Hi all,

It was a busy day in the field today. This morning we received a call from a person on Humarock Beach in Scituate, Mass. who found a stranded seal. For any of you who have followed this blog you know that seals commonly come out of the water to rest on shore and are often not injured or "stranded." As always it's important to keep your distance and observe the seal without disturbing it. You can report a seal you think is stranded by calling the 24-hour Marine Animal Hotline: (617) 973-5247.

The Rescue Team will not approach these seals unless there is an obvious injury. This seal, however, did have an injury and was lethargic. The following pictures show what that looks like.


Photos above were taken by Donald Armstrong. I authorized Donald to approach this
seal for good photographs, which I then used to make the decision to collect the animal. (Click to enlarge)


Photo by Donald Armstrong. In this photo you can see the blood around the lower jaw and dribbling down the chest of the animal.

Kate and New England Aquarium Veterinarian Dr. Julie Cavin took a team down to assess the animal and determined that it did need to be collected. They collected it and performed a physical exam, including blood collection and analysis. It was difficult to determine the source of the blood since there was a significant amount of it.


This photo was taken during the physical exam. The towel is used in restraint so that the animal is not able to bite the person holding the seal while the vet examines the wounds. Notice the rings around this animal's eyes. Seals don't have return tear ducts so wet rings is a sign of good hydration in seals.



The seal was kenneled after the exam and transported to the University of New England (UNE) Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center. The seal will undergo a series of diagnostics over the next several says to determine the cause of the wounds and its overall health. Our network partners at UNE will have their work cut out for them with this case. We'll keep you posted on her condition (yes it is a little female).

- Connie

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Labels: Connie, harbor seal, strandings, University of New England

Hi everyone,

Yesterday we hosted our joint mass stranding response-training with our stranding partners from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The IFAW stranding team covers the mainland Cape Cod, which is home to frequent mass stranding events. For those of you who are not familiar with the term mass stranding, this refers to the phenomenon of multiple dolphins or whales coming ashore at the same time.


Aquarium staff and volunteers are shown in action during a recent mass stranding of Atlantic white sided dolphins. In this photo they are on stretchers being prepared for release. (Photo: Connie Merigo)

These events can be quite large and range between 2 to 100 or more animals coming ashore at once. Managing these events takes a great many resources, careful planning, and a lot of training between the two organizations. The other key ingredient for successful mass stranding response is a large team of highly trained, dedicated volunteers.

Our mass stranding volunteers are required to attend a lot of training before responding to mass stranded dolphins and whales. Yesterday's class was an advanced course, which included lectures, breakout groups, practical skills and a written test. We are most fortunate to have a wonderful group of dedicated mass stranding volunteers, below are photos of them and the staff during the training workshop.


In the photo above, Kate (left), Kerry (center) and our volunteer Erin are ready to check in all the volunteers.


The New England Aquarium Dive Club sponsored the event and provided all the participants with hot coffee and breakfast. Many of the Dive Club members helped with this event, I just happened by with my camera and caught Mike and Charles from the club having a laugh over coffee.


Above left, Charles and Katie from IFAW get the crowd geared up at the start of the lecture portion of the day. Center photo show Misty from IFAW (second from left), Kate and Adam listening to another presenter and preparing to give their lectures. Photo on right shows Kate presenting her lecture.


Jane from IFAW provides a refresher to a small group of volunteers on our technique to safely put a dolphin in a stretcher.


Before leaving for the day all the volunteers completed a written test. It wasn't easy, just look at the concentration on the faces of Marty (left) and Larry!

The New England Aquarium and IFAW rescue teams wish to thank everyone who helped make yesterday a sucessful day of training. We also thank the New England Aquarium Dive Club for providing the participants with breakfast. We especially thank all the volunteers who attended the workshop. It is in large part their dedication that makes it possible for us to provide the highest quality response and care to mass stranded whales and dolphins.

- Connie

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Labels: Connie, Mass Strandings, New England Aquarium Dive Club, training

Hello all,

Sunday afternoon Connie and I were on the phone when I received a call from our Stranding Hotline about a whale that was stuck on a sand bar in Katama bay on Martha's Vineyard. After abruptly hanging up on Connie I called the reporting person and the "fun" began. The whale was about 500 yds. north of Norton Point in a shallow region. The caller could see the animal raising and lowering its fluke however it remained stationary in the water.

