Dog Sea - Marine Mammal Care Center

SCIENCE CORNER
Visitors to MMCC often ask about
the markings or “scars” on the
sides of rehabilitating pinnipeds
(seals and sea lions). What may
appear to be some kind of scarring
is MMCC’s method of identifying
individual animals. Animals
brought to MMCC for rehabilitation are assigned an accession
number based on the sequential
order in which they arrive.
For example, the first animal at
MMCC this year (2015) was assigned number 15-1. The second
animal was assigned number 15-2,
and so on. Medical records and
feeding charts refer to individual
animals by this number, since
MMCC does not name animals. In
order to tell one animal from
another, the sequential portion of
the accession number (1, 2, 3, etc.)
is shaved into the animal’s fur,
right side for females, left side for
males. New animal care volunteers
are sometimes reminded that
“females are always right” as a
way to easily remember how to
tell male from female once they
are numbered.
Because curved numbers (2, 3, 5,
6, 8, 9 and 0) are difficult to shave
in fur, a numbering system developed by Dr. R. Keith Farrell at
Washington State University was
modified for use at the MMCC.
Referred to as Ferrell Numbers or
the Modified Angle System, all
accession numbers can be shaved
by using a series of small straight
lines. See the illustration below.
The numbers that have been
“modified” are one and zero.
Instead of using two vertical lines
Winter
2014
QUARTERLY MAR3INE NEWSLETTER
This Issue
Ferrell Numbers or
the Modified Angle System
for the number one, and two
horizontal lines for zero, MMCC
simply uses a single vertical line for
the number one, and a single horizontal line for zero. So the ninetyfifth animal to come into the center
would have the shaved symbols < >.
In our next installment of Science
Corner, we will discuss roto tags and
the forehead color scheme used to
identify individual Northern elephant
seals in the busy season. Stay tuned.
ELEPHANT SEAL BENEFACTORS
SEA LION PROTECTORS
INDIVIDUAL $500+; FAMILY $1,000+
INDIVIDUAL $250+; FAMILY $500+
Steven Crooke
Michael McNerney
Karen and Charles Epperley Dorothy Meyer
Deborah Eppolito
Lynne Onak
The Kelly Family
Virginia Panossian
Amy Friend
Laura Teasley
Harold Mansfield
Augustyn Foundation
Vincent & Janice Corti
David & Linda Fenton
The Holmstrom Family
Larry Leonakis
The Kadota Family
Lynne Onak
Jessica Rappe
The Shenbaum Family
VW & Hathaikarn Tozer
David & Virginia Witte
HARBOR SEAL HELPERS
FOUNDATIONS & COMPANIES
INDIVIDUAL $150+; FAMILY $300+
Anderson Bard Memorial Fund
Tesoro Refinery
California United Terminals
ExxonMobil
Chevron
Supervisor Don Knabe
Animal Print Shop
Capital Group Companies Charitable Fdn.
Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council
Employees Community Fund of Boeing CA
John S. Meek
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery
Quality Refrigeration
Securitas Security Services
Julia Buck
Marlene Bishop
Maricella Chavez
Karen Constine
Glyniss Anthony
Darcy Hayhurst
Terry Ishihara
Rosemary Jorde
RS Kimble
Angela Loya
Joan Maguire
Pamela Morgan
Elizabeth Margolis
Pat Morse
Gary Parsons
Rebecca Osepian
Glenn Ritter
Jessica Stern
Julie Stembridge
Joan Vandegrift
Lorie Zerweck
Arlene Zimmer
TO BECOME A MEMBER, PLEASE VISIT
WWW.MARINEMAMMALCARE.ORG/JOIN
*Totals include membership contributions only
(from 12/15/2013 to 12/14/2014)
1536 West 25th Street, San Pedro, CA 90732
310.832.4352 ● www.marinemammalcare.org
Sea Dog Winter 2014
Sea Dog
Letter from the President
P. 1
Pen Enclosures
P. 2
Employee Spotlight
P. 2
Bear in Mind
P. 3
Science Corner—Farrell Numbers
P. 4
Member and Donor Recognition
P. 4
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
During the off season, the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur (MMCC) and MAR3INE have been
preparing for spring. Scientists are still predicting a 50-60% chance of El Niño in the next two months. As I
write this article, an unusual amount of Northern Fur Seals have already been admitted which could be an
indictor of El Nino since this species is very sensitive to warming ocean waters. Our feature article in this
issue features the Northern Fur Seal, its characteristics, behaviors, and habitats.
