New Volunteer Training - Marine Mammals of Maine

New Volunteer Training

Welcome to the Response Team New
            Volunteers!
Thank you for your support of MMoME and our work

Marine Mammals of Maine
◼   501(c) 3 nonprofit

    ◼   To provide response, assistance and care for
        stranded marine animals and to work collaboratively
        with similar organizations to aid in the protection
        and support of marine animals as defined by the
        Marine Mammal Protection Act. To provide public
        education and research about marine animals and
        the environment.

◼   Non-profit with 2 staff and a board of directors

◼   ~80 dedicated, passionate volunteers

◼   Cover Kittery to Rockland Maine

◼   ~2,500 miles of coastline!

◼   Respond to ~300 marine mammals and
    sea turtles annually

Organization Programs

◼   Marine Mammal Response
◼   Triage/Rehab
◼   Volunteer
◼   Outreach
◼   Fundraising
◼   Research

Legal Authorization

                Marine Mammals of Maine

                         Volunteers

◼   Authorization from NMFS is required to approach
    marine mammals for any reason

◼   Volunteers must have permission from MMOME
    prior to responding to each stranding

Marine Mammal Protection Act
◼   All Marine Mammals are protected under the Marine
    Mammal Protection Act of 1972

◼   The MMPA makes it illegal to feed, harass, capture, or
    kill marine mammals

Threats to Marine Mammals
◼ Are largely from human impacts,
 including accidental capture in
 fishing gear, habitat destruction,
 poaching, pollution-marine
 debris, harassment, and ship
 strikes

Statewide Reporting Hotline
      Maine Strandings Collaborative
◼   Maine Marine Animal Reporting Hotline

◼   1-800-532-9551

◼   To report any whale, seal,
    dolphin, porpoise,
    or sea turtle

Current Maine Groups
◼   College of the Atlantic (Allied Whale), Bar
    Harbor
    Responds to live and dead marine mammal and sea
    turtle strandings from Rockland to the Canadian
    border

◼   Marine Mammals of Maine
    Responds to live and dead marine mammal from
    Kittery to Rockland, temporarily stabilizes seals

Northeast Regional Stranding
Network (Maine to Virginia)

What is a Stranding?
◼   Dead:
        ◼ on a beach or shore of the US
        ◼ in waters under the jurisdiction of the US (out to 3
          miles)

◼   Alive:
        ◼ unable to return to the water
        ◼ in apparent need of medical attention; or

        ◼ in the water, but unable to return to its natural habitat
          under its own power or without assistance

Stranded Animals of Maine
◼   Cetaceans ~
    ◼ dolphins
    ◼ whales

    ◼ porpoises

◼   Pinnipeds - 4 species
    ◼   true/earless seals

Northeast Pinnipeds
Harbor Seal       Gray Seal

Harp Seal        Hooded Seal

Harbor Seals Phoca vitulina
-Males and Females look the same
-Pups and adults have similar coat
patterns
-Up to 5’ in length & 250lbs
-Mottled spotting, small
head with eyes equidistant between
ear and nose.
-Nostrils appear to form a
“V”
-Pups born in May off the coast
of Maine

Harp Seals
         (Pagophilus groenlandicus)
                                Pups-
                                Born with linugo
                                coat
                                3 feet/24 lbs
                                White/yellow coat

Beater-
25 days-1 year

Juvenile harp seals vs harbor seals-
  tricky to differentiate at times!

        Which 2 photos are harp
        seals? Which photo is a
              harbor seal?

