October, 2004. Upon landing on the tinyisland airstrip, nestled on Tern Island locatedwithin the French Frigate Shoals, 490 miles off the coast of Oahu, Liz Wheeler,a researcher with The Marine MammalCenter, thought “this place is so surreal!”With its white sand beaches, colorful birds,and consistent tropical temperatures,one could get the sense that they were on their own private vacation oasis.The purpose of Liz’s visit was anything buta vacation. She, along with contract veteri-narian Dr. Robert Braun from NOAA Fish-eries, and The Center’s volunteer, CullenMeade, spent the next 30 days laying thegroundwork for a field camp, laboratoryand special shoreline pens, to house suit-able, malnourished patients.

“We’ve chosen to partner with The MarineMammal Center because of its expertiseand solid history of rehabilitating pinnipedsand for helping us with disease studies,”

said Dr. Bud Antonelis, Protected SpeciesDivision Chief, Pacific Islands Fisheries Sci-ence Center, NOAA Fisheries. “Our goal isto work together to provide human inter-vention solutions to enhance the recoveryof the endangered Hawaiian monk seal.”

Team Starts Critical DocumentationOnce the basic field camp was set up, theteam began observing the seals in theirnatural habitat and documenting theirbody condition via repetitive digital imag-ing, a way of comparing a series of thesame pictures to highlight the differencesamong them. “Taking photos of the sealson a daily basis helps us see body conditiontrends, such as weight loss or gain, woundsdue to shark attacks, and haul-out patternswhich may give us clues as to what is hap-pening to the population,” said Dr. FrancesGulland, Director of Veterinary Science atThe Center. “Thanks to these imaging tech-niques, we’re able to learn more about

what’s been happening with the popula-tion, without being too intrusive into theseals’ habitat.” Back at the base camp, thephotos are downloaded into a computerand are compared to previous picturestaken of the same animal so that predom-inant body trends can be identified. If ananimal appears healthy but is noticeablylosing weight, the seal will be a candidatefor the program. Once selected, the teamwill provide the proper medical care andnutrition it needs. Then, when it reachesthe appropriate weight, the monk seal will be outfitted with a radio tag before its release so researchers can collectdata affecting survival and behavior, andthen compare that data and photos to seals that did not receive human help.These observations will continue post-release for at least two months and up to one year. continued on page 2

Pupping Season Approaches

A Word from the Executive Director

2004 Year in Review

Patient Admits

Scientific Discovery

Education Programs thatStimulate and Involve

releaseThe Newsletter of The Marine Mammal Center Spring 2005 Vol. 25 No. 1

2 3 4

Endangered Monk Seals get a Second Chance

The Hawaiian monk seal is the most endangered pinniped in the United States, with current populationestimates at a little over 1200 animals. The mystery: why are the seal populations decreasing so dramati-cally? The Marine Mammal Center, along with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), participated in a project called The SecondChance Program, to see if feeding undernourished juvenile seals can save the species from extinction.Following is a first-hand account of how The Center’s staff is contributing to this critical effort.

The Marine Mammal Center Provides Expertise for Oceans andHuman Health Initiative

The Marine Mammal Center recentlyreceived funding from The National Ocean-ic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)to advance the study of infectious diseasesand conditions that impact marine mam-mals, and in turn, help us better understandhuman health. This funding comes as aresult of NOAA’s Oceans and Human HealthInitiative established in 2003. Its focus is to better understand the relationshipbetween the health of oceans and theGreat Lakes and the health of humans.

We are honored to be recognized by NOAAfor our expertise in marine mammal healthissues and to undertake this importantwork,” said Dr. Frances Gulland, Director ofVeterinary Science at The Center. “For 30years, we have been documenting illnessesand conditions harming marine mammals.This funding will help us further ourresearch around these diseases.”

