Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network

Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network (LMMN) is a woman-owned, tax-exempt non-profit organization based in North Charleston, South Carolina, that serves as the authorized state coordinator for marine mammal strandings in South Carolina. The organization provides specialized stranding response services and educational outreach to the federal government through project grants administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). LMMN operates as a critical component of the South Carolina Marine Mammal Stranding Network, working to protect marine mammals, conduct scientific research on stranding events, and increase public awareness about marine mammal conservation and safe interactions within the state.

Since 2021, LMMN has received five consecutive project grants totaling $811,341 from NOAA's Marine Mammal Data Program (CFDA 11.439), demonstrating sustained federal investment in the organization's core mission. The services provided through these grants encompass comprehensive stranding response operations, including rapid response to distressed, sick, or deceased marine mammals; tissue collection from stranded animals; and conducting thorough necropsies and diagnostic testing on dead-stranded marine mammals, with particular emphasis on large whale strandings, mass strandings, human interaction events, and episodic mortality events. LMMN's work includes histological analysis of tissues collected from stranded animals and archival analysis of previously collected samples to enhance scientific understanding of marine mammal health threats. Additionally, LMMN delivers substantial educational outreach and public awareness initiatives focused on marine mammal conservation, safe viewing practices, human interaction management, and explaining stranding response procedures to community members. Throughout all grant periods, LMMN has partnered with NOAA's National Ocean Service entities, including the Hollings Marine Laboratory and the Center for Coastal and Environmental Health and Biomedical Research, to execute these objectives and fulfill obligations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The grant funding specifically supports personnel costs, logistics, and operational expenses necessary to maintain continuous stranding response capacity and conduct the scientific and educational work mandated by the Marine Mammal Data Program.