Marine Mammal Stranding Center May, 16, 2015

BIG THANKS to Jill for coordinating our tour of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.  

Our tour guide, Shannon,  a Stockton University Marine Biology major,  gave us a very informative talk on marine life in New Jersey.  One thing that we learned was that when a seal is released back into the ocean, it is tagged so it can be tracked.  Females are tagged in the right ear (because females are always right!) and males are tagged in the left ear.  

Below is some history.

The Marine Mammal Stranding Center, a private, non-profit organization, started in 1978 with a handful of volunteers and a C.E.T.A. grant, was founded, and is still directed by Robert Schoelkopf.

He and his wife, Sheila Dean, along with a small paid staff and volunteers with a wide variety of talents and professional backgrounds, continue to work with the animals. Originally based in Gardner’s Basin in the inlet section of Atlantic City, the Center is now located on the barrier island of Brigantine, which borders coastal New Jersey’s largest wildlife refuge.

With a permit and authorization from the state and federal governments, the Center has responded to over 4,500 strandings of whales, dolphins, seals and sea turtles that have washed ashore over the years. Even though these governments sanction the handling of strandings in New Jersey only, the Center is occasionally called upon to assist with animals in other states. All funding comes through donations, grants, memberships, and fund-raising efforts. Since there is no permanent funding at this time, your donations and membership dollars are vital. Your support will help the facility to expand and to care for the increasing number of animals. Without your assistance, these creatures have little hope of survival or rehabilitation.

To join or receive further information, please contact the Membership Secretary, Marine Mammal Stranding Center, PO Box 773, Brigantine, NJ 08203. Telephone: (609) 266-0538. Email: info@mmsc.org

Website:   www.mmsc.org

 

Afterwards, we enjoyed lunch at the Laguna Grill.