Labels: Adam, Connie, humpback whale, New England Aquarium Stranding, rescue team, stranding

Thanks to the Aquarium's web team, you have already seen photos taken by others who attended our exciting sea turtle release. I was out on a boat all day yesterday working on a leatherback sea turtle research project (I'll blog on that adventure soon), and did not have a chance to blog. I assigned myself the role of photographer for the release. Below is the event through my lens (click on the photos to enlarge).



This event was so popular that even Spiderman took time out from his busy crime fighting schedule to watch the release! In all photos above Aquarium educators talk to the crowd while waiting for the animals to be brought down to the beach.



This part of the release is called the "Walk of Fame." The turtles are removed from their transport boxes and walked around the outskirts of the release area. The crowd remains behind the caution tape, but is given a close view of these spectacular animals. The photo on the right is of a teacher who adopts a tagged turtle each year and then follows the animals' progress with her class--now that's science being brought right into the classroom.



After their 15 minutes of fame, the turtle handlers line up the animals on the beach and place them down at the same time. This year a friendly competition developed among the handlers and the crowd as to which turtle would enter the water first. The Audubon turtle won by a mile, and so did it's cheering section!



After making their way down the beach, the turtles enter the big blue! The photo on the right is a green sea turtle we named Goose (read all the posts about him by clicking here). I attached a satellite transmitter to his shell so I can see how well Goose does after rehabilitation. The tag will also provide data on where this animal goes, the surrounding water temperature, and the depth and duration of it's dives. You can follow the track of this turtle on seaturtle.org. I'll also proved updates on this blog.

-Connie

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Labels: Audubon, Connie, Goose, release

WARNING: This post includes graphic photographs of a deceased pygmy sperm whale. This post may not be appropriate for everyone so please proceed with caution or skip this blog.

Hi all,
Deceased animals are a common part of our work in the Stranding Department. There are many reasons an animal may wash up dead or die on the beach. Natural causes such as old age, failure to thrive for a pup or a calf, disease, human interaction such as encounters with fishing materials or ship strikes, and predation by other marine species. This list is by no means complete, it is a short list to reinforce the concept that, like people, animals die too.

It is important to perform a necropsy (animal autopsy) on marine mammals and sea turtles to try to determine the cause of death. The longer the animal has been dead the more difficult this task becomes. As an authorized marine mammal responder on behalf of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) we are obligated to collect a certain set of data depending on the condition of the animal when found.

So, on to the story of the pygmy sperm whale ... this animal was found dead in the surf in Winthrop, Mass. on Monday night. I'll start you off with a distant photo so you can test your stomach for this sort of thing.

In the image below the Department of Conservation and Recreation relocates the animal to a beach were we can conduct a necropsy examination and then bury the animal deeper the 6 feet. Pygmy sperm whales, (Kogia breviceps) are fairly rare north of Cape Cod, however we do see them from time to time.



Species identification, age class, gender, condition of the animal, and measurements are of the utmost importance. When this pygmy sperm whale washed ashore, it had been dead for a few days at least. Most of the skin was missing and the eyes were sunken in. With the skin missing, most of the obvious field markings were gone. To determine exact species of an animal in this condition it is best to look at the overall size, shape and location of the dorsal fin, shape of the mouth and the the shape, location and number of teeth. Pygmy sperm whales have a small narrow lower jaw with long sharp curved teeth located only in the lower jaw.


In this photo, I examine the teeth for shape size and location to confirm that this animal is a pygmy sperm whale. Pygmy sperm whales can often be confused with dwarf sperm whales which, look almost exactly alike.


This photo shows the animal in the surf before we removed it from the water. As you can see most of the skin is missing with the exception of the long black patch. Note how far back the dorsal fin is located ont his animal, this is one of the distinguishing characteristics between the pygmy and dwarf sperm whales.


I placed a white sheet of paper under the dorsal fin so you could see how small this fin is on the pygmy sperm whale. The fin is located far back on the dorsal surface of the animal and is small and falcate.


In these photos were are completing a detailed external examination of the animal before we begin the dissection or necropsy. In the photo on the left we found a linear (straight line) scar (one of several), if you look directly to the right of the tape measure you will see the indentation and discoloration. This is a sign that this animal had some sort of encounter with a made made object. The technical term for this finding is called evidence of Human Interaction. In the photo on the right we are measuring another small scar. Just above and to the right of the tape measure you can see a non-linear scar as comparison.


In the photo above Adam and our team of interns are suited in non-permiable protective clothing in preparation for the dissection. Prior to cutting everyone is obligated to put on latex gloves to protect themselves during the dissection.