A component of the research includes TheCenter’s ongoing study of the sub-lethal,long-term effects of domoic acid toxicity,and of cancer in sea lions. Each year,approximately 21 percent of sea lion patientsat The Center are treated for domoic acidtoxicity, a poisoning caused by algal bloomsthat have been increasing in the ocean.In many sea lions, it can cause seizures oreven death. Collaborators in this studyinclude the University of California at SantaCruz and the California Department ofHealth Services. Another study The Centerwill participate in focuses on the distributionof zoonotic pathogens (animal diseases that can spread to humans) and the devel-opment of antibiotic resistance in thesebacteria, and the effects of anthropogenic(human-caused) contaminants and biotoxinson sea lion health. Research collaboratorsin this multi-year study include: the North-west Fisheries Science Center, the AlaskaFisheries Science Center, and the Universityof California, Davis.

3/5–3/6Mendocino Whale Festival

3/12Run For The Seals

3/19–3/20Fort Bragg Whale Festival

4/22Earth Day

4/24Member Open House

5/21 Member Open House

5/29 Marine Mammal Day SBC Park

6/8World Oceans Day

7/10Member Open House

8/4Volunteer Training Registration Deadline

Mark Your Calendars

Left: Hawaiian monk seals basking in the sun on Tern Island. Middle: The Center’s researcher, Liz Wheeler, mending a holding pen. Right: Second Chance teams (leftto right): Jamie King, Tracey Goldstein, Dr. Frances Gulland, Dr. Robert Braun, Cullen Meade, and Liz Wheeler. Photos by Liz Wheeler.

“

2 Spring 2005 www.marinemammalcenter.org

A Day on the Island A typical day on the island started around6:30am with breakfast in the communitykitchen. The crew then checked out theshoreline pens—two mesh-wire typestructures that are each 28 feet by 80 feet,built partly within the water and parton the beach. These will serve as “hospitalrooms” for future patients allowing the seals to cool off in the water, or to sunthemselves on the beach. “Keeping thepens up and functional was one of ourbiggest challenges,” said Wheeler.“Betweenthe high winds (as much as 20 knots)knocking them down, to the ever shifting

sand displacing the posts, we constantlyneeded to evaluate the pens to make surethey were still standing, were sturdy andcould provide a refuge for future patients.”Once the pen check was completed, thecrew spent a day on the water observingand taking photographs of each sited seal,from a variety of angles, thoroughly docu-menting each to be easily identified later.

Project Update Unfortunately for monk seals, the outlookis still not good. As of this printing, it’sbelieved that a small percentage of femalepups are alive from last year’s season on

FFS. Exact numbers and explanations as to what happened to the FFS populationwon’t be determined until all of the photoshave been examined and compared tothose that will be taken during the summerfield season in April. Then, researchers can find out which seals didn’t show up.The work that The Marine Mammal Centerand NOAA Fisheries completed so faris just the beginning of more efforts tocome and more questions to answer aspart of a unified effort to reverse the trendand facilitate an increase in Hawaiianmonk seal population growth.

Spring is in the air, and so are the soundsof elephant seal and harbor seal pups! As cute as these babies are, it is importantto remember proper etiquette whenencountering pups in the wild.

Elephant seals weigh approximately 60-80 pounds at birth. They stay with theirmother for one month, during which theyspend most of their time nursing andsleeping. Upon weaning, pups are left alonein the rookery, and they learn to swim and eat on their own. Once they leave therookery, some pups swim offshore whileothers spend time on beaches nearby.This exploration is part of their naturallearning process, so it’s important for people to leave pups alone.

Harbor seals weigh approximately 15-25pounds at birth. During the nursing period,which lasts about a month, the motherperiodically leaves her pup ashore when shegoes to sea to forage for food. It’s crucialfor people to leave harbor seal pups aloneso their mothers can return to find them.A pup’s best chance for survival is to staywith its mother.

Young pups are stressed by human pres-ence. Please stay at least 50 feet awayfrom pups on the beach, and keep otherpeople and dogs away. If you come acrossa stranded pup in The Bay Area, call TheMarine Mammal Center at (415) 289-7325or in the Monterey and San Luis Obispoareas, call (831) 633-6298. The Center’strained volunteers will assess the pup todetermine whether or not it’s in trouble.

