Stranded Marine Mammal Research

What should you do if you find a stranded marine mammal (dolphin or whale)?
Contact the local stranding network to report a stranded marine mammal.

Strandings and Fishery Interactions
Though our program is now focusing on data and sample analyses from strandings and publication of results, the NMFS Beaufort program systematically responded to marine mammal strandings from the New River north to the VA/NC border from 1997 to 2009. This area encompasses approximately 685 miles (~1100 km) of coast including rivers, estuaries, sounds, and beaches.

From 1997 to 2009, there were over 1,000 strandings on the North Carolina coast, with the Beaufort staff and associated stranding network responding to about 85% of those strandings.

From over 30 stranded species, we have collected samples and data for our research and to contribute to other research throughout the country.

sperm whale stranding
Sperm whale stranded near Cape Lookout, NC
(Physeter macrocephalus)
Photo Credit: SEFSC Beaufort Lab

Fishery Interactions
Determining whether a stranded animal was entangled in fishing gear is an important component of North Carolina's stranding program. Evidence that a stranded animal was entangled in fishing gear (termed "FI stranding") includes attached gear and lesions on the skin consistent with entanglement.

We compare the location and timing of these FI strandings with information about concurrent active fisheries to help identify which fisheries may:

have been involved
need further study (observer coverage)
need mitigation measures

Spatial and seasonal trends of strandings over longer time frames are examined and provided to the Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Team, along with information on North Carolina fishing practices, historical fishing effort, and historical stranding data to access bycatch risks.

Bottlenose dolphin stranded on Cape Lookout
entangled in gillnet gear
Photo Credit: SEFSC Beaufort Lab

Bottlenose dolphin examination
Photo Credit: SEFSC Beaufort Lab

Stranded Marine Mammal Research

Protected Resources

Fisheries Service