I decided not to include any photos of this animal once we began making our cuts to enter the body cavity. I'll explain here that we examined all the organs and the tissues under all the scars. The dissection of this animal took several hours. While we had the help of three interns, Adam and I did all the cutting and organ examinations. We learned a great deal from this animal and wish to thank the animal control officer in Winthrop, all members of the harbor master's office in the town of Winthrop, the staff from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Massachusetts Environment Police for helping secure this animal and providing support for us to perform this important necropsy.

-Connie


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Labels: Connie, necropsy, pygmy sperm whale, rescue team, stranding

Hello from the 4X4ers on the stranding team! We are happy to report that we successfully completed the second day of our off-road training with the staff at Overland Experts.

Words just can't explain how important, informative, empowering and fun this training is ... so I'd like to tell this story through photos. Keep in mind while viewing the photos that we were not capable of capturing the steep angle of the inclines and the depth of the ruts with our camera.


This was the warm up hill, note the giant rocks at the bottom.


In the photo on the left Bruce and Dave walk us through the next part of the course to discuss trouble spots and a plan of action. In the center photo, Bruce positions himself on the hill while Kate prepares to execute her plan to get to the top without spinning a wheel. In the photo on the Right Dave talks me through my mistake after I spun a wheel in a rut. In off road driving, every choice is made to avoid spinning any of the truck tires.



The photo on the left shows the next part of the course - soft gravel and engine stopping. In the middle photo note the tuft of soft gravel behind the back left tire - WRONG! Kate spun a tire on this hill - ha ha Kerry and I mastered this hill with no trouble! I like to call the photo on the right "look mom no breaks!" Bruce used this hill to teach us engine breaking. We had to drive down this hill without using the break...please note the trees at the bottom, very scary! When engine breaking, ALWAYS go down a steep hill in 1st gear - just ask Kerry what happens if you don't!


We often encounter ruts like these on access roads down to 4 wheel drive beaches. We learned how to navigate ruts of this nature by positioning the tires appropriately. We also learned the "pop and glide" technique.



Operating a winch properly and safely is essential for us on the beach. Not only do we use it to pull large whale parts during a dissection, we also use the winch to pull out our truck or others stuck in the sand. In the photos above, we learn proper techniques and then Kerry and Kate practice their new skills by winching a truck.



In this photo Kerry and Kevin (one of the Overland Expert staff members) celebrate the liberation of the truck Kate and Kerry just winched out of trouble.

This was by far one of the most important trainings I've taken in my years at the Aquarium. We gained a skill set that will keep us safe on the beach while rescuing marine mammals and sea turtles.

-Connie

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Labels: Connie, driving, training

Hi all,

Back on terra firma here in Boston and preparing for my sea turtle lecture on Monday night (register for the free lecture here). I have been invited to give a lecture on leatherback sea turtles for the Aquarium's Lowell Lecture series.

For those of you who have never seen a leatherback sea turtle, they are truly amazing creatures. I liken then to dinosaurs of the sea due to their prehistoric appearance and gigantic size. I have been conducting a research study on leatherbacks for the past four years.


Pictured here are two different leatherbacks I worked with during my field work (click to enlarge). Note the prehistoric look of these giant reptiles. I'll be detailing the project during the lecture so I can't give away all the secrets here!

The leatherback is the largest sea turtle in the world. They can reach weights upwards of 1,500 - 2,000 pounds--try catching one of these at sea! There are multiple threats to leatherback sea turtles which, continue to put this species at risk. I'll also be talking about those threats on Monday night.

Below is a photo of a live male leatherback that stranded on a beach in Chatham back in 2003. This is an incredibly rare event in the north western Atlantic. After leaving the nest as hatchlings, male leatherbacks never come ashore unless they are injured or wash ashore dead. Females, on the other hand, will come ashore during their adult years to nest.



We also had a female leatherback strand, which we brought into rehabilitation, another rare event. Leatherbacks are very difficult to rehabilitate, for many reasons (you guessed it, I'll be revealing those on Monday night so I can't spoil the surprise here). The New England Aquarium is one of only a handful of institutions to attempt leatherback rehabilitation. I'll further detail this case during the lecture. If you're in the neighborhood on Monday, feel free to join us for an interesting lecture on this truly amazing species.

