Winter
2013-2014
Late February to early March at
MMCC usually signals the arrival
of the largest pinniped in the
Northern Hemisphere, Mirounga
angustirostris, commonly known
as the Northern elephant seal.
This animal is one of two species
of elephant seals, the other
being the Southern elephant seal
(Mirounga leonina).
The name comes from the size of
mature males and the elephantlike proboscis (nose) that is used
to make loud, roaring sounds.
Males can weigh 5,000 pounds
and females may weigh as much
as 1,500 pounds.
After elephant seal pups are
born, elephant seal mothers
lactate from three to six weeks
and will stop feeding their pups
several weeks before abandoning them and returning to sea.
Pups are left to fend for them-
Vincent & Janice Corti
The Kadota Family
Larry Leonakis
Gretchen Augustyn
David & Pat Cornog
Deborah Eppolito
Clayton Fowler
Cheryl Frick
The Kelly Family
selves, which means they have to
learn to swim and forage on their
own. Those that have trouble
making this transition due to
unavailable food source, injury, or
other ailment and are fortunate to
be picked up by a wildlife rescue
agency will be brought to rehabilitation facilities for treatment.
These animals tend to have special
rehabilitation needs. They may not
learn to feed independently as
quickly as California sea lions.
Sometimes it takes a stepped
progression of tube feeding, assist
feeding, hand feeding, and grabber
feeding (above and below the
surface of the water) before they
learn to feed independently under
water. They must be able to do
this before being considered for
release.
Northern elephant seals are farswimming and deep-diving
Harold Mansfield
Dorothy Meyer
David & Linda Fenton
Marlene Bishop
Peter & Barbara Bowman
Barbara Carollo
Nora Gecks
Cheryl & Paul Jordan
Joan Maguire
Michael McNerney
Lynne Onak
VW & Hathaikarn Tozer
David & Virginia Witte
*Totals include membership contributions only
(from 4/1/2013 to 3/31/2014)
1536 West 25th Street, San Pedro, CA 90732
310.832.4352 ● www.marinemammalcare.org
Sea Dog Winter 2013-2014 - P. 4
animals, foraging for fish that
live deep in the open ocean.
Specially adapted vibrissae
(whiskers) assist these animals in
finding food in the deep, dark
waters where little, if any, light
penetrates. Large eyes are an
additional adaptation that helps
these animals find food in limitedvisibility conditions.
Northern elephant seals are
currently protected under the
Marine Mammal Protection Act of
1972, and as the population has
increased over the years, they
have established breeding colonies
at several locations on the Central
California coast.
Gary Parsons
Gerald Orcholski & James Phillips
Rebecca Lee
Lisa Scranton
Jessica Stern
Patricia and James Wayman
Employees Community Fund of Boeing CA
Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Boeing Company's Gift Match Program
Capital Group Companies Charitable Fdn.
Animal Health Fdn.
Sea Dog
Letter from the President
P. 1
Seal Day 2014
P. 2
Volunteer Spotlight
P. 2
Science Corner
P. 3
Pinniped Puzzle
P. 3
New Arrivals
P. 4
Member and Donor Recognition
P. 4
“Irresistible.” “How cute.” “Look at those eyes!” “Mom, can I look a little longer?” These are common
responses when people hear the yelp of a sea lion, gaze into the eyes of a harbor seal, or see the splash of
an elephant seal diving off of a resting rock pile into the lapping ocean surf.
As a MAR3INE member, you are uniquely “in the know” about these precocious pinnipeds who grace our
southland waters. Through this newsletter and other MAR3INE communications, you receive information
certain to tickle curiosity, inspire imagination about ocean life, and tug at heart strings.
Sometimes the news feels good, like when we release animals back into their ocean habitat. Or we breathe
a sigh of relief when conditions are good enough so only a few sea lions are in need of help. Sometimes the
news adds a wince, when we hear lots of elephant seal pups are stranded because their mothers left them
without teaching them to eat fish. Or we hear about harbor seals, injured from sharks or sick from pollution.
In this edition, we invite you to the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur’s (MMCC’s) annual Seal
Day event on May 18th, highlight a great volunteer, Dave Zahniser, explain necropsy procedures, and inform
you about our first elephant seal pups of the season. A big thank you to Dr. Lauren Palmer and Annette
Degner for their contributions to this issue.
