Striking Strandings

Date: 3/21/2022

Hours: .5

Event: Meeting with Katey about the Marine Mammal Forum

Today we had a meeting with Katey from Islands and Ocean to further discuss what we should prepare for the Marine Mammal Forum. On Monday is the Discovery Lab for kids and she said that they have all the materials for that, so we wouldn't have to prepare anything. She did say that we could table if we wanted to, but we have class that day so we would have to see if we could work something out. Tuesday thru Thursday are the presentations, which we are tabling, at and Katey said that we should prepare outreach materials for that. So far, we have the brochure which we can print for this event. We were also thinking about making a poster to hang up behind our table. Diondre had a good idea of making stickers because a lot of people put them on their water bottles or computers. Katey also suggested handing out coloring pages for kids and, although this event it meant for adults, having something fun to bring home for the kids might be fun. There are still some logistics to be worked out such as will we be tabling the whole time and how does it work in with the presenters. But Katey plans to have a meeting later this week to get those questions answered. Diondre and I are going to focus on doing a broad overview of sea otters since the audience is boaters who get asked sea otter questions, as well as the public who see sea otters often and want to learn more about them. It is important that we don't get too scientific and give them an overview about sea otters and why they are stranding on the beaches.

Date: 3/23/2022

Hours: 1

Event: Midterm meeting with Caroline Cummings and Debbie

Today Diondre and I had our midterm meeting with Caroline to discuss how she thinks we are doing as interns. She said that I take initiative and respond quickly as needed, I am a reliable team member, and I deliver the data in a timely manner with attention to detail. She said that she always sees how active Diondre and I are with the stranding network and every time there is a dead otter, we are the first to respond. She did say that I could work on interpersonal communication in how I express myself, my interests, my capabilities, and my goals. She explained how she wants to make sure I am getting the most out of this internship. I completely agree because Diondre is usually the person who sends the emails and has been the one to initially start the educational materials and I usually finish them/add things. I think I can work on being more involved in these things and really express my interests. My goal is to hopefully work in rehab, and I realize that rehab work is more than just responding. It involves educating the public and filling out paperwork and I think it would be beneficial for me to take initiative to help express myself. We also talked about the Marine Mammal Forum. Caroline said she is giving a presentation focusing on boating practices and safety in terms of otters and the laws associated with the Marine Mammal Protection Act, since boaters and water taxis are the main audience. She wants us to create a brochure summarizing her presentation in case people missed it or want to keep something on their boat for future reference. We also showed Caroline our brochure and she wants us to send it to her so that she can look over it. Diondre also started a couple more materials such as a poster warning boaters to beware of sleeping otters, a sticker design, and a slogan that explains what to do if you see a dead otter:

OTTER Protocol

Observe

Take notes Take pictures

Exact location Report to SeaLife Center

Debbie and Caroline though this was a good way to engage the public, and I will definitely work with Diondre to finish these materials. We are trying to come up with a sticker that includes the OTTER Protocol that can fit on a water bottle so people who walk the beach know what to do if they encounter a dead otter. We discussed how tabling will work and we will be at the table throughout presentations because people will most likely stop before, after, and in between presentations so one of us will always be present at the table. I think this will be a really successful and fun event. Overall, I think the meeting went well and I am excited to continue this internship and put myself more out there.

Date: 3/23/2022

Hours: 1

Event: Dead otter floating at the harbor

Right after the midterm meeting there was a dead otter found floating in the harbor. Diondre and I went to check it out. In the picture, it was very bloated and was right up against the docks where it could be reached. When we arrived, we were unable to reach the otter, as it had floated away. We found a hose at the docks and attempted to use the hose to bring it closer, but the hose just wasn't the right tool for the job. We could have used a net to scoop it out, but we didn't have one at that time. Diondre tried to reach it from a boat, but he just ended up pushing it farther away. We ended up having to leave the otter since we couldn't retrieve it.

Date: 3/24/2022

Hours: 1

Event: Level A data and skin sample collection on dead harbor seal

Today there was a report of a dead harbor seal on Bishop's beach. This is a rare event so me, Diondre, Debbie and the Semester by the Bay class went to respond. We were going to see if we could take it for a necropsy and/or bone articulation, but after looking at it, it was too decomposed to take it. We also couldn't confirm that it was a harbor seal, so it was known as an unknown pinniped. There was no head/skull present, so we estimated the head length when taking measurements. We did similar measurements we do for sea otters. We then got to take a skin sample which will be used for genetic analysis. We used a scapula to cut a small square of skin. We then bagged the seal to take to the dump. It was good to see how to collect skin samples in case Diondre and I have to respond to a seal, and it was good to be able to respond to a new animal.

Next week

Next week I hope to continue responding to strandings as well as work on educational materials to get ready for the Marine Mammal Forum.