New York State

Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Program

Kimberly Durham

NYS Marine Mammal & Sea Turtle Coordinator

Rescue Program Director

Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation

Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Strandings 1980 through September 19, 2006

1 1 2 4 7 6 4 3 10 20 20

47 34

69

115 123

124

90

127

62 66

185

83

65

124 135

77

0 8 5 16 3 11 13 12

22 8 8

18

17

17

13

19 16

25

13

24 20

22

23

31

29 24

27

9 5 11

8

5

59 54

97 53 63 60

68

53

50

48

122

35

30

29

50

34

41

37 45

46

6

18

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Year

# of

Ani

mal

s

Pinnipeds = 1,604 Cetaceans = 444 Sea Turtles = 1,136

Pinniped Strandings 1980 through September 19, 2006

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

Year

# of

Ani

mal

s

Harp Harbor Gray Hooded Ringed Unknown

Pinniped Recoveries and Releases 1996 through September 19, 2006

124

90

127

62

66

185

83

64

126

135

77

102

73

92

42

42

132

63

48

91

73

44

51

40

55

32

29

88

35

42

24

45

62

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Ye

ar

# of Animals

# Recovered # Alive # Released

Stranding Response631-369-9829

Sampling ProtocolsLife History & Genetics

Trigonocotyle spp.

•Morphometrics

•Teeth and ear bones

•Genetics (blood, skin & muscle)

•Diet

•Fecal samples

•Reproductive Status

Nasitrema Ova

Overview of Sampling ProtocolsParameter Average Min Max

Glucose (mg/dl) 146 101 199

BUN (mg/dl) 49 29 64

Creatinine (mg/dl) 1.2 0.7 1.8

TP 57 6.3 701

Albumin (g/dl) 4.1 3.4 4.5

SGPT/ALT (U/l) 130 55 638

SGOT/AST (U/l) 618 68 3590

Calcium (mg/dl) 8.7 7.8 9.3

Phosphorus (mg/dl) 4.5 3.2 5.7

Sodium (mEq/l) 153 145 173

Potassium (mEq/l) 3.9 3.1 5.5

Chloride (mEq/l) 115 107 130

Globulin (g/dl) 3 2.6 3.7

Hemoglobin (g/dl) 16.7 13 20.2

Hematocrit (%) 46.3 37.4 53.4

WBC (thds/cmm) 7.1 5 15.4

RBC (mil/cmm) 4.8 4.02 5.84

Leukocytes 5834 3900 12782

Lymphs 958 504 1480

Eos 145 0 592

Blood Studies

Microbial Studies

Sampling ProtocolsContaminants and Biotoxins

•Contaminant sampling (liver, kidney, blubber)

•Biotoxin (stomach, liver, urine, feces, lung)

DiagnosticsSerology

Equine Encephalomyelitis

West Nile Virus

Leptospirosis

Morbillivirus (Canine, Phocine, Dolphin, and Porpoise Distemper Virus)

Brucella abortus

Present serum archive contains 1,845 samples from five pinniped species encountered in NYS

Plasma and RBC samples are collected from 4 species of Sea turtles

Serum archived from all cetaceans

Sample Archives•619 Samples from 20 different cetacean species ranging from 1986 to present (liver, kidney, lung, feces, muscle, skin, blubber, stomach contents, teeth, reproductive tracts, skeletal artifacts, baleen)

•289 Samples from four different species of sea turtles ranging from 1985 to present (adipose tissue, GI tracts, skeletal artifacts, skin, liver, kidney, muscle, feces)

•1,187 samples from five different pinniped species ranging from 1988 to present. (Over 52% represented by Phoca groenlandica)

Large Whale Strandings

1980-2006

Total number of 64 Large Whale Strandings Total number of 64 Large Whale Strandings

Northern Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) 2

Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) 5

Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) 15

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) 17

Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis) 2

Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) 13

Balaenopterid (Species Unknown) 10

North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

Legal Status: Federal – Endangered / State – Endangered

Total Number of two animals documented by the NYSMMST Stranding Program

Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Legal Status: Federal – Endangered / State – Endangered

Total Number of five animals documented by the NYSMMST Stranding Program

Physty Photo credit: James Callanan

Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus)

Legal Status: Federal – Endangered / State – Endangered

Total Number of 15 animals documented

by the NYSMMST Stranding Program

Whale on vessel bow courtesy of NOAA Fisheries NE Science Center

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae )

Legal Status: Federal – Endangered / State – Endangered

Total Number of 18 animals documented by the NYSMMST Stranding Program

Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae )

Human Interaction (Boat Strike & Entanglement)

Sei Whale (Balaenoptera borealis)

Legal Status: Federal – Endangered / State – Endangered

Total Number of two animals documented

by the NYSMMST Stranding Program

It’s all in the Genes……

North Atlantic Right Whale

The other cetacean strandings

•Total number of 380 cetacean strandings are composed of the “Other” species (1980 – 2006).

•Nine species are represented in the database

Common Dolphin

White-Beaked Dolphin

Bottlenose Dolphin

Atlantic White-sided Dolphin

Striped Dolphin

Spotted Dolphin

Risso’s Dolphin

Pilot Whale

Harbor Porpoise

Pygmy Sperm Whale

The “Other” cetacean strandingsOf the 238 cetacean strandings reported to the program since 1997. Thirty cases have involved a live animal response.

•To date the RFMRP has release two rehabilitated cetaceans

•The RFMRP presently has the nation’s first Atlantic offshore bottlenose calf in house awaiting placement into a permanent care facility

Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

Legal Status: State SC – Special Concern

Total Number of 125 animals documented

Sea Turtle Strandings 1996 through September 19, 2006

16 19 18

34

1319 14

2720

412

32 1

3

82

3

157 1 4

6

612

10

6 1398 6

7

7

810

118

42

20

10

20

30

40

50

60

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Year

Num

ber o

f Ani

mal

s

Loggerhead Green Ridley Leatherback

Sea Turtle Strandings

Database: 1,172 Sea Turtle Reports

1996 – 2006 (Total of 409 reports)

Kemp’s Ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) 75

Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) 88

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) 214

Atlantic Green (Chelonia mydas) 30

Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii)

Legal Status: Federal – Endangered / State – Endangered

Total number of 67 reports (includes transfers) 1996-2006

Leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea)

Legal Status: Federal – Endangered / State – Endangered

Total number of 270 Reports (1980 – 2006)

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta)

Legal Status: Federal – Threatened / State – Threatened

Total number of 214 Reports (1996-2006)

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

Legal Status: Federal – Threatened / State – Threatened

Total number of 30 Reports (1996-2006)

•Development of a NYS Whale Mortality Contingency Plan

•Development of Wildlife Response Contingency Plan for events such as Oil Spills

•Overall support of the NYS Stranding Program