Hooded Seal (Cystophora cristata)

Adults
-Characteristic nasal
flap/ “hood”
-Males up to 8.5 ft, 700
lbs                        Pups
-Females up to 7 ft, 600   Blue Back
lbs                        ~3 feet at birth/50 lbs
-Largest, and most         Shed this coat at 14
aggressive species we      months
deal with                  -Shortest nursing
-Can go catatonic          period of any mammal
                           species, 3-5 days

Grey Seals (Halichoerus grypus)

-Year round residents in the GoM
-Their pupping season is what puts them in our ice-seal category
-Range extends from eastern Canada and the northeastern United States
-Social species that will haul out and sometimes hunt in groups
-Can be aggressive, particularly adults

Seal Natural History
get familiar with these, and prepare to repeat
     them over and over on the beaches!
◼   Seals are semi-aquatic
◼   Naturally come on shore to rest, mate, give
    birth, and thermoregulate
◼   Seals do not need to be wet, they can be dry
    indefinitely
◼   Harbor seal mothers leave their pups on beaches
    to rest while she hunts, and returns to collect
    them when done

Pinniped Do’s and Don’ts
Don’t:                         Do:

◼   Pour water on the          ◼   Minimize stress
    animal                     ◼   Keep the area quiet
◼   Offer food to the animal   ◼   Minimize contact
◼   Cover with blankets        ◼   If possible, keep out of
◼   Handle the animal              sight of the animal
◼   Return it to the water     ◼   Keep dogs and people
◼   Remove it from the             a safe distance away
    water                      ◼   Contact MMOME

MMoME’s Recent History

MMoME’s New Triage Center!
◼   First and only triage
    center on the east coast
◼   Center stabilizes
    sick/injured seals
    before transport to
    long-term care centers
◼   Can hold 10 seals up to
    96 hours
◼   10 housing units, 1
    small pool unit,
    diagnostics lab, kitchen
    for food prep

And Now Rehab!
◼   Provisional federal authorization to rehabilitate 2 seals at
    a time
◼   Waiting on permitting for up to 4 seal rehab patients at a
    time
◼   Working on our full rehab permit, and increasing
    capacity as funding allows
◼   Rehabbed our first 2 patients in 2017, both weanling
    harbor seals that would have been euthanized due to
    lack of rehab space
◼   One seal costs ~ $10,000 to rehabilitate
◼   Will still rely heavily on out of state facilities and triaging
    most of our rescues

Stranding Response Volunteer
Requirements and Responsibilities
◼     Fill out a volunteer application (send application back to MMOME)
◼     Minimum 18 years of age
◼     Ability to lift 50 pounds.
◼     Must have reliable transportation and a valid driver’s license
◼     Minimum commitment of 1 year
◼     Must live within the immediate coast
◼     Provide Marine Mammals of Maine with your weekly availability
◼     Must sign a liability waiver
◼     Must attend 1 training/year, if 3 consecutive trainings are missed, response
    volunteers will become “inactive” and not called upon for response until a
    training is attended

Stranding Response Volunteer
Requirements and Responsibilities
◼   Respond to live AND deceased animals
◼   Respond to strandings outside your home town
◼   Educate the public by interacting with beachgoers
◼   Not required but recommended: help at outreach and
    fundraising events

Communication
◼   Reporting hotline: 1-800-532-9551 (public use)
◼   On call number 207-233-3199 (volunteer use, not for public)
◼   Email about our organization ldoughty@mmome.org
◼   Email in regards to volunteering dwalk@mmome.org
    for photos mainestrandings@gmail.com

Weekly Availability Form

Volunteer Stranding
    Response
Data Collection and Deceased Animal
              Response

What Are Level A data?
◼   Level A data are vitally important information volunteers collect
    from each stranding case to document the event in order to
    better understand the circumstances of each stranding, the
    population as a whole, and overall ocean health

◼   MMoME is required to report Level A data from each stranding
    to the National Marine Fisheries Service no less than once per
    month.

◼   The collection and entry of these data are part of MMoME’s
    stranding agreement with NMFS

Level A Data Collection
• Location: note the location (beach,     •Field #: this is the MMOME number, if
street address) and town                  we do not provide you with this number,
                                          leave it blank
• Lat/long: if you have a GPS, note the
latitude and longitude in decimal       • Species
degress
                                        • Weight: estimate
• Photos and video:
mainestrandings@gmail.com               •Length: actual length in cm

•Notes: basic assessment review           •Condition: code 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
(thin, in a busy spot, relocated, etc.)

