All Entries in the "Featured" Category
What to do if you see a stranded seal
While walking my dog on the beach in Sandwich this evening, I came across some beachgoers looking at something on the beach. With Shanti on leash, I wandered a little closer to check out the situation. Without getting too close, I could see the “something” was a young seal pup.
I called the IFAW Marine Mammal [...]
Recycle your gadgets and save marine animals!
Did you receive any great new gadgets over the holidays? Here’s a great way to recycle your old electronics responsibly AND save marine animals at the same time! The National Marine Life Center is having a “Gadget Drive” through www.gazelle.com.
Gazelle accepts used electronics, including Cell Phones, Laptops, Digital Cameras, MP3 Players, Video Games, PDAs, Gaming [...]
The Spirit of the Season
We have received such nice letters and notes of support along with your year-end donations. Thank you! One of our favorites was the following, from donors in North Truro.
“December 29, 2009
“Friends,
“Our family decided many years ago that we would step decisively away from the commercial aspects of Christmas. We agreed that we would no longer [...]
Artist donates proceeds from fish prints to benefit NMLC!
“31 inch striper on black paper” by Joe Higgins, Fished Impressions
Looking for a last minute holiday gift? Check out these beautiful fish prints by artist Joe Higgins. According to Joe, fish prints – or “gyotaku” - have their roots in 19th century Japan when fishermen would record their catch by coating the fish with ink [...]
All I want for Christmas is for the climate to improve.
In case you haven’t seen it, there are some interesting comments in response to the postings on marine animals and climate change. One of my favorite is from 11-year old Mia. She writes:
“…all i want for christmas is for the climate to improve.i try to get people to recyle more things and use less paper,plastic,etc.,but [...]
Seals and Climate Change
Finally I thought about seals. Seals are adaptable. Seals can handle temperature variation. Sounds good so far!
Many seals depend on the ice for pupping…. uh oh.
According to a Climate Institute report by Luisanna Carillo-Rubio, harp seal pups are already dying due to lack of sea ice on which they rest. Additionally, seals’ prey species such [...]
Whales and Dolphins and Climate Change
So then I started wondering – what about cetaceans? Heck, wouldn’t a whale, dolphin, or porpoise love climate change? More water, warmer water, more places to forage. Turns out, that’s not the case….
According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society: “Changes in sea temperature, freshening of seawater, sea level rise, loss of icy polar habitats [...]
Sea Turtles and Climate Change
As this week’s United Nations Convention on Climate Change wraps up in Copenhagen, I thought it would be worthwhile to consider the effects of climate change on sea turtles.
According to the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, who recently completed a report on the topic and presented it in Copenhagen, sea turtles are impacted by climate change [...]
Turtles and now dolphins highlight the need for the National Marine Life Center
Over the past several weeks, Cape Cod has been inundated by stranded, cold-stunned sea turtles in what is being described as one of the largest years to date. Now, the International Fund for Animal Welfare’s Marine Mammal Rescue and Research group reports that dolphin strandings are also on the rise. In the past week they’ve [...]
Record Number of Sea Turtle Strandings
According to the Cape Cod Times, a record number of sea turtles stranded yesterday. The National Marine Life Center would like to be able to help the MassAudubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary (authorized beach respondants) and the New England Aquarium (authorized intensive care unit) by opening our new sea turtle ward to these severely debilitated [...]
Join us for Holiday Splash!
Join us next Saturday, December 12, 12-2 pm, for our Holiday Splash open house! Make a marine animal ornament to decorate your tree. Enjoy arts and crafts and and games and refreshments. Tour our new marine animal hospital!
Suggested donation: $5/person, members FREE.
Become a member on Holiday Splash and get a free gift with your free [...]
Coming out of their shell….
When the little diamondback terrapin hatchlings arrived several weeks ago, they were pretty quiet. They spent a lot of time huddled inside their shells in the corners of their tanks.
Now, however, they seem to be coming out of their shells! Each is exploring his or her environment. Each seems to be feeling more comfortable in [...]
We need YOU to help Open Our Doors!
Exactly two years ago, the National Marine Life Center had a crisis situation. The roof over our rehabilitation facility began to collapse and we had to move out of the building.
We put in a massive effort to raise the $3.1 million needed to remove the original building and replace it with a new hospital [...]
Giving Thanks
On this Thanksgiving we would like to thank and recognize everyone who has supported the National Marine Life Center over the past year. Through gifts of money, goods, services, and time, YOU make is possible to save marine wildlife, advance science, and inspire conservation through education. YOU make it possible to build our new marine [...]
Join us for Harvest Splash
Join us this Thanksgiving Weekend for Harvest Splash! Tour our Marine
Animal Discovery Center for exhibits and information about marine wildlife, strandings, and rehabilitation. Peek into our Clinic for a glimpse at Patty, our recovering Diamondback Terrapin. Learn the latest about our new marine animal hospital. Take your photo as a whale, seal, or sea turtle. [...]
Caring Winter Wonderland at the Bourne Public Library
Help celebrate Christmas in Olde Bourne Village. Come to the Jonathan Bourne Public Library between now and December 15 and place your bid on a variety of uniquely decorated table top Christmas trees, including one to benefit the National Marine Life Center! Our tree and all others will be awarded to the highest bidders on [...]
GoodShop for Marine Animals!
We have something new and exciting we’d like to share with you! It’s the new National Marine Life Center GoodSearch/GoodShop toolbar – once added to Internet Explorer or Firefox, each time you shop at more than 1,300 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your purchase will automatically be donated to National Marine Life [...]
Whale of Good Time
…at least for the parasites, thanks to Suzanne Thurman for sending along samples of the acanthocephalan parasite Bolbosoma turbinella from a Sei Whale stranded which stranded Delaware. This parasite is known from several baleen whales (the big ones), including the humpback, blue (the largest whale), and northern right whale (one of the most endangered whales). [...]
Where in the World: Dr Rogers Travels: Boston
Drs Williams and Dunnigan participated in a NOAA Fisheries sea turtle serious injury workshop where they presented examples of sea turtle / fishery interactions and lead discussions on the significance of certain types of injuries among a panel of sea turtle veterinary experts, sea turtle biologists, and government officials. The meeting was held in the [...]
Have you ever seen a turtle this tiny?
Eight tiny new turtles now call the National Marine Life Center their temporary home. These diamondback terrapin youngsters hatched too late in the season to survive the cold winter. Weighing a mere 4.1 grams (0.14 ounces), the smallest hatchling is only 25.4 mm (~ 1 inch) in length.
Diamondback terrapins live in salt marshes, mud flats, [...]