Pupping Season Approaches

Continued from cover Endangered Monk Seals

Board of DirectorsDennis DeDomenico and Sandra BrodMerrill L. Magowan and

Cinnie MagowanRichard and Kate VanceLenard G. Weiss and Nancy WeissSheldon and Rhoda Wolfe

Protected Resources CircleAnonymous (8)Anurag AcharyaCarolyn AdamsBeverly AllisonDiane and Michael AmbroseMike AnthenienEva ArnesonPeter and Patricia ArrigoniLea AukermanRichard and Darla BastoniMrs. Jeannette BaumgardnerAlex and Nancy BeattieMs. Anne Bertaud-PeutoDiana Blank and Mr. Arthur SimonAlden and Marianne BriscoeMrs. Marilee BrooksJacqueline BrotzGeorge and Suzanne BullBruno and Hanna BurgherrJames and Susan BurnsJohn CarusoLyman and Carol CaseyAlan and Laura CharlesHelen CharpentierJohn ClancyCecilia Claudio and Lars RabbeScott and Shirley ClaytonRebecca and John ColliganMartin F.N. CooperKathleen Correia and Stephen EvansColleen CraigSteven and Ingrid CummingHelen CupperLinda and Tim CurtisMurray and Malia DaileyMr. & Mrs. William J. DawsonDeirdre DawsonSue DekalbWendell and Susan DinwiddieMary Donoghue

Diana DormasKenneth DrexlerMrs. Lois EnslowRosemary Fei and Gary HarringtonAmedeo and Julie FerraroMs. Donna Florio and Jondel HoyeMitch FongMary K. FoustWilliam GalaKathryn Gallagher and David WoodOwen GardnerBob and Marilyn GaribaldiAndrew GeiserLiana and Scott GenovesiBeverly GeorgeNick and Arlette GersonJerry and Val GibbonsRobert and Linda GilbertClinton and Mary GillilandLisa and Douglas GoldmanJulie Goldman and Robert RosnerMyron and Doris GoodwinJames H. GreenPatricia GreenhoodThe Griffey FamilyB. J. GriffinSophie GuarasciWilliam GullandDonald and Deborah HallidayMr. Stuart HamlynBernice HansenKirk Hardie and Molly McAllisterMargaret HardyBarbara HarootunianMarina HeatzigDouglas HerstThe Edward E. Hills Fund, Ingrid HillsAngela HoenighausenAnton and Susan HoffmanDonna HugginsE. Vickie HughesMark Insley and Becky Wong-InsleyDiane JaramilloAnna JeffreyJames and Thomaseen JensenRobert and Robin JohansenWilliam JosephsBuck KamphausenMark Karier

Steve KaufmanJaime N. KawanabeJudy Heymann Kazan & Steven KazanArthur H. KernWendy KhoshnevisMurray and Jeanie KilgourLenore KirvaySuzanne and Gerald KnechtDr. Eleanor KnudsonMs. Sonoko Konishi and Mr. Ewan JohnsonJohn and Krystal KonradJudy and Leon KregerPam and Stephen KrieghMrs. Jean Kronfield and Dr. S. Jack KronfieldCatherine KruttschnittBelina LazzarSandy LernerAnne Leung-Stevens and Larry StevensElizabeth J. LilleyMrs. R. H. LoganDavid and Diane LoganDavid and Shelly MartinezMargaret MawLois and Bob MeredithMary MillerAntoinette MitchellJay MortonDr. William Myers and Mrs. Irene MyersPauline NightingaleDr. Carol A. O’NeilThomas and Olivia OrrMs. Christina PattersonLorraine PehoushekShelley PenningtonVictoria and Guillermo PflugradtJohn PinnellaKristina PrimoffChuck and Ginny QuickBenjamin QuickMaja and Craig RamseyMrs. Miller ReamVictoria and Sam ReedPhil and Katherine ReillySylvia L. ReynoldsCharles RiceKenneth RiisMr. David RobertsonAlice K. Robinson