Please encourage your friends and extended family to tug a little at their coin purses and buy a MAR3INE
membership. Membership starts at $40 annually, which only amounts to eleven cents a day! Feel free to
invite them to come down and visit MCCC often. Hours are 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily. To visit your
pinniped pals, just go up the hill and around from the intersection of Gaffey & 32nd Street. Thanks again for
your support!
Sincerely,
Jeff Cozad
2014 Board President, MAR3INE
Photographs courtesy of the MMCC at Fort
MacArthur. All photographs were taken during
stranding response activities conducted under a
Stranding Agreement between the National Marine
Fisheries Service and the MMCC at Fort MacArthur
issued under the authority of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act.
This Spring, MMCC will hold
its 22nd Annual Seal Day on
Sunday, May 18th from
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This
event takes place on-site, in
front of MMCC.
As usual, there will be
children’s activities, pet
adoptions, local retailers,
vendors, information
booths, guest speakers,
great raffle items, pinniped
A necropsy is generally defined as a post-mortem examination on an animal. It
involves the systematic evaluation of the external body and visualization of internal structures in a way that radiographs, ultrasound, and other diagnostic tools do not allow. Tissue
samples can be collected and sent to pathologists or diagnostic laboratories for additional evaluation
and testing. The goal of the necropsy is to answer a variety of questions about the cause of death and
the underlying health of the animal. This may help identify effective treatments in other animals that are
admitted with similar conditions and may provide insight into underlying environmental conditions in the
ocean and near shore environment that affect marine mammal health.
viewing, and a chance to
symbolically sponsor a seal
or sea lion.
Seal Day has always been a
great opportunity for local
communities to learn more
about marine mammals
(primarily California sea
lions and northern elephant
seals) and learn about the
animal rehabilitation
process.
Organizations that have
participated in the past
include Boy & Girl Scout
troops, Surfrider Foundation, Sea Shepherd, El
Dorado Nature Center,
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium,
Aquarium of the Pacific,
and many others. These
organizations provide interesting handouts, activities,
and updates on their
programs. MAR3INE will
participate again with our
life-size elephant seal and
coloring activities.
Seal Day is also one of
MMCC’s biggest opportunities to receive much
needed wish list items. If
you bring in one item from
the wish list, you will
receive a discount in the
Gift Shop. Items include:
laundry detergent, liquid
dish soap, 13 gallon trash
bags, bottled water, latex or
nitrile exam gloves (s/m)
and vitamins C (nonchewable), and B1 (500mg).
Speaking of the Gift
Shop, MMCC will have a
great selection of t-shirts
and sweatshirts, plush
seals and sea lions, educational books, and many
other new items to choose
from.
So, this year as we celebrate
our marine mammal
friends, please take a
moment to visit MAR3INE’s
outreach table at MMCC’s
open house “Seal Day”
event!
This month’s Volunteer Spotlight shines the light on Dave Zahniser. Dave is an Animal Care Volunteer from Ohio who has been involved in animal care & rehabilitation since 1986. In addition
to our pinniped friends, he has worked with raptors, bobcats, black bears, and mountain lions.
Dave graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and a minor
in business. He also studied at the University of Cincinnati, Miami University, the University of
Wisconsin and the Chicago Medical School.
In addition to the regular list of animal care duties, Dave assists with necropsies as well as
medical and surgical procedures. He has also worked on a number of facilities projects,
including assembling pallets and installing rails and grates for pool skimmers.
Dave likes to spread his volunteer time around. He is a Naturalist for the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium/American Cetacean
Society (ACS) Whale Watch Program, a member of the ACS gray whale census team, a certified Oiled Wildlife Care Network
responder, and has completed training for whale entanglement response.
When asked about his time at MMCC, Dave responded, “I am very appreciative of the many interesting opportunities
afforded to me by MMCC staff and volunteers, and I hope to be of use for years to come.” I think it’s safe to say that MMCC
is just as appreciative to count on Dave as a dedicated volunteer who’s willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Sea Dog Winter 2013–2014- P. 2
The optimal time to perform a necropsy is immediately after the animal’s death, but workloads may dictate that the
necropsy cannot be done until later. In that case, dead animals will be put in cold storage until a necropsy can be
performed.