MAR3INE is directing many resources toward organizing the volunteer effort in spring. MAR3INE coordinated
with the husbandry team to better define the various volunteer job descriptions, streamline application
procedures, and ensure all shifts are scheduled with appropriate variety of skill sets. Additionally, MAR3INE
approved funding to pay for a part-time husbandry assistant, Heather Henderson. A big thanks goes out to
Holly Kadota for volunteering to be an interim Volunteer Coordinator, Lori Olsen (featured in this issue),
Heather Henderson, and Dr. Lauren Palmer.
Another exciting addition to MMCC is the new Marketing and Development Director, Raymond
Simanavicius, who was hired in late October. Although new to the position, Raymond has helped MMCC
throughout the years at Seal Day, Party for Pinnipeds, and other MMCC events. He brings a wealth of
experience in marketing, public relations, and project management. We really enjoy working with Raymond
on projects and look forward to collaborating with him in the future!
Finally, as you will read in the article on the next page, new pen enclosures were constructed that are
capable of accommodating 32 pinniped patients. This new space will come in handy if patient numbers are
high again in spring.
Thank you again for your support. We could not continue this important work without your generosity and
hope you enjoy this issue!
Sincerely,
Jeff Cozad
MAR3INE Board
President
Photographs courtesy of the MMCC at Fort
MacArthur. All photographs were taken during
stranding response activities conducted under a
Stranding Agreement between the National Marine
Fisheries Service and the MMCC at Fort MacArthur
issued under the authority of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act.
In the last two years during the busy season, space at MMCC has been a
formidable issue. At times, there are over 100 pinnipeds at the facility.
Bear-like. Hmm…what animal at
MMCC is like a bear? Sea lions don’t
usually conjure up images of growly old
bears. Neither do the large, lumbering Northern
elephant seal pups that are normally seen at the
center in late winter/early spring. Harbor seals? Nope.
Their spotted coats aren’t usually thought of as resembling
a bear; a leopard maybe, but not a bear. OK, we’re stumped.
Dark dense fur, thick neck, broad shoulders, large canines in
the males…sounds like a bear. The key to solving this mystery is
this animals’ scientific name, Callorhinus ursinis, which means “bear
like.” C. ursinis is the scientific name for the Northern fur seal, a frequent visitor to MMCC in the last two months.
This winter, MMCC requested support and funding for two new receiving pens, accommodating up to 30 animals during the busy season.
MMCC started working on this project in December, though planning,
design and coordination have been underway for some time.
MMCC then hired a local construction company to build the enclosures.
The construction company removed the existing driveway in the back,
cut concrete and installed new trench drains, formed and poured new
concrete, installed block walls, as well as chain link fences and gates.
The modular design of the new enclosures, with various rolling gates,
enable the animal care volunteers flexibility of access and transferring
of patients for optimum function of the space.
Northern Fur Seal
Callorhinus ursinis
Northern fur seals, a pinniped (seals, sea lions, and walruses) the Europeans called a “sea bear,” belong to the family
Otariidae, which includes sea lions and fur seals. Otariids are sometimes called “eared seals,” even though the name
“seal” implies they belong to the family Phocidae, seals without external ear flaps. There are nine species of Otariids that
are named “fur seal,” but are not true earless seals. Confused? Try this: if the animal you are looking at has little Yoda
ears, it is an Otariid, regardless of its common name.
