Report on the Soirtheast Fisheries Science Center 

 Marine MaBsal Stranding Network Representative Systea 

 Organizational Workshop, May 7-8, 1991 



I. INTRODDCnOir 



The Marine Mammal Stranding Network NMFS Area Representative 

 System Organizational Workshop was held at the Southeast 

 Fisheries Science Center in Miami, Florida, May 7-9, 1991. The 

 following participants attended the workshop: 



Mr. Ben Blaylock - Mizuni Laboratory 



Mr. Bill Bowen - Beaufort LeUooratory 



Dr. Brad Brown, Center Director - SETC 



Mr. Jeff Brown - Southeast Regional Office 



Dr. Charles Caillouet - Galveston Laboratory 



Mr. Bill Feible - Panama City Laboratory 



Dr. Sylvia Galloway - Chcurleston Laboratory 



Mr. Larry Hansen - Miami Laboratory 



Mr. Wayne Hoggeurd - Mississippi Laboratory 



Mrs. Ann Jennings - Charleston Laboratory 



Dr. Dan Odell, SEUS Coordinator - Sea World 



Dr. Joe Powers, Laboratory Director - Miami Laboratory 



Ms. Kathy Prunier - Miami Laboratory 



Dr. Gerry Scott - Miami Laboratory 



Mr. Lee Weinberger - Miami Laboratory 



Mr. Dean Wilkinson - Office of Protected Resources 



The workshop was convened to discuss methods to enhance the 

 Southeast D.S. Marine Mammal Stremding Net%rork and to implement 

 the Southeast Science Center Marine Meunmal Strtmding Network Area 

 Representative System. It was recognized that the volunteer 

 Stranding Network is non-uniformly organized and trained, and it 

 is under-funded, resulting in two major problems. These are: (1) 

 the Stranding Network is unprepared to mount an adequate response 

 to increased stranding, and (2) gross inconsistencies in data 

 collection and reporting have resulted in a lack of baseline 

 information and in an inability to monitor the stranding rate in 

 a timely fashion. 



The purpose of the SEPC Area Representative System is to 

 supplement the Stranding Network by providing assistance to 

 enhance the efficiency of the net«rork; however, it will not usurp 

 SEUS Stranding Net«rork coordination and responsibilities. The 

 system is designed to: 



Facilitate near real-time reporting of cetacean 

 stranding to NMFS. 



Improve data collection quality, quantity, and 

 consistency. 



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