The Marine Mammal Center facts for kids
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Headquarters front entrance
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| Date opened | 1975 |
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| Location | Marin Headlands, California, United States |
| Coordinates | 37°50′06″N 122°31′54″W / 37.8351°N 122.5316°W |
The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC) is a special group in the United States. It started in 1975. Its main job is to help marine mammals that are hurt, sick, or lost. They rescue these animals, help them get better, and then release them back into the wild.
TMMC was founded in Sausalito, California. Since 1975, they have helped over 24,000 marine mammals. The center also does important research and teaches people about ocean animals. These animals include cetaceans (like whales and dolphins), pinnipeds (like seals and sea lions), otters, and sirenians (like manatees).
When a young animal is "abandoned," it means it got separated from its mother too early. At the center, animals get special care from vets. They are checked, treated, and helped to recover. The goal is always to return them to the ocean. People usually call the center when they see an animal that needs help.
TMMC mostly helps these animals:
- California sea lions
- Northern elephant seals
- Pacific harbor seals
- Northern fur seals
- Guadalupe fur seals
- Hawaiian monk seals
- Southern sea otters
Sometimes, they also help Steller sea lions and dolphins. The only non-mammals TMMC helps are sea turtles.
Contents
Discovering Ocean Health Secrets
The Marine Mammal Center has a team of vets and biologists. They not only treat animals but also study their health. They write scientific reports about how ocean animal health is linked to the Pacific Ocean's environment.
They work with other groups to learn about diseases and how animals' bodies fight sickness. They also study how the environment affects marine life. Some animals get special tags before they are released. These tags help researchers track them and learn more. The center works with experts worldwide to solve difficult cases. They also study how ocean mammals interact with their watery homes.
Understanding Domoic Acid Poisoning
Researchers at TMMC found out that a substance called domoic acid (DA) makes many California sea lions sick. DA is made naturally by tiny ocean plants called Pseudo-nitzschia diatoms.
This acid moves up the food chain. Small sea creatures eat the diatoms. Then, fish eat those small creatures, and the toxin builds up in the fish. Fish are not harmed by it, but mammals are. California sea lions are often affected because they eat closer to shore. This is where more of these tiny plants live.
When marine mammals eat DA, it affects their brain, especially an area called the hippocampus. This causes seizures. If they keep eating DA, it can damage these brain parts permanently. Domoic acid is the same toxin that can cause amnesia in humans who eat contaminated shellfish.
New Discoveries in Animal Health
TMMC also found that a disease called seal pox is different from other pox viruses. It is not related to chicken pox or smallpox. They are also studying why more marine mammals are getting leptospirosis. This is a bacterial disease that can harm their kidneys.
The Marine Mammal Center has made big steps in using anesthesia for marine mammals during surgery. Seals and sea lions can hold their breath for a long time. This makes giving them anesthesia tricky.
If an animal dies or needs to be humanely put to sleep at the center, a special examination is done. This is called a necropsy. It helps researchers learn more. Animals are only put to sleep if they are too sick or hurt to get better. This prevents them from suffering. Since animals are often very sick when found, some cannot be saved.
Teaching About Ocean Life
The center has a great education program. It teaches over 100,000 kids and adults every year. They focus on how humans are connected to the ocean environment.
Groups of children visit the center. There was also a program called 'Sea to School' that visited schools. The goal is for people to understand and care for the ocean and its creatures.
Helping Animals Get Back to the Ocean
The main goal for every animal TMMC rescues is to return it to the ocean. Since 1975, they have rescued over 24,000 marine mammals. Most of these are California sea lions, northern elephant seals, and Pacific harbor seals. The center can care for up to 275 animals at once.
In spring, they often rescue young elephant seals and harbor seal pups. These pups might be separated from their mothers by storms or people. Some young seals cannot find food after they stop nursing. In summer, they mostly rescue California sea lions. These are often about one year old and struggle to find food. Adults might also be sick with diseases like domoic acid poisoning or leptospirosis.
The center also helps about 80 to 100 animals each year that are hurt by people. This includes animals tangled in plastic or fishing gear, those who ate trash, or even those with gunshot wounds. Volunteers and vets work day and night to help these patients. They give medicine and food, teach young seals to catch fish, and perform medical procedures like X-rays and surgeries.