James A. Robison and Lisbeth B. SmestadLorelei RockwellMatthew RoseKaren and Larry RosensteinMichael RossLois ScheinbergLylah SchieckLincoln and Kirsten ShawJill and Richard SidemanJohn and Karen SilveyDebbie SonenblickBeverly Spector and Kenneth LipsonHenry StaufferChris StoneCarole StraussPeter SutherlandAkiko TakahashiTeru TaketaMargaretta TaylorJ. Holley TaylorLouise A.H. TigheMr. and Mrs. Peter TretheweyHoward TurnerJulie TurnerGodfrey Van Der LindenMark and Lisa WanStan and Karen WattLori E. WeigantMichael and Robin WillardJames and Joanne WillcoxGregory and Nancy WilsonElizabeth and Rico WiskemannStephen and Gisela WorsleyAnn Marie and Jim Zagzebski

Foundations, Corporations, and TrustsThe Active Network, Inc.Alexander & Edwards, Inc.The Atmos FoundationElinor Patterson Baker TrustBank of MarinThe Barnston-Koutsafis FoundationBattelleBlue Waters KayakingBREL Associates XIX, LPThe Robert Brownlee FoundationThe Sidney S. Byers Charitable TrustCell Genesys, Inc.ChevronTexaco

David P. Wheatland Charitable Trust,In memory of Susan W. Stauffer

DMARLOU FoundationThelma Doelger Charitable TrustThe Samuel E. and Hilda S. Duff TrustThe E.D. FoundationFashion StreaksThe Gap FoundationWilliam G. Gilmore FoundationWalter & Elise Haas FundHarden FoundationThe Herbst Foundation, Inc.Hodge, Neiderer, Cariani LLCThe Jones-Smith FoundationKPMG LLPThe Edith and Herbert Lehman Foundation, INC.Loring, Wolcott & CoolidgeLucasfilm, Ltd.Marin Independent JournalThe Catherine L. and Robert O.

McMahan FoundationMelanson Family FoundationThe Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationNihon Kohden AmericaNoll & Tam ArchitectsNorthern Star FoundationOrrick, Herrington & SutcliffePacific Gas and ElectricPacific Service Credit UnionThe David and Lucile Packard FoundationPIER 39 Limited PartnershipPresidio Sport & MedicineProAction FoundationProspect Capital, LLCQuad GraphicsQwest FoundationReal Estate TrustRedwood Credit UnionCharles See FoundationThe Seven Springs FoundationThe L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs FoundationY & H Soda FoundationSPX FoundationSidney Stern Memorial TrustThe Strong Foundation For

Environmental ValuesHarriette S. and Charles L. Tabas FoundationThe Teddy FoundationThe Norman and Carol Traeger Foundation

Turner Dale Associates, Inc.The Turner FoundationTy CatonU.S. Trust Company of New YorkUnbroken Chain FoundationUnilever Bestfoods North AmericaWallace Genetic Foundation, Inc.The William H. & Mattie Wattis

Harris FoundationWells Fargo & Company IssuerThe Westly FoundationWestone Laboratories, Inc.WhirlpoolThe Winnick Family FoundationDean Witter FoundationZephyr Real Estate

Donor-Advised FoundationsCharitable Gift FundEast Bay Community FoundationJewish Community Endowment FundLos Altos Community FoundationPeninsula Community FoundationThe San Francisco FoundationMarin Community FoundationSchwab Fund for Charitable GivingCommunity Foundation for Santa Cruz CountyPflugradt FoundationThe Parasol Community Foundation

BequestsThe Claar Family 1984 TrustEstate of Lucila ClavijoThe Estate of Margaret A. CoffeyThe Estate of Lynn L. GarberEstate of Lillyan J. Holmberg1998 Cleo Colleen Jacinto TrustEi Mac Leod TrustSelck Family Trust (John and Jane Selck)The Jill Graham Revocable Trust

Memorial GiftsThe Marine Mammal Center recognizes the special gifts received in memory of a loved one:

Gary AllumsDavid BennettAndrew GeiserDr. Fred MiyaMarianne RiisStanley Ruby

The Marine Mammal Center gratefully acknowledges PRC donors, foundations, corporations, trusts and bequests with annual cumulativegiving of $500 or more. This includes cash, stock, donor-advised, in-kind, and capital campaign gifts. The following list recognizes giftsreceived between October 1, 2004 and January 1, 2005.S P E C I A L T H A N K S

A Word from the Executive Director…

We’re off to a wonderful start in 2005, as TheMarine Mammal Center has been included in the 2005 Omnibus Appropriations Bill recentlypassed by Congress. As a result of supportfrom Senator Barbara Boxer, CongresswomanLynn Woolsey and other California representa-tives, The Marine Mammal Center was awarded$2 million to improve our facilities which willallow us to better diagnose and treat rescuedanimals, and enhance research capabilities.

We here at The Center are extremely honoredthat Congress recognizes the important rolethat we play in our field. Our partnership withthe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-tration (see article, front page) also underscoresthe growing national recognition of our work.

We are grateful to our legislative representativesfor securing additional funding to advance ourwork, and we remain grateful to our memberson whom we rely for day-to-day support.

Thank you, all!

B.J. Griffin

4-Mile Run / Walk / Dog Trot9:00 AM Saturday, March 12, 2005Rodeo Beach, Marin HeadlandsBaby Joggers & Dogs Welcome

Register Now for the Coolest Race in The Bay Area!

Online pre-registration for the Run For The Sealsrace is available for $25 through March 10, 2005by logging onto to www.runfortheseals.org.Runners may also register for the race by mail for $27. Enjoy music from KFOG-FM, buy a cute bandana for your pooch, and browse the varioustables. This year’s participants will receive a goodiebag full of neat things, including a VIP pass goodfor a free Bay Cruise and arcade games, courtesyof PIER 39. Race day registration opens at 7:30am.

Top: Pacific harbor seal pup. Bottom: Northern elephant seal pup, Newbie. Photos by The MarineMammal Center.

Gains in Rehabilitation The Center is especially known for its successes in treating and rehabilitating injured andill marine mammals. In 2004, scientists from around the world came to The Center tolearn more about the cutting-edge techniques developed here, particularly in the areasof anesthesia and clinical diagnostics, medicine and surgery.

One of the most noteworthy patients to visitThe Center in 2004 was Chippy, the Californiasea lion that made international headlines byswimming some 60 miles inland and crawlingon top of a California Highway Patrol car.The Center’s veterinarian found that Chippywas shot in the back of his head, and hebecame a poster-sea lion for the harmful effectsof humans on marine mammals. He also galvanized concerned citizens who respondedwith an outpouring of support. Chippy’s bulletwas removed and he was successfully released.The office of law enforcement under theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-tration continues to pursue the perpetrator ofthis crime, a felony under the Marine MammalProtection Act of 1972.

In 2004, The Center was approached to test a new technology that may eventuallyhelp save endangered species. “D-Day” wasone of four California sea lions released fromThe Center with an implanted “life-history”transmitter that will relay location, diving pat-terns, body temperature and other pertinentinformation for the last two weeks of his natural life. It is hoped that successful implantsin California sea lions will lead to successfulimplants in Steller sea lions, a species whosepopulation has declined by 70% in the last15-20 years. By implanting Steller sea lions withthe same type of transmitter, scientists hopeto better understand the age and behavior of the animal at the time of its death, and thecause for this species’ rapid decline.

The Center continues to collaborate onresearch projects involving a regular patientby-product. Scientists are studying feces inorder to better understand sea lions’ diet intheir natural habitat, fecal bacteria and antibi-otic resistance in elephant seals, and fecal cortisol as an indicator of stress in sea lions.All of these projects will further scientists’understanding of how marine mammals livein the wild, and how these findings may relate to ocean health, and human interactionwith marine mammals.

