Abstract

Collaboration is an integral component of marine mammal stranding response, though often underutilized and underacknowledged. We present an example highlighting the importance of collaboration in the successful response to the first documented sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) stranded in Mobile Bay, Alabama, USA. Partnerships were key to all levels of response, including monitoring, sedation and euthanasia, transport, and necropsy.

The live-stranded sperm whale was reported to the Alabama Marine Mammal Stranding Network (ALMMSN) on 19 November 2020; the network includes personnel from Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL), University of South Alabama, and volunteers. Community partners were immediately engaged and provided critical assistance to the biologists and veterinarian monitoring the animal. Personnel from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) were first on scene and provided boat support throughout the response. During the following six days, the whale restranded three times, moving up to 32 km between stranding locations. Collaboration was key to resighting and monitoring efforts during this period. On-water, aerial, and logistical support were provided by state and federal agencies and regional partners, including ADCNR, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS), Mississippi State University (MSU), Mobile Police Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and U.S. Coast Guard.

The decision was made to humanely euthanize the whale due to its poor condition and prognosis. Conditions (e.g., weather, water level, time of day, whale behavior) did not allow for euthanasia until day seven of monitoring, when the whale was in ∼1.5 m of water. Collaboration was again paramount to success. Sedation and euthanasia protocols were drafted with input from colleagues at NOAA, North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Partners at IMMS and MSU College of Veterinary Medicine were instrumental in procuring sufficient doses of sedation drugs for such a large animal, and backup doses were acquired through West Coast regional colleagues at NOAA and The Marine Mammal Center. Successful sedation and intracardiac euthanasia were performed by DISL and IMMS, using combined resources and established methods that were modified for deep water.¹

Professional partners trained in rigging, towing, and heavy equipment operation transported the >14,000 kg whale to a remote land-based location for necropsy. Because of proactive planning among ALMMSN, NOAA, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, transport commenced within 1.5 hours of euthanasia. Necropsy was performed over the next two days, including Thanksgiving Day, and collaboration allowed for timely sample collection and processing over the holiday. Teams were required to efficiently perform necropsy tasks (morphometrics, examination, biological sampling, and photography), and multiple regional stranding network partners participated alongside ALMMSN (DISL, IMMS, Gulf World Marine Institute, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge). MedVet Mobile, a small animal emergency hospital, facilitated time-sensitive sample analyses that otherwise could not have been processed due to the holiday. This unprecedented case underscores the importance of network and interagency collaboration to facilitate success at all levels of stranding response, including monitoring, sedation and euthanasia, transport and necropsy.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the following groups in alphabetical order: ADCNR Marine Resources Division, ADCNR Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Patrol and Aviation, Army Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard Aviation Training Center, Coast Guard Sectors Mobile and Dauphin Island, DISL, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, Esfeller Construction, Fairhope Police Department, GulfWorld Marine Institute, IMMS, MedVet Mobile, MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, Mobile Police Department, NOAA Law Enforcement, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office, TowBoatUS Mobile, and University of South Alabama. We would also like to thank Dr. Craig Harms with NCSU CMAST, William McLellan with UNC Wilmington, and Dr. Michael Moore with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for their input on the sedation and euthanasia protocol. Stranding response was conducted under the Stranding Agreement between DISL and NOAA/NMFS.

*Presenting author

Literature Cited

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