What is a Stranding?
A stranding is the beaching of a live or dead marine mammal. North Carolina experiences the highest number of strandings, per unit length of beach, of any state along the Atlantic or Gulf coasts - 123 marine mammals stranded in North Carolina in 2008. We also experience the highest species diversity of marine mammals along the Atlantic coast. All but two species, known to occur in the North Atlantic, have stranded on North Carolina beaches. Marine mammal strandings are, thus, common events in our coastal environment.
Marine mammals can strand for a variety of reasons. Some identified causes have included diseases, parasites, boat or ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, pollution exposure, starvation, and harmful algal blooms, such as red tide. In addition, strandings often occur after unusual weather or oceanographic events. In many cases, the cause of stranding remains unknown.
All marine mammals are federally protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Only local, state, and federal officials and people authorized by the NOAA Fisheries Service may legally handle live and dead marine mammals. Under the MMPA, NOAA Fisheries Service is responsible for conserving dolphins, whales, and seals in the United States and up to 200miles offshore. NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Region includes North Carolina through Texas, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NOAA Fisheries Service and the Stranding Network coordinate responses to stranding events, monitor stranding rates, monitor human-caused mortalities, maintain a stranding database, and conduct investigations to determine the cause of unusual stranding events, such as mass strandings and mortalities.
Strandings can provide scientists and managers with important information on the biology and health of marine mammals and, in turn, the health of our marine ecosystems. They provide basic information on the biology and ecology of marine mammal species, such as an animal's range, age, the types of prey it consumes, and the occurrence of diseases within populations. In fact, some marine mammal species are known only from stranded specimens. Strandings also provide important information on human impacts on marine mammals. Data collected from stranded animals teach us about interactions between marine mammals and fisheries, vessels, or marine debris. Samples collected from stranded marine mammals also provide information on marine pollution. For example, a dolphin that may have high levels of chemical contaminants in their body could have direct implications for human health, as they consume many of the same fish that we do. Ultimately all the information gathered from these events help ensure the conservation of marine mammals from a population to a species level for future generations to enjoy.
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