Flipper, a harbor seal pup, was admitted to The Center in 2004 with severe cuts in his hindflippers, possibly brought about by a boatpropeller strike or shark bite. X-rays revealedthat both his hind flippers were broken, andhis prognosis was dim. Thanks to The Center’sentrepreneurial spirit, veterinarians performedsurgery and were able to successfully implantpins in Flipper’s hind appendages. He waseventually released, pins intact, and ready to resume a harbor seal life of diving, fishingand foraging.

Baker D, a juvenile bottlenose dolphin, wasadmitted to The Center in 2004 with variouswounds, and muscle necrosis and damage to skeletal muscle as a result of stranding onthe beach. The Center’s volunteers swung into action, providing him with 24-hour-a-daycare until he was stabilized and able to swimand eat on his own. After four weeks at TheCenter, he was transferred to a facility wherehe could dive and better exercise his muscles,preparing him for his eventual release.He was satellite tagged and has since beentracked swimming and diving along hundredsof miles of California coastline.

With only 1,200 remaining, the Hawaiianmonk seal is the most endangered pinniped in U.S. waters. Thanks to the work thatThe Center has performed with its cousin,the northern elephant seal, staff scientists are well positioned to assist in this species’survival. Staff veterinarian Dr. Martin Haulenawent to Kauai in 2004 to help direct anes-thetizing a monk seal to remove an ingestedfishing hook, and Director of Veterinary Science Dr. Frances Gulland collaborated on alonger-term effort to identify and rehabilitate undernourished monk seals in order to helpensure the species’ survival. This effort isexpected to continue into 2005.

It is not uncommon for scientists from aroundthe world to contact The Center about marinemammal health and treatments, particularlysince the 2001 publishing of the CRC Handbookof Marine Mammal Medicine, co-authored by Director of Veterinary Science Dr. FrancesGulland. Veterinarians and scientists look to Dr. Gulland and The Center’s staff for theirexpertise, and in 2004, visited The Center fromcountries as far away as Norway, Brazil, andCanada. Dr. Stephen Jones (pictured) camefrom the U.K. to learn anesthesia techniques.

Speedy and accurate diagnosis is critical to successful rehabilitation, and The Centercontinued to make strides in this area.For the first time in The Center’s history,magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs),positron emission tomography (PET) scansand electroencephalograms (EEGs) wereall used to better diagnose domoic acidtoxicity, a condition regularly seen inpatients that can result in brain lesions,seizures and death. Through these procedures, it was determined that manypatients were actually suffering fromseizures yet exhibiting no direct outwarddisplay. With quicker and more accuratediagnoses, staff scientists were better able to administer appropriate medica-tions and care.

In addition, satellite transmitters wereimplanted in seven animals that wereaffected by domoic acid toxicity and sub-sequently deemed healthy enough to bereleased. These transmitters will help TheCenter’s scientists better understand thelong-term effects of exposure to domoicacid by following the animals’ behavior,tracking diving patterns, and comparingtheir behavior to “normal” behavior.At this time, there is no direct correlationbetween the severity in the affected animals’ brain lesions and their successfulrelease, and The Center will continue tomonitor this important development.

www.marinemammalcenter.org Spring 2005 3

Species Number Percent

Northern elephant seals 124 17%

Pacific harbor seals 47 7%

California sea lions 484 67%

Steller sea lions 2 0%

Guadalupe fur seals 3 0%

Northern fur seals 7 1%

Southern sea otters 30 4%

Cetaceans-various species 22 3%

Sea turtles-various species 0 0%

Total 719 100%

15% of rescues were due to harmful human interaction.

41% of animals admitted to rehabilitation werereleased back into the wild.

* Percentages are approximate, due to rounding procedures.

2004 Number of animals admitted

For Every $1 Spent for Operations in 2004*

76¢food and medicine for patients;veterinary, education and membership programs

10¢for administration

14¢for fundraising

Veterinarians visiting from Brazil,Norway and around the world

Outbreak of leptospirosis in patients,a bacterial condition that affects all mammals, including humans

Long-term effects of domoic acid toxicity observed in patients,studies begin

Endangered Hawaiian monk sealstreated, long-term program for their survival commences

Chippy, the California sea lion,wins the hearts of all, and after treatment, his own release.