The procedure includes a systematic evaluation of all organ systems. The examiner will consider the color, texture, odor,
size, shape, and consistency of all tissues. Small sections of tissues may be collected and placed into a preservative, usually
buffered formalin, which stops deterioration. Thin sections of the preserved tissue are cut and stained and examined under
a microscope which allows the pathologist to visualize what was happening at the cellular level. Tissue sections may also be
frozen. Frozen samples may be tested for bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic pathogens using PCR or other molecular tools.
Toxicological tests may also be run in an attempt to determine if toxins were a contributing factor to illness or death.
Domoic acid is one of the most common toxins that affect pinnipeds and can be detected in a variety of body fluids and
stomach contents. Examination by a pathologist and additional testing is expensive and is performed only on a small
number of animals, but ideally a necropsy is performed on all deceased animals.
In some cases, circumstances may be such that an exact cause of death cannot be identified as there may have been a
number of factors that contributed to the demise of an animal. Dr. Lauren Palmer, MMCC Veterinarian, finds that the
information she learns from the post mortem evaluation is essential to understanding what might be happening in the living
animals. She continues to do as many post mortem evaluations as time allows, and says she never performs a necropsy
where she doesn’t learn something new.
In the end, this is a forensic process that may not always provide definitive answers,
however, in most cases, a cause of death can be established. The information gleaned from
necropsies will add to the body of knowledge of pinniped medicine and rehabilitation.
References:
Dierauf, Leslie A., V.M.D. Pinniped Forensic, Necropsy, and Tissue Collection Guide.
National Marine Fisheries Service. August 1994.
Domoic Acid
Elephant Seal
Flipper
Gift Shop
LAUSD
MMCC
Parasites
Release
Seal
Shark
Wish List
Donate
Elephant Seal
FMAH
Gill Net
MARINE
Odobenidae
Phocidae
Rescue
Seal
Volunteer
Zalophus
El Nino
Fish
Fur Seal
Intern
Member
Otariidae
Rehabilitation
Sea Lion
Seal Pox
Whiskers
This Spring, MMCC will hold
its 22nd Annual Seal Day on
Sunday, May 18th from
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This
event takes place on-site, in
front of MMCC.
As usual, there will be
children’s activities, pet
adoptions, local retailers,
vendors, information
booths, guest speakers,
great raffle items, pinniped
A necropsy is generally defined as a post-mortem examination on an animal. It
involves the systematic evaluation of the external body and visualization of internal structures in a way that radiographs, ultrasound, and other diagnostic tools do not allow. Tissue
samples can be collected and sent to pathologists or diagnostic laboratories for additional evaluation
and testing. The goal of the necropsy is to answer a variety of questions about the cause of death and
the underlying health of the animal. This may help identify effective treatments in other animals that are
admitted with similar conditions and may provide insight into underlying environmental conditions in the
ocean and near shore environment that affect marine mammal health.
viewing, and a chance to
symbolically sponsor a seal
or sea lion.
Seal Day has always been a
great opportunity for local
communities to learn more
about marine mammals
(primarily California sea
lions and northern elephant
seals) and learn about the
animal rehabilitation
process.
Organizations that have
participated in the past
include Boy & Girl Scout
troops, Surfrider Foundation, Sea Shepherd, El
Dorado Nature Center,
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium,
Aquarium of the Pacific,
and many others. These
organizations provide interesting handouts, activities,
and updates on their
programs. MAR3INE will
participate again with our
life-size elephant seal and
coloring activities.
Seal Day is also one of
MMCC’s biggest opportunities to receive much
needed wish list items. If
you bring in one item from
the wish list, you will
receive a discount in the
Gift Shop. Items include:
laundry detergent, liquid
dish soap, 13 gallon trash
bags, bottled water, latex or
nitrile exam gloves (s/m)
and vitamins C (nonchewable), and B1 (500mg).
Speaking of the Gift
Shop, MMCC will have a
great selection of t-shirts
and sweatshirts, plush
seals and sea lions, educational books, and many
other new items to choose
from.
So, this year as we celebrate
our marine mammal
friends, please take a
moment to visit MAR3INE’s
outreach table at MMCC’s
open house “Seal Day”
event!
