The Marine Mammal Center
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Headquarters front entrance
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| Date opened | 1975 |
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| Location | California, United States |
| Coordinates | 37°50′06″N 122°31′54″W / 37.8351°N 122.5316°WCoordinates: 37°50′06″N 122°31′54″W / 37.8351°N 122.5316°W |
| Website | www |
The Marine Mammal Center is a private, non-profit U.S. organization that was established in 1975 for the purpose of rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing, marine mammals who are injured, ill, or abandoned. It was founded in Sausalito, California by Lloyd Smalley, Pat Arrigoni, and Paul Maxwell. It also serves as a center for environmental research and education regarding marine mammals, namely cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and pinnipeds (seals, fur seals, and sea lions). Marine mammal abandonment refers to maternal separation; pups that have been separated from their mother before weaning. At the center, they receive specialized veterinary care; diagnosed, treated, rehabilitated, and ideally, released back into the wild. Animals in need of assistance are usually identified by a member of the public who has contacted the center. These animals represent the following major species: California sea lion, northern elephant seal, Pacific harbor seal, northern fur seal, and the southern sea otter. On a few occasions, the Marine Mammal Center has taken in Guadeloupe fur seals, Steller sea lions, and bottlenose/Pacific white-sided dolphins. The only non-mammals that the center takes in are sea turtles.
The research team consists of veterinarians and biologists, who conduct not only medical diagnosis and intervention, but also publish scientific reports on marine animal health in relation to the Pacific Ocean’s environmental chemistry. They collaborate with other selected technology centers to provide vital information on disease, immunological systems and environment effects. Some patients are fitted with radio or satellite tags before release, to further specific research goals. The center collaborates with counterparts around the world (most notably from England, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Scotland, the Netherlands, France, and Germany) in working on complex cases, and also jointly research interactions of ocean-dwelling mammals with the marine environment.
Researchers at the Marine Mammal Center have discovered that domoic acid (DA) is the causative agent responsible for illness in a great many California sea lions. DA is naturally produced by the diatom Pseudo-nitzschia. DA passes up the food chain as the diatoms are consumed by zooplankton. These zooplankton are then consumed by fish where the toxin accumulates. Fish are unharmed by it. California sea lions are disproportionate affected because they feed closer to shore, where more of these diatoms are present. When consumed by (marine) mammals, it activates neural pathways in the brain, specifically, the hippocampus. This neural activation is unregulated and results in seizures. Repeated exposure will cause repeated activation, ultimately burning out these neural pathways and causing permanent brain damage; specifically, atrophy of the hippocampus. domoic acid is the same biotoxin that causes amnesic shellfish poisoning in humans.
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