Appendix E List of Institutions to Contact Regarding Stranded Cetaceans

The following list includes many of the institutions in the area covered by this guide, which are likely to respond to calls about stranded cetaceans. The institutions on the mainland are listed roughly in order from north to south, following the contour of the coast. Several island institutions and organizations are also listed.

These institutions are the ones that come to mind as having taken an active interest in cetacean strandings in the recent past. In addition to these, almost any university biology or zoology department, State or Federal conservation agency or marine laboratory, or local natural history museum or society can recommend an interested biologist if no staff member is interested. Such organizations are widely distributed on or near the coasts and are usually adequately listed in local telephone directories.

It should be obvious that organizations such as oceanaria are the most likely ones to be interested in live animals on an emergency basis. Even so, these organizations often cooperate with biologists with whom they are familiar and so will pick up dead animals for them as well. Conversely, museums and the like are most interested in the dead animals as they have no facilities for handling live ones. Nevertheless, they often cooperate with institutions equipped to handle live animals and will usually help in making arrangements for picking up the live ones. Therefore, rather than the finder's making a decision as to whether or not an institution should be called because the animal is alive or dead, we would urge that the nearest organization in the following list be contacted under any circumstances.

Space is provided at the end of the list for additions of contacts inadvertently overlooked in compiling this list, or of institutions which come into being after its publication.

Canada

• Newfoundland
• Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's.
• Nova Scotia
• Bedford Institute, Dartmouth.
• Departments of Biology, Psychology and/or Physiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax.
• Nova Scotia Museum, Halifax.
• Quebec
• Arctic Unit, Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Ste. Anne de Bellevue.
• Ontario
• Department of Zoology, University of Guelph, Guelph.

United States

• Maine
• see Massachusetts.
• New Hampshire
• see Massachusetts.
• Massachusetts
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole.
• New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston.
• Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge.
• Rhode Island
• Narragansett Marine Laboratory, University of Rhode Island, Kingston.
• Connecticut
• Mystic Marine Life Aquarium, Mystic.
• New York
• New York Aquarium, Coney Island, Brooklyn.
• American Museum of Natural History, Department of Mammals, New York City.
• New Jersey
• Department of Biochemistry, Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
• also see New York.
• Delaware
• see New York.
• see New Jersey.
• Maryland
• Department of Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.
• also see District of Columbia.
• District of Columbia
• Division of Mammals, United States National Museum.
• Virginia
• Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point.
• also see District of Columbia.
• North Carolina
• Duke Marine Laboratory, Beaufort.
• Institute of Fisheries Research, University of North Carolina, Morehead City.
• South Carolina
• Charleston Museum, Charleston.
• Grice Marine Biological Laboratory, College of Charleston, Charleston.
• Georgia
• The Georgia Conservancy, The Clusky Building, 127 Abercorn Street, Savannah.
• University of Georgia Marine Institute, Sapelo Island (Darien).
• Florida
• Marineland of Florida, St. Augustine
• University of Florida Biocommunication and Marine Mammal Research Facility, St. Augustine.
• Ocean World, Ft. Lauderdale.
• Wometco Miami Seaquarium, Miami.
• University of Miami School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Miami.
• Sea World, Orlando.
• Mote Marine Laboratory, Placida.
• Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota.
• Aquatarium, St. Petersburg Beach.
• Florida's Gulfarium, Ft. Walton Beach.
• Alabama
• see Florida (Florida's Gulfarium).
• see Mississippi.
• Mississippi
• Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Ocean Springs.
• Louisiana
• Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.
• Marine Life Park, Gulfport.
• Texas
• Sea-Arama Marineworld, Galveston.
• Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station.
• Department of Zoology, University of Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi.
• University of Texas, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas.
• Puerto Rico
• Commercial Fisheries Laboratory, Department of Agriculture, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez.
• Department of Agriculture, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Santurce (San Juan).
• Virgin Islands
• Caribbean Research Institute, Red Hook, St. Thomas.

Others

• Mexico
• Instituto Nacionale de Investigaciones Biologia Pesquera, Division de Vertebrados Marinos, Mexico 7, D.F.
• also see Texas.
• Venezuela
• Universidad de Oriente, Nucleo de Nueva Esparta, Isla Margarita.
• Jamaica
• Department of Zoology, University of the West Indies, Mona (Kingston).
• Science Museum, Institute of Jamaica, Kingston.
• Bahamas
• Lerner Marine Laboratory, Bimini.
• Nassau Aquarium, Nassau, New Providence.
• Bermuda
• Bermuda Biological Station, St. George's.
• Government Aquarium and Museum, Flatts.
• Cuba
• Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Instituto de Biologia, Academie de Ciencias de Cuba, Havana.

