:* Anchor Bay, California, a small coastal community in northern California* Anchor Bay, is a bay in Malta, also known as Prajjiet or Popeye Village Bay* Anchor Bay Entertainment, a home video company...
and an interpretive center at
Pier 39Pier 39 is a shopping center and popular tourist attraction built on a pier in San Francisco, California. At Pier 39, there are shops, restaurants, a video arcade, street performances, an interpretive center for the Marine Mammal Center, the Aquarium of the Bay, virtual 3D rides, and views of...
in San Francisco. The present facilities and staff, numbering 45 paid staff and 800 trained volunteers, can accommodate a maximum throughput of approximately 1200 animals per annum. The Marine Mammal Center has 35,000 members, increasingly including international constituents, and governance is by a 16 member board of directors, to whom the Executive Director Jeff Boehm reports.
The main physical plant in Marin County is currently undergoing extensive modernization and upgrading. Presently there are numerous outdoor pens with pools and haul out surfaces; there are also special purpose facilities including a veterinary hospital, records room, food preparation and storage rooms and rescue equipment storage area. The hospital includes an operating room, treatment areas, office and pharmaceuticals storage. Some of the functions of the hospital include thoracic
surgerySurgery is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, to help improve bodily function or appearance, or sometimes for some other reason...
, gastrointestinal surgery, orthopedic surgery as well as routine examinations and blood sampling for patient diagnosis. Some of the equipment used include
electroencephalographyElectroencephalography is the recording of electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain . In clinical contexts, EEG refers to the recording of the brain's spontaneous electrical activity over a short period of time, usually 20–40 minutes, as recorded from...
devices,
positron emission tomographyPositron emission tomography is a nuclear medicine imaging technique which produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide , which is introduced into the body on a...
and
magnetic resonance imagingMagnetic Resonance Imaging , or nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , is primarily a medical imaging technique most commonly used in radiology to visualize the internal structure and function of the body...
.
Research function
The research team consists of veterinarians and biologists, who conduct not only medical diagnosis and intervention, but also publish scientific reports on findings of marine animal health in relation to the
Pacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Tepre Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. It extends from the Arctic in the north to Antarctica in the south, bounded by Asia and...
’s
environmental chemistryEnvironmental chemistry is the scientific study of the chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places. It should not be confused with green chemistry, which seeks to reduce potential pollution at its source...
. This scientific research program in collaboration with other selected technology centers provides vital information on marine mammal diseases, immunological systems and how these animals are affected by changes in their marine environment. Some principal areas of scientific research are:
- Recent discovery by The Marine Mammal Center in collaboration with the University of Florida
The University of Florida is a public land-grant, sea-grant, space-grant major research university located on a campus located in Gainesville, Florida, in the United States. The university traces its origins to 1853, and has continuously operated on its present Gainesville campus since the fall...
that seal pox is a disease that is distinct from pox viruses isolated from other species. It is unrelated to chicken pox or smallpoxSmallpox is an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning spotted, or varus, meaning "pimple"...
.
- Tracing of persistent carcinogens in the marine environment. Chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 1 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx, where x = 1-10. PCBs were widely used for many...
s can affect the health of marine mammals such as sea lions, who are top level consumers in the Pacific Ocean food chainFood chains describe the eating relationships between species within an ecosystem or a particular living place. Many types of food chains or webs are applicable depending on habitat or environmental factors...
. These chemicals pose a threat not only to such carnivora, but also to humans who consume many of the same ocean species.
- Impact of red tide
Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon more correctly known as an algal bloom , an event in which estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the water column and results in discoloration of the surface water...
, a toxic marine algal bloom containing the neurotoxinA neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels.Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...
domoic acidDomoic acid , the neurotoxin which causes amnesic shellfish poisoning , is an amino acid associated with certain harmful algal blooms.-Occurrence:...
, upon neurological health of marine mammals
- Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a bacterial zoonotic disease caused by spirochaetes of the genus Leptospira that affects humans and a wide range of animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles...
, a bacterial disease, with emphasis upon the prevalence of infection and its effect on survival. .
A number of recent research investigations have involved collaborations with other organizations. For example, in conjunction with the U.S.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
, The Center is involved with the endangered
Hawaiian Monk SealThe Hawaiian monk seal, Monachus schauinslandi, is an endangered earless seal that is endemic to the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. Known to the native Hawaiians as Ilio-holo-i-ka-uaua, or "dog that runs in rough waters," it received its scientific name Monachus schauinslandi when the first...
. Coordinating with research teams in three other countries (
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
), studies in the health of the
Gray WhaleThe Gray Whale is a baleen whale that travels between feeding and breeding grounds yearly. It reaches a length of about 16 meters , a weight of 36 tons and an age of 50–60 years. Gray Whales were once called Devil Fish because of their fighting behavior when hunted...
have been pursued. Work on the Steller sea lion has been carried out in association with the
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
Department of Fish and Game. Research on harbor seals has been conducted involving
Point Reyes National SeashorePoint Reyes National Seashore is a park preserve located on the Point Reyes Peninsula in Marin County, California, USA. As a national seashore, it is maintained by the US National Park Service as a nationally important nature preserve within which existing agricultural uses are allowed to continue...
,
University of California, DavisThe University of California, Davis is a public research university located in Davis, California, and one of ten campuses in the University of California system. Commonly referred to as UC Davis, the school was originally established in 1905 as the University Farm, an extension of UC Berkeley. UC...
, Caltrans, and
Moss Landing Marine LaboratoriesThe Moss Landing Marine Laboratories is a multi-campus research facility of the California State University, administered by San Jose State University , and located in Moss Landing, California...
