It’s been a busy two months since we last sent an update. Here’s a glimpse of the marine mammal work that has been taking place, including some of the cases we’ve been involved with, and everything else you make possible.

Unusual Mortality Event Update

If you’ve followed us for several years you may remember the Unusual Mortality Event that we began responding to in June 2022. This event resulted in elevated numbers of very ill and deceased harbor and gray seals reported to our response hotline during the summer of 2022. Casco Bay was the epicenter of this event, which was attributed to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) crossing over into seals in a spillover from infected birds for the first time documented in the United States.

MMoME led the response to this event and participated in the incident command and investigative teams. With more than 12 months since our last positive case of HPAI that event has now been closed, though we remain vigilant in testing seals for this, and a number of other diseases. By doing so we’ll be able to quickly determine any reemergence (bird cases are trending similarly to 2022 at this point in the year) and contribute to ongoing research to track this infectious disease.

This UME is the second in under a decade to concentrate in MMoME’s response region. It is now more important than ever to ensure continued monitoring of marine mammal health and strandings in Maine, learn how these animals are responding to a changing environment, and help the individuals who strand in need of assistance.

_{MMoME staffer Katie Jenner (pictured with clipboard) takes part in the necropsy of a deceased whale.}

_{Photo: Stacey Hedman / © IFAW, NMFS Permit #24359}

Supporting the Stranding Network

The stretch of Maine’s coastline where we respond to strandings, from Rockland to Kittery represents just a portion (albeit an active and busy one!) of the coastline that makes up the Greater Atlantic region for marine mammal response. When possible, we support response and rehabilitation groups throughout the northeast and these past couple of months have been no exception. Recent examples include assisting in the necropsy of a North Atlantic right whale in Martha’s Vineyard, taking in sick and injured seals from all over New England, and collaborating on research-more on that below!

Stranding Response and Patient Update

Marine mammal activity has kept MMoME busy this winter. The combination of severe storms with high surf and strong winds paired with milder winter temperatures has led to a great deal of response activities for gray, harbor and harp seals-all three of which are currently receiving care at our center!

Some seals we’ve responded to were healthy and simply needed help keeping people and dogs away so they could rest-something we are having to do more as safe places to haul out without human disturbance becomes harder for them to come by. Others have needed help finding a different place to rest, either due to displacement by storms, or busy beaches with too many human approaches. And of course we have been providing medical care for sick and injured seals-our center has been a revolving door of recovered patients going out for release and new ones coming in to take their place!

We have been at our permitted capacity nearly all winter. This presents many considerations as we navigate the medical and behavioral needs of patients, and ensuring we continue to have the resources needed to provide quality care.

One major consumer of our resources was an adult harp seal, measuring 5 feet long and 170 pounds-an unusual case this winter. After an intensive recovery from significant dehydration and consumption of rocks and sand, he was released with a satellite tag. While harp seals are known to inhabit the higher latitudes of the North Atlantic ocean, there is little information about how they use their broader habitat, and how they may be trying to adapt to quickly changing ocean water temperatures. Needless to say, this patient’s release presented a unique opportunity to learn more. Watch the video of his movements (you’ll be shocked!) and read more about some of our other cases below.

A weaned gray seal pup was reported in a front yard across the street from the ocean during one of the high wind and wave storms. She was deemed healthy and relocated.	A yearling harp seal resting in an active work zone was found exhausted and dehydrated during a storm event, and collected for critical care.
Another yearling harp seal sought refuge from the the storm surge by making its way across a marsh and into a backyard. He was sadly in poor condition and humanely euthanized to prevent further suffering.	This yearling harp seal was rescued by the International Fund for Animal Welfare on Cape Cod and transferred to MMoME for care. Her before and after photos show just how far she has come in just a short time!