East Jefferson County Marine Mammal Stranding Network

Volunteers for the East Jefferson County Marine Mammal Stranding Network collect data on dead, stranded, or abandoned marine mammals at selected Washington State beaches. Participants also "pup sit" seal pups while they are being weaned onshore in order to keep curious dogs and humans at a safe distance while the mother seal hunts. Volunteers sign up to cover particular beaches and are trained to respond and collect vital data that can be used to establish baseline information on marine mammal communities. The data will be used by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other organizations.