. In recent years visiting scientists from countries including
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
,
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, as well as numerous regions of the USA have come to The Marine Mammal Center to collaborate on joint scientific queries.
Success stories
Most of the animals admitted to the Center are rehabilitated and either released to the wild or transferred to other locations. The staff have invented dozens of types of apparatus and specific protocols for rescuing, transporting and feeding the marine mammals admitted to care. They also maintain a small fleet of ocean going
inflatable boatAn inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull beneath it is often flexible. On boats longer than 3 metres/10 feet, the floor often consists of three to five rigid plywood or...
s and transport trucks. Some specific examples among the thousands of successful outcomes are:
Net entangled Humpback whale. In December 2005, a large female
Humpback whaleThe humpback whale is a baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water...
was rescued at sea off of the
Farallon IslandsThe Farallon Islands, or Farallones, are a group of islands and rocks found in the Gulf of the Farallones, off the coast of San Francisco, California, USA. They lie outside the Golden Gate and south of Point Reyes. They are visible from the mainland on clear days. The islands are officially...
, after she became entrained in
crabCrabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax.Crabs have a soft body covered with a hard shell. They are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton, and armed with a...
pot lines on her migration, most likely to wintering grounds near Mexico. The daring maneuver was carried out by The Marine Mammal Center staff and volunteers along with professional divers and was the Center's first successful open ocean rescue of a whale entangled in netting.
Orphaned Steller sea lion pup at
Ano Nuevo IslandAño Nuevo Island is a small island off Año Nuevo Point on the coast of Northern California, between San Francisco and Santa Cruz. It is an important breeding site for Northern Elephant Seals and the endangered Steller's Sea Lion, as well as several species of seabirds, including Rhinoceros...
. In the year 2000, a malnourished 37 pound (17 kg)
pup- In zoology :* Puppies, younger dogs** other young members of the Canidae family* Pups, young members of the Pinniped family and also of some otters, specifically the Giant Otter, Marine Otter, and sea otter* a baby Ichthyosaur...
was found alone stranded on Ano Nuevo Island, a location known for Northern sea elephant
rookeriesA rookery is a colony of breeding animals. The term Rookery has also been used as a name for dense slum housing in nineteenth-century cities, and especially London....
, but not as a birthing location for stellar sea lions. After restoring Artemis to health and a release into the wild, this same animal was spotted (and identified by a unique tag) on the identical island again after having given birth to a new pup. This was a particularly unusual outcome, since no pup is known to have been born on that island for at least twenty years.
Humphrey the whale is arguably the most widely publicized
humpback whaleThe humpback whale is a baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the water...
in history
, having errantly entered
San Francisco BaySan Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
twice, departing from his
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to
AlaskaAlaska is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
migration, with each episode of his bay excursions resulting in dramatic
estuarineAn estuary is a semi-enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries are thus subject to both marine influences, such as tides, waves, and the influx of saline water; and riverine influences, such as flows of...
rescues in 1985 and again in 1990 by The Marine Mammal Center, assisted by the
United States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of seven uniformed services. It is unique among the military branches in that it has a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its mission set...
and hundreds of other volunteers. The first rescue was actually to turn
HumphreyHumphrey the Whale is arguably the most widely publicized humpback whale in history, having errantly entered San Francisco Bay twice, departing from his Mexico to Alaska migration. This behavior is not normal for any Humpback whale, and Humphrey became well known on national television and press...
around in the
Sacramento RiverThe Sacramento River is the longest river entirely within the state of California. Starting at the confluence of the South Fork and Middle Fork of the Sacramento River, near Mount Shasta in the Cascade Range mountains, the Sacramento flows south for , through the northern Central Valley of...
, while the second was to unbeach him from the
mudflatsBay mud consists of thick deposits of soft, unconsolidated silty clay, which is saturated with water; these soil layers are situated at the bottom of certain estuaries, which are normally in temperate regions that have experienced cyclical glacial cycles...
north of Sierra Point below the
Dakin BuildingThe Dakin Building is an architectural award winning class A office building on the San Francisco Bay in Brisbane, California. Serving as a corporate headquarters building for several companies of national prominence, it was built from the profits of the Garfield character whose licensed products...
.
Baker D., a
bottlenose dolphinBottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the Common Bottlenose Dolphin and the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin , where previous...
was successfully rehabilitated and released to join a pod of dolphins in the Monterey Bay in November 2004.
Selected recent publications involving The Marine Mammal Center staff as authors
The staff of The Marine Mammal Center contributes regularly to scientific investigation involving marine mammal disease diagnosis and pathology, as well as to environmental and behavioral aspects of their rescue patients. The following are an abbreviated list of representative publications (The Marine Mammal Center staff involved in these particular publications are Goldstein, Greig, Gulland, Haulena, Lawrence and Zabka):
See also
- Cetacean Conservation Center
The Cetacean Conservation Center is a Chilean NGO dedicated to the conservation of cetaceans and other marine mammals that inhabit the coastal waters of Chile...
- Domoic acid
Domoic acid , the neurotoxin which causes amnesic shellfish poisoning , is an amino acid associated with certain harmful algal blooms.-Occurrence:...
- Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Also it could mean that due to deforestation there may be a lack of food and/or water...
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
The Moss Landing Marine Laboratories is a multi-campus research facility of the California State University, administered by San Jose State University , and located in Moss Landing, California...
- Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies is a major non-profit organization established in 1984 for the education, conservation, and research on marine mammals in the wild and in captivity. It is located in Gulfport, Mississippi, United States of America and has been an active participant of the...
- Red tide
Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon more correctly known as an algal bloom , an event in which estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the water column and results in discoloration of the surface water...
External links