Assateague Island National Seashore, Marine Animal Strandings, 1998
Ramsey S. 1998. Assateague Island National Seashore, Marine Animal Strandings, 1998. National Park Service
During 1998, there were a total of 8 stranded marine animals on Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland. One live Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) was collected and later euthanized. Of the 4 dead marine mammals examined, there were 2 partial skeletons of unidentified odontocetes, 1 Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), and 1 Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). There were 3 dead Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). All stranded animals were found on the ocean beach. Cooperative Oxford Laboratory, through Marine Mammal/Sea Turtle Stranding Network, completed reports on each dead stranding, while the National Aquarium in Baltimore recovered the live animal. Between 1991 - 1997, the average number of total strandings for the Maryland portion of the island was 17.5, with ranges from 12 - 23 animals.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Ramsey, Shanna
- Date of Issue
- 1998
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- ASIS
- Keywords
- (Phoca vitulina), Animal Studies, Assategue Island National Seashore MD, harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), Harbor Seal, harp seal (Phoca groenlandica, Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta), Mortality, odontocetes, Sea Turtles (Cheloniidae & Dermochelyidae), stranding whales & dolphins (Cetacea)