Gender   Determination

                   Male

Female

Condition Codes
Code 1: Any Live animal

Code 2

   • Fresh dead (usually within
    24 hours)
   • Little to no scavenger damage
   • Little to no odor
   • No bloating
   • +/- rigor mortis

Code 3
• Moderately decomposed
• Organs still recognizable
• Beginning to smell bad
• Usually has minor scavenger damage

Code 4
       Cetacean                          Pinniped

• Extremely decomposed
• Organs unrecognizable
• Strong foul odor
• Often has extensive scavenger damage

Code 5
        Cetacean                   Pinniped

• Mummified or skeletal
remains

• Skin may be draped over
bones

• Very desiccated

www.mmome.org/data
                     Password: sealdata

All Level A data must be entered in the
online database no more than 24 hours
           after responding

MMoME dispatch will give priority to
 volunteers who consistently fill out
            Level A data

Animal Sampling
◼   Necropsy on all fresh dead animals
◼   Tissue samples are collected for histopathology,
    contaminants, parasites, serology , and virology.

Sampling in the Northeast
◼   Contaminate (neurotoxin,saxtiotoxin, PCBS etc)
◼   Viral (influenza, morbilliviruse etc.)
◼   Bacteria (Leptospirosis, Brucella etc.)
◼   Parasites (many…..)
◼   Human Interaction

Data Collection Do’s and Don’ts
◼   Fill in as much requested information as possible. Don’t leave
    any spaces blank.

◼   Be sure to fill in the date, location, species, and your name as the
    observer/data recorder.

◼   Take LOTS of pictures. A picture REALLY is worth a thousand
    words!

◼   Do not try to interpret what you see. Just objectively
    report your observations.

◼   If you have any questions or problems, and whenever you
    suspect human interaction. Don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Personal Safety
      Always your priority-we can’t help stranded/injured animals if we’re
                          stranded/injured ourselves!

                                 Hazards
  ◼    Transit to the scene – drive responsibly
  ◼    Human Safety comes first – assess the site
       carefully
  ◼    Ocean hazards, tides
  ◼    Walking on rocks, mud and seaweed
  ◼    Lifting - Know your limits!
  ◼    Zoonoses (diseases that can be transmitted to
       humans), bacteria, viruses
  ◼    Do not bring pets to a stranding – your focus is
       on the animal
  ◼    Consider leaving small children at home

REPORT ALL INCIDENTS TO MMOME STAFF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE !

Zoonoses
◼   Marine mammals can carry bacteria, viruses and
    fungi that can cause illness in humans. These
    microbes can be carried by marine mammals
    that appear healthy and normal.

◼   Pathogens can be transmitted from marine
    mammals to people and pets through bite
    wounds, inhalation and cuts.

Media Policy-Please Keep This in Mind at ALL Times!
Stranding Response:
No posting photos and video taken while on a response for MMoME.
All photos taken while responding to a stranded marine mammal or sea turtle are
done so under a federal permit, and belong to the permit-holder. Therefore photos
and video taken while responding for MMoME may not be posted on any social media
sites (Facebook, Instagram, websites, etc.).

Triage Center photos and video:
Photos/videos may not be taken in the animal room of the triage center.
MMoME’s permit also covers activities in the center, and are thus heavily regulated
and enforced by NOAA.

If Approached by the Media:
Volunteers may discuss their experience as a volunteer, but everything else must be
passed on to the hotline. This includes any details about an animal’s condition, actions
taken for an animal, or any decisions made regarding an animal’s condition. Everything
else must be directed to the hotline.

**Violating these protocols jeopardizes MMoME’s permit to work with marine
mammals**