Protocol for the salvage, rescue and rehabiligation marine mammals, turtles and birds in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands

Caribbean Stranding Network

The Caribbean Stranding Network (CSN, in Spanish Red Caribelia de Varamientos) is an international cooperative effort established in October 1989 and developed as the Caribbean Islands' Subregion of the already established NOAA-Fisheries' Southeastern United States Marine Mammal Stranding Network, but encompassing the entire Caribbean area. In addition, the CSN is also part of the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network of the Southeastern United States, and administratively associated with the University of Puerto Rico's Sea Grant College Program. The CSN is composed of volunteer participants from private, university, Commonwealth, Territorial and Federal agencies whose personnel have agreed to attend to stranded marine wildlife, and transport them for either treatment or proper salvage and disposal. Based at the University of Puerto Rico Department of Marine Sciences' Isla Magueyes Marine Laboratories, the CSN is composed, to date, of participants and consultants from over 32 organizations and government agencies. A steering committee, chaired by an Area Coordinator and composed of jurisdictional officials and key consultants, oversee the running of the CSN. The CSN primary objective is to unite all efforts and effectively coordinate the assessment and amelioration of marine mammal, turtle and bird not-natural deaths in the Caribbean. In addition, the CSN seeks to diminish the suffering of these creatures when they strand alive by providing rapid paramedic attention. To accomplish this, the CSN has seven operational functions, including education, notification, coordination, response, assessment, reporting, and recording. These are implemented through two contiguous projects: Mortality Assessment, Rescue and Rehabilitation Project, and Endangered Marine Mammal and Turtle Education Project.