Most animals can be treated and returned home. In very rare cases (less than 1%), an animal cannot be released. This might happen if an animal has been released twice and keeps coming back. It means they might be too used to people and cannot survive alone. Some animals might have injuries that make them blind or disabled. Even if they are healthy, they cannot live independently in the wild.
For these animals, TMMC works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to find them a permanent home. These homes are usually approved zoos or aquariums. For example, in 2011, the San Francisco Zoo took in two blind California sea lions named Silent Knight and Henry.
Center Facilities and Operations
The main center is in the Marin Headlands. They also have smaller stations along the California coast. Their rescue area covers about 600 square miles, from San Luis Obispo to Mendocino.
The Marine Mammal Center is located where an old Nike Missile site used to be. This site was built to protect against attacks. It closed in 1974. TMMC opened in 1975. The old underground missile silos now hold the center's water cleaning system. A small building that was once a guard house is now part of the Harbor Seal Hospital.
The Marine Mammal Center gets all its money from private donations. In 2012, their yearly budget was about $7.5 million. Most of this money (81%) went directly to animal care, vet costs, and education. Many people donate or become members. The center has about 45 paid staff. But it mostly relies on hundreds of volunteers. These volunteers are trained in rescuing, releasing, caring for animals, and teaching.
The main facility can help about 1,200 animals a year. Usually, they treat between 600 and 800 patients. In 2009, a weather pattern called El Nino caused a shortage of fish. This led to 1,750 patients, the most ever. In 2012, the center had its highest success rate for animals getting better.
How the Center Grew
The Marine Mammal Center started small in 1975, with bathtubs and small pools. In 2009, they opened a much larger complex. It was built using recycled materials. Sound panels were even made from seaweed! Solar panels provide about 20% of the center's energy. Water is now cleaned and reused, saving 80% of water.
During the rebuilding, many outdoor pens with pools were created. There are also special areas like a veterinary hospital, food preparation rooms, and storage for rescue gear. The hospital has an operating room and treatment areas. Vets can perform complex surgeries, like on chests, stomachs, or bones. They also do routine check-ups and blood tests.
Amazing Rescue Stories
Here are some examples of the thousands of successful rescues:
Humpback Whale Rescue. In December 2005, a large female humpback whale got tangled in crab pot lines. This happened near the Farallon Islands during her journey to Mexico. Center staff and volunteers, with divers, bravely rescued her in the open ocean. This was their first successful whale rescue from netting.
Orphaned Steller Sea Lion Pup. In 1999, a very small 37-pound Steller sea lion pup named Artemis was found alone. She was restored to health and released. In 2005, she was seen again, giving birth to her own pup! This was very special because no pups had been born on that island for at least 20 years.
Humphrey the Whale. Humphrey was a famous humpback whale who swam into San Francisco Bay twice by mistake. This happened in 1985 and 1990. Each time, the center, with the United States Coast Guard and many volunteers, helped him get back to the ocean. The first time, they turned him around in the Sacramento River. The second time, they moved him from the mud back into the bay.
Baker D., a bottlenose dolphin, was helped and released in 2004. He joined a group of dolphins in Monterey Bay.
Sergeant Nevis. In December 2009, a 650-pound male California sea lion was rescued. He had a serious injury to his face. He was named after a police officer who helped with his rescue. Tests showed he had been hurt before. After months of care, it was clear he could not survive in the ocean. He was moved to a permanent home at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.
It is against federal law in the U.S. to hunt, kill, capture, or bother any marine mammal.
In October 2010, Sergeant Nevis had a big surgery to fix the injury on his face. This injury made it hard for him to breathe normally or put his head underwater. A special surgeon, Dr. Praful Ramenini, volunteered his time for this complex surgery. He worked with vets from the center and Six Flags.
Movie Fun Fact. In the Lord of the Rings movies, the sounds of the Orcs and Uruks were made using recordings of elephant seals and sea lions from TMMC! The sound designer was very impressed by the animal sounds during a visit.
See also
- Cetacean Conservation Center
- Endangered species
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
- Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
- Red tide
