50. Building a New Marine Mammal Stranding Network

On this week’s episode of AQUADOCS, Michelle interviews Dr. Cindy Driscoll, Maryland State Fish & Wildlife Veterinarian and instructor at the University of Maryland in College Park. Starting The MD Fish & Wildlife Health Program included terrestrial and aquatic wildlife with investigations of morbidity and mortality events of all wild animals in the state. That also involved the development of a marine mammal and sea turtle stranding network - something they don’t teach you in veterinary school. It involves continual communications and coordination between multiple government and non-government organizations for the wide variety of species addressed: dolphins, seals, threatened and endangered whales, manatees and sea turtles. In this episode we talked to Dr. Driscoll about her experience starting the Maryland Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network and some of the interesting cases encountered along the way.