This month’s Volunteer Spotlight shines the light on Dave Zahniser. Dave is an Animal Care Volunteer from Ohio who has been involved in animal care & rehabilitation since 1986. In addition
to our pinniped friends, he has worked with raptors, bobcats, black bears, and mountain lions.
Dave graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and a minor
in business. He also studied at the University of Cincinnati, Miami University, the University of
Wisconsin and the Chicago Medical School.
In addition to the regular list of animal care duties, Dave assists with necropsies as well as
medical and surgical procedures. He has also worked on a number of facilities projects,
including assembling pallets and installing rails and grates for pool skimmers.
Dave likes to spread his volunteer time around. He is a Naturalist for the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium/American Cetacean
Society (ACS) Whale Watch Program, a member of the ACS gray whale census team, a certified Oiled Wildlife Care Network
responder, and has completed training for whale entanglement response.
When asked about his time at MMCC, Dave responded, “I am very appreciative of the many interesting opportunities
afforded to me by MMCC staff and volunteers, and I hope to be of use for years to come.” I think it’s safe to say that MMCC
is just as appreciative to count on Dave as a dedicated volunteer who’s willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Sea Dog Winter 2013–2014- P. 2
The optimal time to perform a necropsy is immediately after the animal’s death, but workloads may dictate that the
necropsy cannot be done until later. In that case, dead animals will be put in cold storage until a necropsy can be
performed.
The procedure includes a systematic evaluation of all organ systems. The examiner will consider the color, texture, odor,
size, shape, and consistency of all tissues. Small sections of tissues may be collected and placed into a preservative, usually
buffered formalin, which stops deterioration. Thin sections of the preserved tissue are cut and stained and examined under
a microscope which allows the pathologist to visualize what was happening at the cellular level. Tissue sections may also be
frozen. Frozen samples may be tested for bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic pathogens using PCR or other molecular tools.
Toxicological tests may also be run in an attempt to determine if toxins were a contributing factor to illness or death.
Domoic acid is one of the most common toxins that affect pinnipeds and can be detected in a variety of body fluids and
stomach contents. Examination by a pathologist and additional testing is expensive and is performed only on a small
number of animals, but ideally a necropsy is performed on all deceased animals.
In some cases, circumstances may be such that an exact cause of death cannot be identified as there may have been a
number of factors that contributed to the demise of an animal. Dr. Lauren Palmer, MMCC Veterinarian, finds that the
information she learns from the post mortem evaluation is essential to understanding what might be happening in the living
animals. She continues to do as many post mortem evaluations as time allows, and says she never performs a necropsy
where she doesn’t learn something new.
In the end, this is a forensic process that may not always provide definitive answers,
however, in most cases, a cause of death can be established. The information gleaned from
necropsies will add to the body of knowledge of pinniped medicine and rehabilitation.
References:
Dierauf, Leslie A., V.M.D. Pinniped Forensic, Necropsy, and Tissue Collection Guide.
National Marine Fisheries Service. August 1994.
Domoic Acid
Elephant Seal
Flipper
Gift Shop
LAUSD
MMCC
Parasites
Release
Seal
Shark
Wish List
Donate
Elephant Seal
FMAH
Gill Net
MARINE
Odobenidae
Phocidae
Rescue
Seal
Volunteer
Zalophus
El Nino
Fish
Fur Seal
Intern
Member
Otariidae
Rehabilitation
Sea Lion
Seal Pox
Whiskers
Winter
2013-2014
Late February to early March at
MMCC usually signals the arrival
of the largest pinniped in the
Northern Hemisphere, Mirounga
angustirostris, commonly known
as the Northern elephant seal.
This animal is one of two species
of elephant seals, the other
being the Southern elephant seal
(Mirounga leonina).
The name comes from the size of
mature males and the elephantlike proboscis (nose) that is used
to make loud, roaring sounds.
Males can weigh 5,000 pounds
and females may weigh as much
as 1,500 pounds.
After elephant seal pups are
born, elephant seal mothers
lactate from three to six weeks
and will stop feeding their pups
several weeks before abandoning them and returning to sea.
