University of New England

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Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center
Released Marine Animals - 2006

MARC 06-002 Pg Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) Arrival Date: January 5, 2006 Stranded at: Dartmouth, Massachusetts Rescue by: Cape Cod Stranding Network Sex & Age: Male, Juvenile Admit Weight: 49.3 lbs. (22.4 kg) Release Weight: 49.3 lbs. (22.4 kg) Admit Length: 92.2 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #002 came to MARC with wounds of unknown origin. The infected wounds were treated, along with an infestation of internal parasites. Release Date: February 6, 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine

MARC 06-003 Hg Harp Seal(Halichoerus grypus) Arrival Date: January 13, 2006 Stranded at: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts Rescue by: New England Aquarium Sex & Age: Male, Juvenile Admit Weight: 77.4 lbs. (35.2 kg) Release Weight: 113.3 lbs. (51.5 kg) Admit Length: 125.0 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #003 arrived at MARC with a deeply penetrating neck wound, originating from a nasty entanglement in fishing line. He also had a quarter-sized abscess on his fore-flipper. The wounds were flushed and debrided (to remove all materials that may promote infection and impede healing) daily, until staff could be sure that infection would not return. Release Date: February 25, 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine

MARC 06-005 Pg Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) Arrival Date: January 22, 2006 Stranded at: Fortune’s Rock, Biddeford, Maine Rescue by: Marine Animal Lifeline Sex & Age: Male, Juvenile Admit Weight: 86.5 lbs. (39.3 kg) Release Weight: 102.3 lbs. (46.5 kg) Admit Length: 110.0 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #005 showed signs of dehydration upon arrival to MARC. He also had slight alopecia (stress-induced hair-loss) in small patches on his flippers and back. Though his time at MARC was brief, he was treated for dehydration and given a clean bill of health prior to release. Release Date: February 25, 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine

MARC 06-006 Cc Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) Nickname: “Chomper”- due to his interest in biting caretakers’ toes! Arrival Date (at MARC): January 26, 2006 Stranded at: Dr. Lord’s Beach, Dennis, MA Rescued by: New England Aquarium on December 8, 2005, where he was cared for and stabilized until transport to MARC in January 2006. Sex & Age: gender and age unknown Weight at admit: 89 lbs. (40.45 kg) Weight at Release: 114.7 lbs. (52.15 kg) Reason for Rehabilitation: Chomper became cold-stunned (severely hypothermic) at the end of last year, where he was collected by New England Aquarium and admitted into rehabilitation. The New England Aquarium stabilized Chomper over the next 6 weeks in their Sea Turtle Rehabilitation facility. In January of this year, he was transferred to UNE’s Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center, where he underwent 5 additional months of rehabilitation. During this time, Chomper feasted on herring, squid, and live rock crabs. In June, he was transferred to the Virginia Aquarium, where he was held for a week until the ocean and weather conditions permitted a safe release. Chomper has now returned to his home in the ocean, which is a huge victory for this endangered animal! Date Transferred from MARC: June 22, 2006 Date Released: June 27, 2006

MARC 06-008 Pg Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) Arrival Date: February 5, 2006 Stranded at: Moody Beach, Wells, Maine Rescue by: Marine Animal Lifeline Sex & Age: Male, Juvenile Admit Weight: 52.8 lbs. (24.0 kg) Release Weight: 63.1 lbs. (28.7 kg) Admit Length: 89.0 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #008 was dehydrated and slightly underweight upon arrival to MARC. He also had small scrapes around his nose and left eyelid. After a few weeks at the Rehabilitation Center, the wounds healed, he put on weight and was released! Release Date: February 25, 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine

MARC 06-009 Pg Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) Arrival Date: February 10, 2006 Stranded at: Coastguard Lighthouse Beach, Chatham, Massachusetts Rescue by: Cape Cod Stranding Network Sex & Age: Male, Juvenile Admit Weight: 58.1 lbs. (26.4 kg) Release Weight: 69.5 lbs. (31.6 kg) Admit Length: 106 cm cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #009 came to MARC with a corneal abrasion in his right eye. He was also treated for dehydration and parasites while on site. Release Date: March 17, 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine

MARC 06-010 Pg Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) Arrival Date: February 5, 2006 Stranded at: Moody Beach, Wells, Maine Rescue by: Marine Animal Lifeline Sex & Age: Male, Juvenile Admit Weight: 52.8 lbs. (24.0 kg) Release Weight: 63.1 lbs. (28.7 kg) Admit Length: 89.0 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #008 was dehydrated and slightly underweight upon arrival to MARC. He also had small scrapes around his nose and left eyelid. After a few weeks at the Rehabilitation Center, the wounds healed, he put on weight and was released! Release Date: February 25, 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine

MARC 06-013 Pg Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) Arrival Date: February 15, 2006 Stranded at: Biddeford Pool, Biddeford, Maine Rescue by: Marine Animal Lifeline Sex & Age: Female, Yearling Admit Weight: 54.6 lbs. (24.8 kg) Release Weight: 54.6 lbs. (24.8 kg) Admit Length: 102.0 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #013 was dehydrated with some swelling around her mouth upon admit to MARC. She was treated for dehydration and parasites while in the Rehabilitation facility, and quickly released. Release Date: February 25, 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine

MARC 06-015 Pg Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) Arrival Date: February 20, 2006 Stranded at: Goose Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport, Maine Rescue by: Marine Animal Lifeline Sex & Age: Male, Juvenile Admit Weight: 52.8 lbs. (24.0 kg) Release Weight: 60.1 lbs. (27.3 kg) Admit Length: 111 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #015 had a slightly enflamed oral cavity, with no obvious origin, at admit to the MARC facility. Along with treatment for this inflamation, he was treated for parasites before being cleared for release. Release Date: March 17, 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine

MARC 06-018 Pg Harp Seal (Phoca groenlandica) Arrival Date: March 18, 2006 Stranded at: Ferry Beach, Saco, Maine Rescue by: Marine Animal Lifeline Sex & Age: Female, Juvenile Admit Weight: 64.2 lbs. (29.2 kg) Release Weight: 85 lbs. (38.6 kg) Admit Length: 103.0 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #018 was found dehydrated, having ingested large amounts of sand prior to admit to MARC. She also suffered from a mild case of alopecia (stress-induced hair-loss). She was treated at MARC for dehydration, as well as parasites. Release Date: April 7, 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine

MARC 06-025 Pv Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Arrival Date: May 22, 2006 Stranded at: Depot Street, Dennisport, Massachusetts Release Date: July and August 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine (Release #1) and Isle of Shoals, Portsmouth, NH (Release #2) Rescue by: Cape Cod Stranding Network Sex & Age: Female, Pup Admit Weight: 15.9 lbs. (7.2 kg) Admit Length: 76.5 cm Transfer Weight: 72.15 lbs. (32.8 kg) Transfer Length: 104 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #25 was a young (week-old) victim of maternal separation. She arrived at MARC very undernourished. Staff and volunteers worked quickly to put #25 on a diet of whole fish, as she appeared to have a natural comfort around people (which is not desirable behavior). As soon as she was eating and had gained sufficient weight, she was released back to sea. Within a week, MARC staff had to recollect #25, as she was lingering along the coastline and attracting large summer crowds. She was brought to the Rehabilitation Center for a health assessment. She was in great health, so a week later, she was released a second time from a boat offshore at the Isle of Shoals off the coast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Southern Maine. Within days, she had returned to coastal Maine, again drawing crowds at the beaches. After a third entry to our facility, where #25 spent her days in the pool with a group of other rehabilitation seals, she was released a third and final time...managing to stay out at sea for over 3 weeks. When she was reported to be following a surfer in Old Orchard Beach, #25 was collected for a final time. MARC staff decided that she had been given ample time to try to adjust to her ocean environment, and wasn't going to stay at sea. MARC and NOAA Fisheries deemed #25 non-releasable. For the next 2 months, while awaiting a transfer to a new permanent home at Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois, MARC staff worked on basic operant conditioning with #25. Operant Conditioning is a form of behavioral conditioning that focuses on positive reinforcement. In December, 2006, she was transferred by FEDEX to Illinois. Transfer Date: December 13, 2006 Transfer Location: Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, Illinois

MARC 06-026 Pv Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Arrival Date: May 29, 2006 Stranded at: Bar Harbor, Maine on May 28, 2006 Rescue by: College of the Atlantic Sex & Age: Male, Pup Admit Weight: 17.4 lbs. (7.9 kg) Current Weight: 28.2 lbs. (12.85 kg) Admit Length: 75.5 cm Current Length: 93 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #26 was an unfortunate victim of maternal separation. He arrived at MARC undernourished. He was bulked up with a nice coat of blubber before returning to the sea! Release Date: August 29, 2006 Release Location: Isle of Shoals, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

MARC 06-030 Pv Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) Arrival Date: June 2, 2006 Stranded at: Ogunquit, Maine on June 2, 2006 Rescued by: Marine Animal Lifeline Sex & Age: Female, Pup Weight at admit: 21.3 lbs. (9.7 kg) Current Weight: 26.2 lbs. (11.9 kg) Straight Length: 78.8 cm Current Length: 91 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #30 was a maternal separation victim as well. She arrived at MARC malnourished and dehydrated. She suffered from decreased sodium levels (hyponatremia) which were gradually stabilized with medical attention. Following treatment and after putting on a decent amount of weight, she was released back to the wild. Release Date: August 29, 2006 Release Location: Isle of Shoals, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

MARC 06-046 Cc Hooded Seal (Cystophora cristata) Arrival Date: August 1, 2006 Stranded at:North Falmouth, Massachusetts Rescued by: Cape Cod Stranding Network Sex & Age: Male, Juvenile Weight at admit: 83 lbs. (37.6 kg) Current Weight: 121 lbs. (55.2 kg) Straight Length: 117 cm Reason for Rehabilitation: #046 arrived at MARC dehydrated and feisty. He had ingested sand and rocks. He was suffering from a mild case of alopecia. He was treated for dehydration and given a nice diet of fat herring. MARC staff and volunteers monitored #046 to be sure that the ingested sand and rocks were passed and not affecting his appetite nor digestion, and he was released back to the ocean. Release Date: September 5, 2006 Release Location: Granite Point, Biddeford, Maine

Animals Currently at MARC
Biographies of Released Marine Animals - 2005
Biographies of Released Marine Animals - 2004

Updated 10/03/06

Two Maine Campuses:
University Campus, Biddeford / Westbrook College Campus, Portland · 207.283.0171