Volume III, Appendices EM - National Marine Fisheries Service ...

MARINE MAMMAL OIL SPILL RESPONSE GUIDELINES
abundant, clean, chlorine-free salt water (if available). Pools must have high seawater flow rates
(e.g. 5 gallons per minute for 150 gallon pool) and drain skimmers at water level to collect debris
from the pool. Fecal and food contamination of the pool water can cause fur fouling and prevent
restoration of water repellency. Sea otters are not waterproof after washing and drying and must
reintroduce trapped air into their fur by grooming.
Post-wash monitoring and care
During rehabilitation, sea otters need to be monitored around-the-clock by qualified personnel
familiar with normal sea otter behavior and who are able to recognize clinical signs of distress. Sea
otters often develop hypothermia post-wash due to lack of air insulation in washed fur and
inadequate grooming. Otters that appear hypothermic, having difficulty hauling out, or
experiencing seizures should be immediately removed from the water and evaluated by a
veterinarian. As health and fur condition improve, otters may be moved to larger pools and/or
floating holding pens. All pools should have abundant haul-out space. It will generally take a
minimum of seven to ten days for the fur to recover its water repellency (Tuomi et al., 1995).
Common Problems Encountered While Washing Animals
1. Oil is not coming off with Dawn
Pretreatment with canola oil, olive oil, or methyl oleate is required.
2. The animal’s coat is not clean
The animal may not have been washed or rinsed adequately. In either case, the animal
may need to be re-washed or re-rinsed.
The wash or rinse water is too hard and mineral deposits are forming on the fur.
Water hardness should be rechecked to make sure it is 3-5 grains.
The holding pool is not clean. Check whether the water is turbid or if there is fish oil
or debris floating on the pool surface. Water flow may need to be increased or pool
cleaned.
Nutritional Guidelines
The dietary requirements of stranded marine mammals are generally grouped into two categories
according to age and nutritional needs: unweaned pups and weaned animals. Pups need special
dietary formulas and feeding regimes based on species and age while free-feeding animals are
generally fed a diet of good quality fish such as herring. Adult sea otters are usually fed a variety of
fish and shellfish depending on their preference. Marine mammals also usually need to receive a
supplemental multivitamin, vitamin E, and salt tablets (if housed in fresh water) with amounts
based on species and weight. Monitoring fecal production and hydration status is especially
important when beginning any formula, switching diets, or weaning animals. Recommended diets
change with continued research and experience and stranding network participants should play an
important role in the development of dietary protocols for each species and facility. More
information can be obtained on marine mammal nutrition and energetics from Worthy (2001),
and hand-rearing and artificial milk formulas from Williams and Davis (1995) for sea otters, and
Townsend and Gage (2001) and Gage (2002) for pinnipeds.
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