[CINC] Update on stranded dolphins from EdHat

[Sally Eagle]

Necropsy Update Of Stranded Dolphins 
updated: May 24, 2009, 3:08 PM 

NECROPSY UPDATE OF THE FOUR NORTHERN RIGHT WHALE DOLPHINS STRANDED OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST

Santa Barbara, CA (May 24, 2009)- The four Northern Right Whale Dolphins that recently stranded on Santa Rosa Island were necropsied at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on Saturday, May 23, 2009. As a member of the Marine Mammal Stranding network, the Museum's vertebrate zoology staff and the other members of the necropsy team perform the same necropsy for every animal and allows the data to tell us what happened to the animals.

At this point, this is what we know.

* The four dolphins were all males (2 adults and 2 subadults).

* Upon the team's arrival on Santa Rosa Island, all the dolphins were already deceased and did show some visible bruising, likely due to rolling in the surf.

* The necropsies did not indicate a clear cause of death. Therefore, tissues and fluids from each dolphin were collected and sent to various laboratories for further analysis. The results of these tests are expected in a few months.


The recovery team was taken by boat to Santa Rosa Island by Island Packers on Friday, May 22. The team necropsied one of the dolphins on the beach and carried the other three dolphins to the Island Packers boat. NOTE: These animals each weighed at least 200 pounds (or more).

* Michelle Berman, Associate Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the SB Museum of Natural History and Program Coordinator of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network

* Dr. Krista Fahy, Associate Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the SB Museum of Natural History

* Laura Wilson, Curatorial Assistant at the SB Museum of Natural History

* Sarah Wilkin, NOAA's National Marine fisheries Service


The necropsy team met at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on Saturday, May 23 and completed the remaining three necropsies. NOTE: Ms. Berman, Dr. Gulland, Dr. Fahy, and Dr. Dover were all on the necropsy team for the Blue Whale necropsies in 2007.

* Michelle Berman

* Dr. Frances Gulland, Marine Mammal Center

* Dr. Krista Fahy

* Sarah Wilkin

* Liz Wheeler, UC Santa Cruz

* Dr. Sam Dover, Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute
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