Construction was completed just in time for new arrivals. We hope the
patients are a bit more comfortable this year as they are nursed back to
health during the rehabilitation process.
These animals spend the majority of their life at sea (pelagic), coming ashore to breed and give birth. Once weaned, juvenile Northern fur seals may not return to land for up to three years. Although there is an established breeding colony
on San Miguel Island, one of the northern Channel Islands off the California coast, for the most part, the only time we
might expect to see them on our coastal beaches is when they are ill.
had an interest in all things ocean.
Growing up in San Pedro provided
her the opportunity to spend a lot of
time on or near the water. As a child,
her father took her to see the fishing
boats every weekend. She recalls
seeing “the sea lions, star fish, crabs,
and all of the other ocean life that
surrounded us.”
We’re going to shift gears a bit this
month and instead of shining the
spotlight on a MMCC volunteer,
we’re going to feature MMCC Husbandry Manager Lori Olsen.
Lori is a native of San Pedro. She
graduated from CSULB with a BA degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Psychology. She has always
Sea Dog Summer 2014- P. 2
Lori worked for many years at an executive search firm and then spent 15
years with Nissan Motors. It was during this time that she became a volunteer at the MMCC. In fact, the year
she started as a volunteer was 1998,
one of the busiest years on record
due to the severe El Niño event of
that year. She became a Lead Volunteer and was eventually hired as Husbandry Manager in June 2011.
As the Husbandry Manager, Lori
works with MMCC in the areas of animal care, volunteer training, veteri-
nary support, and more. She said,
“I am lucky to have worked with and
learned from so many of my coworkers over the years caring for
these animals. I feel blessed to have
had the opportunity to participate in
the work that we do at MMCC in rehabbing sick marine mammals. I am
also so very grateful for the volunteers that I have worked with and
the friends that I have made along
the way.”
It goes without saying that MMCC is
very grateful for Lori Olsen, the dedicated job she does, and the hours
she puts in, all to help make MMCC
the most efficient rehabilitation facility possible.
Lori added, “There is nothing like it
when you leave for the day, and you
see all of the critters looking content
and quiet.”
Recently the MMCC had five Northern fur seals in rehabilitation at the same time, a very unusual event. During the winter, Northern fur seals in the eastern Pacific (the west coast of North America) usually move in large numbers southward
from Alaska along the west coast of North America, and can sometimes be found as far south as Baja California. Juveniles are known to move into Southern California waters to feed during the winter. Foraging animals are rarely seen in
groups of more than three.
There is a pronounced difference in size (sexual dimorphism) between male and female adult Northern fur seals. The
adult male weighs up to 600 pounds, about 4.5 times heavier than adult females, and at about 7 feet long, he will be
about 40% longer than the adult females. Northern fur seals have a dense, thick coat of fur that traps air and helps prevent the loss of body heat, but as a result, they spend a significant amount of time grooming their coat. Visitors to
MMCC often ask if grooming fur seals are scratching because of parasites. Their rear flippers are proportionately the
longest of all the Otariid species, measuring up to one-fourth of their total body length. Fur seals will live from 17 to 25
years.
Although some populations are increasing, the overall population trend is down
ward, and as a result this species is listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
“Starfish”
Three fur seal patients enjoying the pool
References:
 Gelatt, T. & Lowry, L. (2008). Callorhinus ursinus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
 IUCN 2014. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3.
 Riedman, Marianne. The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions and Walruses. Berkeley: Univ.
of California Press, 1990.
 http://www.arkive.org/northern-fur-seal/callorhinus-ursinus/
In the last two years during the busy season, space at MMCC has been a
formidable issue. At times, there are over 100 pinnipeds at the facility.
Bear-like. Hmm…what animal at
MMCC is like a bear? Sea lions don’t
usually conjure up images of growly old
bears. Neither do the large, lumbering Northern
elephant seal pups that are normally seen at the
center in late winter/early spring. Harbor seals? Nope.