- Connie

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Labels: Connie, Leatherback sea turtle, lecture, studies

Hi all,

Reporting after a visit to the Georgia Aquarium. Unfortunately, we arrived a lot later than anticipated and had trouble parking the giant cargo van in the city, so we only had time for a quick visit. When we arrived, we met staff veterinarian Aimee Berliner for a behind-the-scenes tour. First we headed off to see the medical facilities. As we know all too well here at the New England Aquarium, treating aquatic animals requires specialized equipment and treatment areas. Next we viewed the beluga holding area and a fantastic coral tank. We were running short on time at this point as the Aquarium was about to close, so Aimee released us into the public areas so we could have a look at the Ocean Voyager Tank.

As the staff were preparing to close the building, Kate was able to snap a few quick shots as we were making our way out.

Labels: Connie, Georgia Aquarium, transport

Hi all,

Kate and I continued our trip with a visit to Zoo Atlanta. Zoos and Aquariums are linked through an organization called the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). To become a member of AZA, each institution must complete a rigorous application and inanection process to achieve accreditation. In addition to AZA, many aspects of animal health, behavior, nutrition and general husbandry are related.

We had the good fortune of a tour with Zoo veterinarians Dr. Hayley Weston Murphy and Dr. Sam Rivera. Dr. Murphy is the chief veterinarian at Zoo Atlanta and among other areas of exotic animal expertise; she is one of the nations leading experts in gorilla health. She manages the National Gorilla Cardiac Database, and is a veterinary adviser for both the gorilla and baboon Species Survival Plan. Bostonians may remember her as the Veterinary Director for Zoo New England. Dr. Sam Rivera also has extensive clinical expertise with exotic animals, specializing in avian and reptile medicine. I met Dr. Rivera at a sea turtle workshop where he presented results for his ultrasound study on sea turtles. Dr. Rivera and Dr. Murphy were on call in case anything went wrong during the southern portion of our sea turtle transport. Thankfully it was smooth sailing and their services were not needed.

We started with a tour of the animal hospital and medical facilities and then headed down to the primate enclosures. We observed the animals in the gorilla habitat while our hosts described the complexities of primate care. Zoo Atlanta is committed to gorilla conservation and partners with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International to help achieve it's mission. You may recall that the Hollywood movie Gorilla's in the Mist (trailer) was based on Fossey's work.


A great ape indeed

The photo above is a male Western lowland gorilla. These gorillas are the largest primate species and can grow to upwards of 500 pounds. Gorilla's are endangered and at risk for many reasons. Habitat loss and the bushmeat trade seem to be high on the list of risks.




Goodness gracious how cute am I? Not me, I was talking for the Giant Panda pictured above snacking on Bamboo. Zoo Atlanta has had great success breading these critically endangered bears.

The Zoo has a fantastic Panda Cam on their website, similar to the Aquarium's Giant Ocean Tank webcam. I highly recommend it however, be forewarned it can be addicting. I'm running it now while I write and the cub just woke up and toppled off one of the tree limbs in the exhibit. He's already back up on the limb laying flat on his back rubbing his belly - good thing that's not completely adorable!



It's all in the lips. This black rhinoceros sleeps off the heat of the day at Zoo Atlanta. Black rhinos are currently listed as a critically endangered species. Black rhinos are distinguished from white rhinos primarily by their lips. The black rhino has a pointed prehensile lip while the white rhino is square lipped (just a little rhino trivia in case you end up on Jeopardy or Cash Cab).




What's up doc? I think this orangutan has a thing for Dr. Rivera. As soon as he spotted us he climbed out of his giant hammock and lumbered down toward us (we were viewing safely from the public viewing area), his gaze rarely left Dr. Rivera. Check out those dreads!

The Zoo has an extensive enrichment program; my favorite was the Orangutan Learning Tree. Zoo Atlanta's commitment to conservation around the globe was obvious from our visit and a quick read of their web site. Touring Zoo Atlanta with these two veterinarians was truly a memorable treat and one we are not likely to soon forget.

The next and last stop on this trip will be at the Georgia Aquarium ...

- Connie

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Labels: AZA, Connie, transport, Zoo Atlanta, Zoos

Hi all,
As you remember, Route came on the turtle transport to Georgia, however he was not released. Route entered the final phase of his rehabilitation at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) on Jekyll Island, Georgia (photo below).



This photo was taken inside of the GSTC. A public walkway is positioned in the center of the hospital so visitors can observe the animals in the tanks while remaining a safe distance.


In the photos above Dr. Terry Norton, the GSTC veterinarian and Executive Director prepares to introduce Route to his new tank. Dr. Norton had the opportunity to examine Route with Dr. Innis during a recent trip to the New England Aquarium.


Safe and sound in his new tank, Route settled in quickly. Dr. Norton will monitor Route's health until he is ready for release. We expect Route will be released in the near future so we will keep you informed.

