The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network is a volunteer organization dedicated to the understanding and conservation of marine mammals. Organized in 1980, the network consists of seven regions along the Texas coast. Local volunteers for each region are on call to respond to all strandings. This coordinated effort seeks to administer to the needs of live strandings, and to gather data of biological and veterinary Importance. Through 1984, 189 strandings have been reported, 8.5% of which beached alive. The network has worked with a variety of species including (most commonly) Tursiops truncatus (76%) and (more rarely) Feresa attenuata, Kogia breviceps, Kogia simus, Stenella clymene, Ziphius cavorostris and Physeter macrocephalus. Present areas of interest for the network include gross and histological anatomy, physiology and tissue analysis for heavy metal content.