These are just some of the highlights from The Center in 2004. Read on for more.

* For the fiscal year 10/01/03-9/30/04, includes volunteer services

Phot

o:Sa

ra D

uran

Phot

o:M

arty

Hau

lena

Phot

o:Ro

bert

Mat

thew

s

Phot

o:De

bora

h Ga

bris

Phot

o:N

OAA

Phot

o:De

bora

h Ga

bris

Phot

o:Ch

ristin

e Cu

rry

2004

Ye

ar in

Rev

iew

2004

Release is a publication ofThe Marine Mammal Center.

Director of CommunicationsCynthia Schramm

EditorJim Oswald

PhotographersChristine CurrySara DuranDeborah GabrisMarty HaulenaRobert MatthewsLiz Wheeler

ContributorsAnn BauerFrances GullandJim OswaldCynthia SchrammKathy Zagzebski

DesignAshton Abeck

releaseNonprofitOrganizationU.S. PostageP A I DGMS

The Marine Mammal CenterMarin Headlands1065 Fort CronkhiteSausalito, CA 94965-2697415.289.SEALwww.marinemammalcenter.org

© 2005 by The Marine Mammal CenterSince 1975, The Marine MammalCenter has rescued over 10,000injured, sick and orphanedmarine mammals along 600miles of northern and centralCalifornia coastline.

Printed on 70% recycled,30% post-consumer paper

Vol. 25 No. 1 | Spring 2005 | The Newsletter of The Marine Mammal Center

In 2004, The Center continued to educate children and adults about its work and thewonders of marine mammals.

The Whale Bus outreach program that takesmarine mammal lessons “on the road”to schools, continued to be very successful.An evaluation process garnered teacher sug-gestions for improvement, including ways to better align content to California AcademicStandards. One third-grade teacher wrote:“The program was absolutely fantastic. Thespecimens are wonderful. (The instructor’s)knowledge of the subject matter and rapportwith the students is just awesome. Somethingas great as what we experienced (can’t) be improved!”

Youth Programs also continued to attractnearly 90 students, ages 14-17, who learnedabout marine mammals, explored careers in marine science, volunteered in animal care, education and other areas, and gainedinterpersonal and job skills.

Thanks to the generosity of the DMARLOUFoundation, program fees and bus transporta-tion were provided so that more than 200low-income elementary school students could

visit The Center, take part in its education pro-grams, and explore the surrounding GoldenGate National Recreation Area. The DMARLOUFoundation also provided funding for low-income high-school students to explore marinescience through hands-on lab activities intheir classroom and at The Center.

Finally, while enjoying the beauty of localmarine environments and learning from staffnaturalists, members and the public supportedThe Center through several fundraisers thattook them to the water aboard catamarans,kayaks and other boats. Outreach through new displays about The Center’s rescue andrehabilitation work, and research on marine

mammal diseases extended to professionalbaseball, as thousands of fans of theSan Francisco Giants helped celebrate Marine Mammal Day at SBC Park. The new displays were also viewed by more than 13,000 people at 45 community events andfairs throughout the year.

Education Programs that Stimulate and Involve

The Marine Mammal Center continued to make inroads into the understanding ofmarine mammal health and diseases in 2004.Considerable research was conducted aroundleptospirosis, a bacterial disease that affectsmany mammals (including humans). In 2004,the disease occurred as an outbreak amongCalifornia sea lions, causing seizures and kidneyfailure. Research suggests that the bacteriahas actually adapted to sea lions and may beshed through “carriers,” or sea lions that arenot outwardly suffering from leptospirosis, butcontinue to shed the bacteria through urine,thus infecting more sea lions. More researchis underway to identify the DNA of this partic-ular strain, and of the strains that affect othermarine mammals. Further research may alsoresult in improved treatments that not onlycure the patient, but prevent shedding of leptospirosis and the spread of the disease.

