Interview: Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network
By: Kaitlin Silva
The Kid’s Directory Family Resource Guide – Houston
August 2024 on www.kids-houston.com
Interview: Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network
A Brief Introduction…
The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network (TMMSN) was established in 1980 for the systematic collection of dolphin and whale stranding data along the Texas coast (Tarpley, 1987). The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network is the only organization in Texas that operates under a Stranding Agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service to respond to stranded cetaceans. The Texas Marine Mammal Standing Network responds to stranded West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) in coordination with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In 1989, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network was formally incorporated as a non‐profit 501(c)(3) organization. In 1990, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network diversified its operation to include live animal rehabilitation and in 2014 implemented formal wild population photo‐identification research. The present mission of the TMMSN is to further the understanding and conservation of marine mammals through rescue and rehabilitation, research and education.
Having contributed data to over 40 scientific journals and papers, Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network also offers a wide range of educational opportunities to people of all ages, including hands-on experience working with Texan marine life in their robust and adaptational volunteer program. Whether you want to take a field trip to the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network Rehabilitation and Research Center or have them to come speak at your school through the Whales on Wheels program that incorporates TEKS into each adaptable program, introduce marine mammals in early childhood education (which may include a visit by adorable dolphin mascot, Gulfy) or just guide you into the wonderful experience of helping conserve marine life, Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network has got something for you.
Visiting their location in Galveston, I spoke with Bridgette San Marco (education coordinator) and Amy Mitchell (stranding biologist), who gave me a neat insider’s look into their operation—something they offer during educational tours and to prospective volunteers as well! (Parts of our conversation have been paraphrased for convenience.)
The Interview
What are some misconceptions regarding marine mammal strandings that you’d like to correct?
Amy: So, a lot of people when they see a marine mammal strand, they see that it’s coming from the water, and it’s a normal thing to think to push it back INTO the water, but usually when they’re stranding they are very sick, and since they breathe air like humans, when they are pushed back into the water after being so exhausted and sick, they usually end up drowning or stranding again. We like to educate the public about not pushing an animal back, that’s the first thing, and then to call us.
What is the rarest or strangest animal your organization has ever rehabilitated?
Bridgette: So we’ve seen 22 different species of the 29 species that live in the Gulf of Mexico in the 40 year history of this organization, however in my time here, I have specifically seen just bottlenose dolphins and some pygmy and dwarf sperm whale, which are fascinating species.
Amy: there is so much you can learn from any species, and that’s why it’s so important to report them, especially when they’re so decomposed, because it may not be the usual bottlenose dolphin, it could be a species that we don’t really see. So, that’s why we like to get calls in about everything.
Bridgette: I would add onto that too, that we see a high level of bottlenose dolphins because they are a coastal species, so they’re closer to shore. A lot of the time the marine mammals who die naturally out in the wild will just sink to the seafloor, but because our bottlenose dolphins are more inland, the currents can push them up to the shore.
Amy: It is important for that research to be done on those offshore species because we don’t see them, so when they do come in, even if they’re deceased, we can look at their stomach contents and see what they’ve eaten, see their age, any scars that they have on their body; it kind of gives us a picture of what’s going on further out in the gulf.
What kind of things could a volunteer or intern expect to experience and be involved with?
Bridgette: We’re a staff of anywhere between 1 and 3 individuals at the time, and then the rest of the team are dedicated volunteers. Our volunteers have different layers that they can work through, as you first start off as a brand new volunteer you can help run our many educational outreach activities, you can assist with recoveries of deceased stranded animals, participate in necropsies if that interests you, sit poolside and help with behavioral ethograms of live animals in rehabilitation or several other organizational tasks. For instance, not all of our volunteers have interests in everything we do but may have other unique skillsets that they like to contribute to our non-profit. You don’t have to have a background in marine biology to volunteer with us, even as a brand new volunteer we will teach you how to do ethograms (behavioral studies), and recording respiration rates for live animals in rehabilitation. We pair you up with a more experienced volunteers or staff members, which is a nice almost mentorship program that we have for all our volunteers. From there we have another layer of volunteers who have gone through additional training and gained experience to join our critical care team. These volunteers are on 24/7 call to come assist with live animal rescues and rehabilitative care.
Since we are discussing education though, that is a great place to start as a volunteer to learn on the go with the programming we offer as well as hearing stories from more experienced volunteers and staff.
