We’ve recently been celebrating the release of our 100th rehabilitated seal (keep an eye out for a Friday Night Video featuring his story) and while we love to celebrate happy news we’re also hard at work making progress toward our next significant milestones. Below is a bit of what we’ve been up to.

Early Start to Research Season

The MMoME team started the field season a bit early this year, having spent time recently supporting a harbor seal project in the southern part of the Northeast region. MMoME staff joined another marine mammal stranding organization and biologists from area universities to collect biological health data, and apply satellite tracking tags to wild harbor seals.

These data will help us understand the movements, habitat use, and health of individual harbor seals, and shed light on their greater population. These data are especially valuable as the adult age class is very under represented in current harbor seal data. Our team will continue to participate in seal research projects throughout the winter and the Northeast, gathering critical data to inform marine mammal conservation.

Winter Stranding Response

Our toll free hotline operates year round and while we generally experience a reduction in calls during the month of December we are always ready to respond when needed. On Friday, December 5 we received a call for a live harbor porpoise rolling in the surf at Popham Beach State Park in Phippsburg. This case reminds us that a successful response is not always defined by rehab and release.

Unfortunately, the exam of this juvenile animal revealed that it would not survive if relocated or refloated, and with no rehabilitation options for cetaceans, the most humane course of action was to provide humane euthanasia.

What makes this a success? The porpoise was amazingly found on a cold and windy day on a beach that was empty except for the ranger, and further suffering was prevented by safely removing him from a stressful and painful situation he could not recover from- not the outcome we wished for, but a more humane outcome nonetheless. Through post-mortem sampling we will learn as much as possible about this individual, his species, and his environment.

Thanks LL Bean and Maine Celtics

We recently had the honor of being invited by our friends at LL Bean to be a featured nonprofit at the Maine Celtics game in Portland. We were thrilled to meet lots of new people, spread the word about Maine’s marine mammals and to cheer on the Maine Celtics for a win. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming events! Visit our events calendar to find out where we’re headed next.

MMOME Executive Director Lynda Doughty (right) delivers the game ball. Photo courtesy of Maine Celtics.