After its most recent marine mammal stranding workshop, geared toward veterinarians in The Bahamas, the Bahamas Marine Mammal Research Organisation (BMMRO) network is now 21 people stronger. The total count of persons trained in marine mammal stranding response is now up to 122, spread over 15 Bahamian islands.
Veterinarians from New Providence, Grand Bahama and Abaco, along with veterinarian technicians and laboratory staff, participated in the recent two-day workshop held at BMMRO, located in Sandy Point, Abaco, which was also sponsored by Dolphin Cay, Atlantis. They join a network of trained people from organizations and facilities such as Dolphin Cay, Dolphin Encounters, the Bahamas National Trust, The Nature Conservancy, The Humane Society and the Department of Marine Resources, and other individuals interested in marine mammals.
The stranding workshop participants were addressed by Blair Mase, the United States' Southeast Regional Marine Mammal Stranding coordinator; Dr. Ruth Ewing from NOAA Fisheries; Dr. Darlene Ketten, senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; and Dr. Michael Walsh from the University of Florida.
BMMRO has been conducting a long-term study documenting the occurrence, distribution and abundance of marine mammals around the islands of The Bahamas since 1991, and responding to marine mammal stranding events. The first stranding event in The Bahamas was recorded in 1944; since then, 95 strandings have occurred throughout The Bahamas. BMMRO developed the Bahamas marine mammal stranding network in 2007 to help promote the conservation of marine mammal species and their habitat by improving the rescue and humane care of stranded marine mammals. The organization's hope was that it would translate into increased public awareness through knowledge gained from rapid and effective response to strandings.
In the most recent stranding workshop, participants were able to necropsy five imported marine mammal carcasses (one dwarf sperm whale, two bottlenose dolphins and two manatees), which were brought into the country with assistance from Dr. Godfrey Springer and Dr. Khadijai Hassan from the Department of Agriculture; William McLellan from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington; and Andy Garrett from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Pathobiolgoy Lab. The carcass necropsies were led by Dr. Eric Anderson from Dolphin Cay, Atlantis, and Sarah Buchanan from Dolphin Encounters, Blue Lagoon Island.
Michael Braynen, the director of marine resources, educated the veterinarians on marine mammal occurrence in The Bahamas and various stranding response and techniques, including sample collection. He spoke to the vets about having grown up in The Bahamas without knowing that marine mammals live in Bahamian waters. He said this is a belief that many Bahamians still hold to date, and there is a need to increase awareness about marine mammals in schools and the student population.
For additional information on strandings in The Bahamas and the stranding network visit website: www.bahamaswhales.org or contact BMMRO at 242-366-4155 or email: info@bahamaswhales.org. To join the Bahamas marine mammal stranding network, go to https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/bahamas-marine-mammal-stranding-network. If you are a witness to a marine mammal stranding, telephone the hotline at 1-242-423-8427.
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