Kate and I continue our journey through the deep south. Our next stop will be at the South Carolina Aquarium where we will pay a visit to their sea turtle hospital - stay tuned South Carolina gets some pretty large turtles!

- Connie

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Labels: Connie, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, release, Route, transport

The sea turtle transport and release was a success!

All the turtles did very well on the ride to Georgia. We stopped several times to do health checks and spritz them down with salt water. The drive took about 20 hours and went as well as we could have expected. Dr. Terry Norton and his staff at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC) on Jekyll Island were ready and waiting for us when we arrived. First we situated Route into his new tank for additional rehabilitation (I'll blog more on this soon) and then we headed to the beach with the others (at right).



The Staff at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center secured a release zone down at the beach so we could organize the animals and allow the public to watch from a safe distance.



Organizing turtle boxes on the beach in preparation for release


Dr. Terry Norton escorted Bruce to the water's edge.

Bruce and Godzilla (loggerhead sea turtles) were released first. They are both quite large and we wanted to give them plenty of room. Both lumbered down the beach toward the water. Bruce stopped at one point and started heading lateral to the water. Dr. Norton re-oriented him and off he went into the deep blue.


Godzilla approached the surf with great energy.



We released all the Kemp's ridley and green sea turtles at the same time and watched them crawl down to the water. It was truly exciting to see the turtles that came into the NEAq debilitated and in some cases barely alive last fall now racing back to the water!

- Connie

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Labels: Connie, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Godzilla, release, Route

Connie will be posting about the release of the rescued sea turtles soon.
In the meantime, here are some photos and video from yesterday.









Here's the full 9-minute video of the release sent to us by Michael Schaffer of Our Net News..


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Labels: Bruce, Connie, Godzilla, Kate, release, transport

Hi all,

Last week the Rescue Department staff co-hosted the Northeast Region Stranding Network (NERS) conference. NERS members include authorized responders from Maine through Virgina. Members are made up of biologists, veterinarians, veterinary technicians and researchers. Also at this conference were local, state and federal officials and educators. Since all marine mammals are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, we work closely with the National Marine Fisheries Services on all marine mammal issues.








Interns from the Whale Center of New England working the registration table at the NERS conference.











Dr. Scott Kraus, Vice President of Research at the New England Aquarium, gives the keynote lecture on climate change and implications for marine animals.






Over a four day period, NERS members shared important information through business meetings, oral lectures and poster presentations. Presentations were included in several categories, including marine mammal health, sea turtle health, case studies, large whale research and other general lectures. We also hosted a one day Special Symposium titled Marine Animal Disease in the 21st Century. The top experts in this field were invited to speak to our group. This day consisted of seven 30-minute lectures and a lengthy discussion period among all the participants and the invited speakers. The 2009 NERS conference was a huge success!

Labels: animal health, conference, Connie, Mystic Aquarium, National Aquarium, NERS, New England Aquarium Stranding, NMFS, stranding, Virginia Aquarium

In addition to turtles, the Marine Animal Rescue Team works with seals. We responded to an adult harp seal this morning in Manchester, MA. We monitored the animal for several days, and decided to collect him this morning. He did not re-enter the water after the usual resting period and appeared to decline in his activity and alertness.



The Aquarium and the Whale Center of New England staff and interns collected the seal from the marsh using boards known as herding boards. Herding boards are used to herd the animal into the kennel while protecting the rescuers from possible harm. Seals can be very agile on land and will defend themselves if threatened, trust me they can deliver a nasty bite!

This harp seal was transported to the Mystic Aquarium for rehabilitation. Veterinarians at the Mystic Aquarium did a detailed physical exam including blood work and radiographs (X-Rays). They found rocks in the stomach and three birdshot pellets in the head - OUCH! This seal is being stabilized, and tucked in for the night as I write this blog. His prognosis is unknown at this time but stay tuned and we'll keep you updated.



Since it is illegal to approach, handle or harass seals in the US, we alerted the National Marine Fisheries Services regarding the birdshot in this seal. They will worry about the legal case, we will focus on the health of the animal.

- Connie

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Labels: birdshot, Connie, harp seal, rescue team

We photographed these two little wonders sitting outside the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Clinic. They appeared amazed and peaceful while watching the sea turtles swimming around. In particular, their curiosity and awe while watching Route swim around his tank reminded me of why I became a sea turtle biologist in the first place.

-Connie


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Labels: Connie, Route, Sea Turtle Recovery Room