SEPTEMBER 16, 2016--Several National Ocean Service (NOS) staff participated in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)- sponsored National Marine Animal Health and Stranding Network Conference in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, on September 6-9.

The conference brought together marine mammal and sea turtle stranding network members, NMFS stranding coordinators, and other partners to discuss developments in stranding response, rescue, and rehabilitation techniques, as well as diseases and human interaction, marine debris and other stressors. The highlight of the week was the stranding network oil spill drill, where all conference attendees interacted as part of an oil spill stranding response and NRDA drill. Participants from OR&R included Scott Lundgren, Ed Levine, Gary Shigenaka, and Laurie Sullivan.

Jason Rolfe, OR&R’s Marine Debris Program Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator, participated with a focus on entanglement issues. Entanglement of marine species in marine debris is a global problem affecting at least 200 species. To learn more about this issue check out the NOAA Marine Debris Program report “Entanglement of Marine Species in Marine Debris with an Emphasis on Species in the United States.”

Two staff members from National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) participated as well.

For further information, contact Laurie.Sullivan@noaa.gov, Jason.Rolfe@noaa.gov or Scott.Lundgren@noaa.gov .

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