Amy: It’s a well-oiled machine, but that’s not without everyone’s help, and so like she said, even if you don’t have experience with biology or are not necessarily the strongest person, we do a lot of cleaning here and so sometimes it’s so helpful to just have someone come in and squeegee the floors while we’re working with an animal, because they get so slippery—it’s just always nice to have people you know around, able and willing to help with that goal of conservation in mind, even if it’s just picking up a rag. We’re essentially a hospital, so we keep all those same standards.
Bridgette: Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network conducts and contributes to research as well. Volunteers interested in research have a great opportunity to see this process from a unique perspective. It’s nice to see how colleagues can work together to further our understanding of marine mammals and ecosystem health as well as how we can get people involved, which fosters a deeper appreciation of our marine ecosystems.
You do amazing events to inspire beach cleanup. The findings of microplastics being in 100% of Beachcast dolphin stomachs in Texas is alarming. Could you share more information on the health impacts of microplastics so we can help spread awareness?
Bridgette: A lot of that information is still being developed in studies by researchers worldwide, and we are happy to contribute where we can, researchers can apply for federal research permits to collect samples for their studies. Since most marine mammals have limbs that are closer to their body to prevent heat loss while being constantly surrounded by water, and to help them be streamline while swimming; they don’t have a mechanism to aid in untangling themselves or the ability to pick plastics or other marine debris out of their mouth which can lead to accidental ingestion of marine debris or entanglements. If marine mammals are ingesting plastics, for example, instead of their normal diet, that means they are not getting the proper nutrition which can cause weight loss, they aren’t getting the proper fluids, which can cause dehydration, and if the marine debris ingested is larger or has jagged edges it could cause intestinal tears.
Approximately 11.5 trillion nurdles—which is the raw material of plastics, like plastic pellets, that are accidentally spilled into the oceans every year. It takes 600 nurdles to make a plastic water bottle, so if you think of just how many nurdles that is, that are circulating, it’s a problem everywhere. We all need to do our part to help prevent these items entering the ecosystem. Sometimes the first place to start is just awareness of the problem. We are always happy to go into depth about conservation issues and how anyone can help during our education outreach programs.
(displayed on an education table at the start of our tour was a small bin of nurdles—which Bridgette goes on to explain she collected herself from a very small stretch of sand by the San Jacinto monument in a span of 30 minutes.)
Bridgette: Yeah, so the big picture is that they have no way to untangle themselves or take out the plastics because of the way they’ve adapted to be perfect for the environment that they live in, which is the depressing part, but that just means that we have a lot of work to do as you’re out, or visiting the beach, or any waterway, if you see trash in any ecosystem, take it with you. Try to cut down on the single-use plastics, use a reusable water bottle, try to set yourself small challenges to use less plastic and then keep building from there.
Okay, to finish us off, do you have any funny or impactful personal stories you would like to share?
Bridgette: Back in January, our team helped rescue an out of habitat mother and calf pair of dolphins, who were unable to return to their natural habitat. The rescue went flawlessly but sometimes you don’t always get a follow up on how those rescued individuals are doing later on. However, because our team also conducts photoidentification surveys to help understand the health of our local ecosystem, this pair was spotted again approximately a month later on a survey! Mom and calf were still together, feeding and socializing with a whole pod of dolphins. Its extremely rewarding to be able to see the longer term effects of the recue efforts done by everyone at TMMSN.
Amy: Yeah, we were able to identify it was the mom and calf pair by the images taken of their dorsal fins during their rescue. Each dolphin has a unique dorsal fin, just like our finger prints, which can be used to identify who is who. They are unique due to the nicks and notches they accumulate over their lifetime that can be used as identification, almost like a name tag.
Get Involved; Education, Volunteering, and Donations
As you can see, volunteering with Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network promises to be a rewarding, hands-on experience like nothing you’ve ever done before. But that’s not the only way to get involved—Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network takes monetary donations and gifts of supplies as well, of which they maintain a convenient amazon wish list for your perusal.
As for getting involved in their education programs, talk with your local schoolboard about contacting Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network for a fieldtrip, or for them to come to you with their “Whales on Wheels” program, with seminars and lessons prepped for every age, from college to kindergarten. College students may even attend live zoom sessions of necropsies on fatally stranded wildlife, an invaluable experience for a degree centered on animal biology.
Opportunities for individuals exist as well! Look out on Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network’s social media, where they host open days where anyone can come in, speak to educators and volunteers, and get a tour of the facilities, just like me!
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