Pups are left to fend for them-
Vincent & Janice Corti
The Kadota Family
Larry Leonakis
Gretchen Augustyn
David & Pat Cornog
Deborah Eppolito
Clayton Fowler
Cheryl Frick
The Kelly Family
selves, which means they have to
learn to swim and forage on their
own. Those that have trouble
making this transition due to
unavailable food source, injury, or
other ailment and are fortunate to
be picked up by a wildlife rescue
agency will be brought to rehabilitation facilities for treatment.
These animals tend to have special
rehabilitation needs. They may not
learn to feed independently as
quickly as California sea lions.
Sometimes it takes a stepped
progression of tube feeding, assist
feeding, hand feeding, and grabber
feeding (above and below the
surface of the water) before they
learn to feed independently under
water. They must be able to do
this before being considered for
release.
Northern elephant seals are farswimming and deep-diving
Harold Mansfield
Dorothy Meyer
David & Linda Fenton
Marlene Bishop
Peter & Barbara Bowman
Barbara Carollo
Nora Gecks
Cheryl & Paul Jordan
Joan Maguire
Michael McNerney
Lynne Onak
VW & Hathaikarn Tozer
David & Virginia Witte
*Totals include membership contributions only
(from 4/1/2013 to 3/31/2014)
1536 West 25th Street, San Pedro, CA 90732
310.832.4352 ● www.marinemammalcare.org
Sea Dog Winter 2013-2014 - P. 4
animals, foraging for fish that
live deep in the open ocean.
Specially adapted vibrissae
(whiskers) assist these animals in
finding food in the deep, dark
waters where little, if any, light
penetrates. Large eyes are an
additional adaptation that helps
these animals find food in limitedvisibility conditions.
Northern elephant seals are
currently protected under the
Marine Mammal Protection Act of
1972, and as the population has
increased over the years, they
have established breeding colonies
at several locations on the Central
California coast.
Gary Parsons
Gerald Orcholski & James Phillips
Rebecca Lee
Lisa Scranton
Jessica Stern
Patricia and James Wayman
Employees Community Fund of Boeing CA
Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Boeing Company's Gift Match Program
Capital Group Companies Charitable Fdn.
Animal Health Fdn.
Sea Dog
Letter from the President
P. 1
Seal Day 2014
P. 2
Volunteer Spotlight
P. 2
Science Corner
P. 3
Pinniped Puzzle
P. 3
New Arrivals
P. 4
Member and Donor Recognition
P. 4
“Irresistible.” “How cute.” “Look at those eyes!” “Mom, can I look a little longer?” These are common
responses when people hear the yelp of a sea lion, gaze into the eyes of a harbor seal, or see the splash of
an elephant seal diving off of a resting rock pile into the lapping ocean surf.
As a MAR3INE member, you are uniquely “in the know” about these precocious pinnipeds who grace our
southland waters. Through this newsletter and other MAR3INE communications, you receive information
certain to tickle curiosity, inspire imagination about ocean life, and tug at heart strings.
Sometimes the news feels good, like when we release animals back into their ocean habitat. Or we breathe
a sigh of relief when conditions are good enough so only a few sea lions are in need of help. Sometimes the
news adds a wince, when we hear lots of elephant seal pups are stranded because their mothers left them
without teaching them to eat fish. Or we hear about harbor seals, injured from sharks or sick from pollution.
In this edition, we invite you to the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur’s (MMCC’s) annual Seal
Day event on May 18th, highlight a great volunteer, Dave Zahniser, explain necropsy procedures, and inform
you about our first elephant seal pups of the season. A big thank you to Dr. Lauren Palmer and Annette
Degner for their contributions to this issue.
Please encourage your friends and extended family to tug a little at their coin purses and buy a MAR3INE
membership. Membership starts at $40 annually, which only amounts to eleven cents a day! Feel free to
invite them to come down and visit MCCC often. Hours are 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM daily. To visit your
pinniped pals, just go up the hill and around from the intersection of Gaffey & 32nd Street. Thanks again for
your support!
Sincerely,
Jeff Cozad
2014 Board President, MAR3INE
Photographs courtesy of the MMCC at Fort
MacArthur. All photographs were taken during
stranding response activities conducted under a
Stranding Agreement between the National Marine
Fisheries Service and the MMCC at Fort MacArthur
issued under the authority of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act.