The Center, in collaboration with the Universityof Florida, also conducted research around a pox virus that continues to plague patients

and also appears to be latent. Blood tests haverevealed intermediate levels of antibodies inanimals that show no symptoms, and future research may determine if animals are carriersand if treatments can be improved.

Finally, The Center launched its Second Chance Program, a project aimed at assisting the survival of the Hawaiian monk seal, a speciesthat is endangered with only about 1,200 animals left. It appears that the survival rate of these animals is linked to the seals’ weightat the time they are weaned. In order to ensurethe survival of the species, The Center hasdevised a program, in conjunction with theNational Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, to identify under-nourished weaners and help them gain weightso that they may have a chance to survive and eventually mate.

The Center’s scientists (in bold text) also pub-lished the following papers:

Research Critical to TreatingMarine Mammal Diseases

11th grade youth volunteer Alisa Keenan, right,helps crew supervisor Alyssa Stark by restrainingan injured elephant seal pup in order to feed it.Photo by The Marine Mammal Center.

Year

in R

evie

w

The Marine Mammal Center Scientific Contributions 2004

Bowen L., Aldridge B.M.,Gulland F., Van Bonn W., DeLong R.,Melin S., Lowenstine L.J., Stott .JL., Johnson, M.L. 2004. Class IImultiformity generated by variable MHC-DRB region config-urations in the California sea lion (Zalophus californianus).Immunogenetics. 56(1):12-27.

Dailey, M.D., Kliks, M.M., Demaree, R.S., 2004. Heterophyopsishawaiiensis n. sp. (Trematoda: Heterophyidae) from theHawaiian monk seal, Monachus shauinslandi Matschie, 1905(Carnivora: Phocidae). Comparative Parasitology 71(1): 9-12.

Elson-Riggins, J.G., Riggins, S.A., Gulland, F.M.D., Platzer, E.G.,2004. Immunoglobulin responses of northern elephant andPacific harbor seals naturally infected with Otostrongyluscircumlitus. Journal of Wildlife Diseases 40(3): 466-475.

Goldstein, T., Mazet, J.A.K., Gulland, F.M.D., Rowles, T., Harvey,J.T., Allen, S.G., King, D.P., Aldridge, B.M., Stott, J.L., 2004. Thetransmission of phocine herpesvirus-1 in rehabilitating andfree-ranging Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in Califor-nia. Veterinary Microbiology 103: 131-141.

Royal, L., Dailey, M.D., Demaree, R., Sakanari, J., 2004. Acantho-cephala cystacanth infections in sand crabs from Bodega Bay,California. California Fish and Game 90(1):36-41.

Ylitalo, G.M., Stein, J.E., Hom, T., Johnson, L.L., Tilbury, K.L.,Hall, A.J., Rowles, T., Greig, D., Lowenstine, L.J., Gulland,F.M.D., 2004. The role of organochlorines in cancer-associat-ed mortality in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus).Marine Pollution Bulletin

Zabka, T.S., Buckles, E.L., Gulland, F.M.D.,Haulena, M.,Naydan, D.K., Lowenstine, L.J., 2004. Pleomorphic rhab-domyosarcoma with pulmonary metastasis in a strandedSteller (northern) sea lion (Eumatopias jubatus). Journal ofComparative Pathology, 130:195-198.

Scientific Discovery:

Education Program Statistics Education Program Participants (Groups by Age):

Pre-K and Kindergarten 100

Primary (1st-3rd grade) 279

Upper Elementary (4th-6th grade) 154

Middle School (7th-9th) 36

High School (10th-12th) 33

Mixed Grades (K-12th) 361

College/Adults 59

Teachers/Docents 11

Mixed ages/Families/Home School 51

Senior Citizens 6

Total Groups 1,090

Number of Participants in Programs/Fairs/Events:

Children in School Programs 33,993

Adults (includes 3,830 chaperones) 5,966

Fairs/Special Programs 14,653

Marine Mammal Day at SBC Park 41,503

Total 96,115