SIGHTING INFORMATION

DATE AND LOCAL TIME__________________________LOCATION_________________

WEATHER CONDITIONS_____________________________________________________

OCEANOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS_____________________________________________

SPECIES_______________________________________NUMBER OF ANIMAL(S)______

HEADING OF ANIMAL(S)__________________________SPEED OF ANIMAL(S)_______
(MAGNETIC) (KNOTS)

ASSOCIATED ORGANISMS___________________________________________________

TAGS OR UNUSUAL MARKINGS______________________________________________

CHARACTERISTICS OBSERVED WHICH RESULTED IN SPECIES IDENTIFICATION___
___________________________________________________________________________

BEHAVIOR OF ANIMAL(S)___________________________________________________

SKETCHES

PHOTOS AVAILABLE YES___NO___

ADDITIONAL REMARKS___________________________________________________

NAME AND ADDRESS OF OBSERVER (SHIP OR A/C)___________________________

CETACEAN DATA RECORD

SPECIES___________________________________SEX___LENGTH_____WEIGHT_____

DATE/TIME STRANDED__________________DATE/TIME DATA COLLECTED________

LOCATION OF COLLECTION________________________________________________

OBSERVER NAME/ADDRESS_________________________________________________

SPECIMEN SENT TO________________________________________________________

Straight line
parallel to
the body axis Point to point

MEASUREMENTS:

1. Tip of upper jaw to deepest part of fluke notch

2. Tip of upper jaw to center of anus

3. Tip of upper jaw to center of genital slit

4. Tip of lower jaw to end of ventral grooves

5. Tip of upper jaw to center of umbilicus

6. Tip of upper jaw to top of dorsal fin

7. Tip of upper jaw to leading edge of dorsal fin

8a. Tip of upper jaw to anterior insertion of flipper (right)

b. Tip of upper jaw to anterior insertion of flipper (left)

9. Tip of upper jaw to center of blowhole(s)

10. Tip of upper jaw to anterior edge of blowhole(s)

11a. Tip of upper jaw to auditory meatus (right)

b. Tip of upper jaw to auditory meatus (left)

12a. Tip of upper jaw to center of eye (right)

b. Tip of upper jaw to center of eye (left)

13. Tip of upper jaw to angle of gape

14. Tip of upper jaw to apex of melon

15. Rostrum—maximum width

16. Throat grooves—length

17. Projection of lower jaw beyond upper (if reverse, so state)

18. Center of eye to center of eye

19a. Height of eye (right)

b. Height of eye (left)

20a. Length of eye (right)

b. Length of eye (left)

21a. Center of eye to angle of gape (right)

b. Center of eye to angle of gape (left)

22a. Center of eye to external auditory meatus (right)

b. Center of eye to external auditory meatus (left)

23a. Center of eye to center of blowhole (right)

b. Center of eye to center of blowhole (left)

24. Blowhole length

25. Blowhole width

26. Flipper width (right)

27. Flipper width (left)

28a. Flipper length—tip to anterior insertion (right)

b. Flipper length—tip to anterior insertion (left)

29a. Flipper length—tip to axilla (right)

b. Flipper length—tip to axilla (left)

30. Dorsal fin height

31. Dorsal fin base

32. Fluke span

33. Fluke width

34. Fluke depth of notch

35. Notch of flukes to center of anus

36. Notch of flukes to center of genital aperture

37. Notch of flukes to umbilicus

38. Notch of flukes to nearest point on leading edge of flukes

39. Girth at anus

40. Girth at axilla

41. Girth at eye

42. Girth ___ cm in front of notch of flukes

43a. Blubber thickness (middorsal)

b. Blubber thickness (lateral)

c. Blubber thickness (midventral)

44. Width of head at post-orbital process of frontals

45. Tooth counts:

right upper _______

right lower _______

left upper _______

left lower _______

46. Baleen counts:

right upper _______

left upper _______

47. Baleen plates, length longest

48. Baleen plates, no. bristles/cm over 5 cm

49a. Mammary slit length (right)

b. Mammary slit length (left)

50. Genital slit length

51. Anal slit length