National Marine Life Center

Posted by bethsobi on Apr 30, 2009

Rehabilitation

Cape Cod is a stranding hotspot. Hundreds of marine animals strand alive and in need of medical care every year. The National Marine Life Center is meeting that need. Our core mission is to rehabilitate and release stranded marine mammals and sea turtles. We believe that through rehabilitation, we can help individual animals, learn more about marine animal species and wildlife disease, and share...

Posted by bethsobi on May 1, 2009

Science

Living the majority of their lives in the deep ocean, marine animals are challenging for humans to see and study. The animals undergoing rehabilitation at the National Marine Life Center offer a unique opportunity to learn more about their species, about wildlife health, and ultimately about the health of our oceans. Current research includes investigations of marine animal parasites and case studies of...

Posted by bethsobi on May 1, 2009

Education

Marine animals make ideal teaching tools. Dolphins, whales, seals, and sea turtles are charismatic and interesting. The ocean depths in which they live are mysterious and exciting. By using marine animals as subject material, National Marine Life Center instructors address topics from biology to physics, writing composition to art, math to technology. Marine animals also make ideal subjects for lessons on...

Marine Parasite of the Month July 2021-Answer

Posted by Intern on Jul 30, 2021 in Featured | 0 comments

The parasite for this month was the Loxothylacus panopaei, which is often just referred to as a crab barnacle that can change the gender of a crab. The most common way to identify this parasite is by looking on the...

Marine Parasite of the Month- July 2021

Posted by Leah Vandermeer on Jul 26, 2021 in Featured, Under the Microscope | 0 comments

Some parasites can do crazy things, but this month’s parasite can actually change the gender of a crab. A mud crab-specific parasite, this organism is an invasive barnacle, and commonly found in the Chesapeake...

Marine Mammal Parasite of the Month- Answer June 2021

Posted by Leah Vandermeer on Jul 5, 2021 in Featured, Under the Microscope | 0 comments

The parasite for this month was Toxoplasma gondii, the toxoplasmosis...

Marine Mammal Parasite of the Month- June 2021

Posted by Leah Vandermeer on Jun 27, 2021 in Featured, Under the Microscope | 0 comments

This parasite is a protozoan that infects most warm-blooded animals, including...

Marine Mammal Parasite of the Month Answer- April 2021

Posted by Intern on Apr 30, 2021 in Featured, Under the Microscope | 0 comments

This parasite is the marine mammal lungworm! Here at NMLC the most common lung...

Marine Mammal Parasite of the Month- April 2021

Posted by Leah Vandermeer on Apr 25, 2021 in Featured, Under the Microscope | 0 comments

This type of parasite is common in pinnipeds and there are two different...

Remembering Owls Head

Posted by Sara Sperber on Apr 10, 2021 in Animals, Featured | 2 comments

Historically harbor seal pup season has always been the busiest, most demanding season for the NMLC animal care team both physically and emotionally. It requires our team to be here round the clock, to serve as surrogates as these abandoned pups must now learn all of their critical survival skills from us without becoming habituated, and due to the fragility of these animals, the team has to be ready for anything- including death.