What is the Marine Mammal Stranding Network?

Last summer, Cape Cod residents woke to a devastating sight: the largest marine mammal stranding event in U.S. history. 

Before them, stranded in the shallow mudflats, were 146 Atlantic white-sided dolphins. Stuck, panicked and exposed, some of the dolphins thrashed, while others lay motionless under the scorching summer sun, their sleek bodies lying on jagged rocks and shells

Then came the rescue teams.

For the next several days, responders worked tirelessly to save these dolphins, guiding them back to the sea and ensuring these creatures survived their harrowing ordeal. By the end, they successfully returned 102 of the dolphins to the sea. Without their efforts, many more may have died. 

These rescuers were members of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. 

What is the Marine Mammal Stranding Network?

When a seal pup appears unwell, a toxic algal bloom beaches a dolphin pod, or a whale washes ashore, it’s the Marine Mammal Stranding Network that responds.

This nationwide network, coordinated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is made up of trained groups and responders who work on coastlines across the nation, from Alaska to Florida to Hawaii. They act quickly to rescue injured or sick marine mammals, rehabilitate them if needed, humanely euthanize those beyond saving, and study the causes behind each stranding.

Their vital work doesn’t stop there. These teams also monitor and investigate the causes of marine illness and death, educate the public about marine life and remove carcasses that could spread disease or attract scavengers. 

Since its creation in 2000, the Marine Mammal Stranding Network has responded to reports of more than 100,000 stranded animals across the United States. But their ability to do this crucial work depends on continued federal support.

The Prescott Grant offers a literal lifeline

The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program is a key source of federal funding for marine mammal rescue in the U.S. Through grants administered by NOAA Fisheries, the program provides the support needed to rescue struggling marine mammals. 

These grants enable crucial projects, such as the construction of better facilities, the purchase of specialized equipment and the training of staff in everything from disentanglement techniques to medical triage. 

Yet Prescott funding now remains around only $6.8 million annually. Now, even this limited funding is at risk of being cut. While rescue funding also comes from local and volunteer organizations and programs (in fact, most stranding organizations receiving Prescott funds must provide matching funds to get the award), this federal funding is absolutely crucial.

A deadly problem

Some strandings are natural — unfortunate and tragic — but natural. However, many are not. 

Some animals become entangled in fishing line, nets or debris, injuring the animal and sapping them of strength. Others get caught up in environmental disasters such as oil spills, which may further weaken and injure exposed animals making them more vulnerable to the injuries that can cause strandings. 

Some strandings are linked to broader ecological disruptions. Warming waters cause shifting prey patterns; chemical pollution and increased toxic algae blooms poison animals and their food sources; rising levels of mercury contaminate fish and sicken their predators; and more animals are being forced to migrate into unfamiliar areas as their habitats become less stable and more degraded. 

Whatever the cause, strandings aren’t going away, and when these strandings happen, it’s the Marine Mammal Stranding Network that has to respond.

What’s at stake

Marine mammals like whales, dolphins and seals are vital species that help maintain healthy ocean ecosystems. But rescuing and rehabilitating them can take specialized gear, trained responders and consistent funding, resources that are already being stretched thin.

The Marine Mammal Stranding Network doesn’t just save lives, the group also collects critical data with every rescue mission. That information helps scientists detect emerging threats, inform policy and protect marine life before problems impact even more life and our coastal communities.

Without funding from the Prescott Grant Program, this key work is put at risk. Some rescue groups may scale back or shut down their stranding responses entirely. Not only would these cuts cost lives, they would also take away our availability to access crucial information that lets us better understand the threats our ocean, and its life, face. 

A time to act

You don’t need to be a biologist or trained in marine mammal rescue to make a difference for our aquatic friends. By calling on your U.S. senators to maintain the Prescott program, you can help make sure the people who do this crucial work have the funding and support they need.

For as little as $6.8 million a year (out of a federal budget pushing $6 trillion), we can help ensure that the Marine Mammal Stranding Network is there when a dolphin is stranded or a whale washes ashore entangled in fishing gear. 

For these animals, and these species, that $7 million could very well be the difference between life and death. 

It’s a simple choice. Let’s make sure the Marine Mammal Stranding Network doesn’t disappear.