This project will provide marine mammal stranding response and educational outreach in new jersey

As the only authorized marine mammal first responders in new jersey, the marine mammal stranding center is responsible for monitoring a stranding response area of 1,800 miles of tidal waterways and coastline. Since the organizations founding in 1978, mmsc has responded to nearly 4,000 dolphins, whales and seals in distress, which has included 33 different species. Educational outreach efforts are also essential to raise the publics awareness of responsible marine mammal viewing guidelines for the prevention of human interactions which can pose a threat to the health, safety and well-being of these species. Going forward, mmsc will continue to provide the service of the rescue, rehabilitation and release of marine mammals within the entire state of new jersey. This project will support and enhance operations directly related to the response, care, treatment, and data collection from living and deceased marine mammals. These objectives will be accomplished through a team of highly qualified stranding staff, who will provide a timely response to marine mammal strandings 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. The contracted veterinarian will examine each animal admitted into our facility, perform diagnostic procedures, and address first-aid and surgical needs. A treatment plan will then be prescribed by the veterinarian and carried out by the stranding staff. Due to the increased cetacean strandings on the east coast, the mmsc continues to play a crucial role in monitoring disease surveillance, collecting biological samples and providing critical data for the ongoing humpback and minke whale unusual mortality events. This will be accomplished by necropsies (animal autopsies) performed by mmsc staff in the field, or by pathologists in a laboratory setting, based on carcass size and level of decomposition. Deceased and live animals are tested for a variety of infectious diseases. The occurrence of dolphins swimming in small back BAY tributaries is not uncommon in new jersey. For cases in which dolphins do not leave these small creeks on their own after several days, less-invasive intervention is needed to help guide these animals back into open water. For previous cases, specialized equipment was borrowed and brought in from out of state. This project will include the improvement of mmscs equipment cache to ensure out-of-habitat response readiness. The continued expansion of community outreach efforts is important given the rise in the coastal population of new jersey and the high usage of its beaches and waterways by residents. More public awareness of the abundance of resting seals on the beach and whales and dolphins in our waters is needed. Building upon previous programmatic successes, this project will further enhance community outreach efforts to increase awareness of stranding response, responsible marine mammal viewing, and the prevention of human interactions.