Marine mammals of maine responds to stranded pinnipeds and cetaceans in mid-coast and southern maine and provides triage and rehabilitation services for pinnipeds in need of short- and long-term…

This Project Grant award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides $305,000 to Marine Mammals of Maine to support stranding response services and capacity building activities under the Marine Mammal Data Program from August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023. The funding will allow the organization to improve pinniped rehabilitation capacity through new supplies and minor facility modifications, as well as support ongoing operational costs associated with responding to and collecting data from stranded marine mammals in mid-coast and southern Maine. As part of its commitment to broadening participation in the marine mammal field, Marine Mammals of Maine will also use a portion of the funding to administer a summer internship program focused on training in stranding response, education, and outreach.

Marine mammals of maine responds to stranded pinnipeds and cetaceans in mid-coast and southern maine and provides triage and rehabilitation services for pinnipeds in need of short- and long-term care that strand throughout the northeast US. This is a region that faces several ongoing large whale unusual mortality events (umes) and recently experienced a pinniped UME, making IT a priority area for improving capacity for response, necropsy, and animal care. We seek funds to support increased pinniped rehabilitation capacity through the purchase of new supplies and minor structural modifications recommended during a recent nmfs inspection. Funds are also requested to support ongoing operational costs associated with high quality response to and data collection from live and dead stranded marine mammals. We are committed to broadening participation in the marine mammal field through a summer internship program that provides training in marine mammal stranding response, education and outrea