EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 



Personnel of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other agencies 

 often must identify specimens of marine birds and mammals that have 

 washed onto the shoreline. Beach surveys are also conducted routinely 

 along certain beaches to establish baseline information. Identification 

 of beach-cast specimens can be extremely difficult, particularly after 

 disastrous events such as oil spills and major storms. 



The purpose of this manual is to provide information necessary for 

 the correct identification of beach-cast specimens of marine birds and 

 mammals. Identification keys are supplemented by illustrations, glossaries 

 and narrative accounts of species. Instructions are included for the 

 conduct of beach surveys. 



This manual includes most species of marine birds and mammals that 

 occur from the Bering Strait, Alaska and along the North American Coast 

 south to Cabo San Lucas at the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. 