Their spotted coats aren’t usually thought of as resembling
a bear; a leopard maybe, but not a bear. OK, we’re stumped.
Dark dense fur, thick neck, broad shoulders, large canines in
the males…sounds like a bear. The key to solving this mystery is
this animals’ scientific name, Callorhinus ursinis, which means “bear
like.” C. ursinis is the scientific name for the Northern fur seal, a
frequent visitor to MMCC in the last two months.
This winter, MMCC requested support and funding for two new receiving pens, accommodating up to 30 animals during the busy season.
MMCC started working on this project in December, though planning,
design and coordination have been underway for some time.
MMCC then hired a local construction company to build the enclosures.
The construction company removed the existing driveway in the back,
cut concrete and installed new trench drains, formed and poured new
concrete, installed block walls, as well as chain link fences and gates.
The modular design of the new enclosures, with various rolling gates,
enable the animal care volunteers flexibility of access and transferring
of patients for optimum function of the space.
Northern Fur Seal
Callorhinus ursinis
Northern fur seals, a pinniped (seals, sea lions, and walruses) the Europeans called a “sea bear,” belong to the family
Otariidae, which includes sea lions and fur seals. Otariids are sometimes called “eared seals,” even though the name
“seal” implies they belong to the family Phocidae, seals without external ear flaps. There are nine species of Otariids that
are named “fur seal,” but are not true earless seals. Confused? Try this: if the animal you are looking at has little Yoda
ears, it is an Otariid, regardless of its common name.
Construction was completed just in time for new arrivals. We hope the
patients are a bit more comfortable this year as they are nursed back to
health during the rehabilitation process.
These animals spend the majority of their life at sea (pelagic), coming ashore to breed and give birth. Once weaned,
juvenile Northern fur seals may not return to land for up to three years. Although there is an established breeding
colony on San Miguel Island, one of the northern Channel Islands off the California coast, for the most part, the only
time we might expect to see them on our coastal beaches is when they are ill.
had an interest in all things ocean.
Growing up in San Pedro provided
her the opportunity to spend a lot of
time on or near the water. As a child,
her father took her to see the fishing
boats every weekend. She recalls
seeing “the sea lions, star fish, crabs,
and all of the other ocean life that
surrounded us.”
We’re going to shift gears a bit this
month and instead of shining the
spotlight on a MMCC volunteer,
we’re going to feature MMCC
Husbandry Manager Lori Olsen.
Lori is a native of San Pedro. She
graduated from CSULB with a BA
degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Psychology. She has always
Sea Dog Summer 2014- P. 2
Lori worked for many years at an
executive search firm and then spent
15 years with Nissan Motors. It was
during this time that she became a
volunteer at the MMCC. In fact, the
year she started as a volunteer was
1998, one of the busiest years on
record due to the severe El Niño
event of that year. She became a
Lead Volunteer and was eventually
hired as Husbandry Manager in June
2011.
As the Husbandry Manager, Lori
works with MMCC in the areas of
animal care, volunteer training, veterinary support, and more. She said,
“I am lucky to have worked with and
learned from so many of my coworkers over the years caring for
these animals. I feel blessed to have
had the opportunity to participate in
the work that we do at MMCC in
rehabbing sick marine mammals. I
am also so very grateful for the
volunteers that I have worked with
and the friends that I have made
along the way.”
Recently the MMCC had five Northern fur seals in rehabilitation at the same time, a very unusual event. During the
winter, Northern fur seals in the eastern Pacific (the west coast of North America) usually move in large numbers southward from Alaska along the west coast of North America, and can sometimes be found as far south as Baja California.
Juveniles are known to move into Southern California waters to feed during the winter. Foraging animals are rarely seen
in groups of more than three.
There is a pronounced difference in size (sexual dimorphism) between male and female adult Northern fur seals. The
adult male weighs up to 600 pounds, about 4.5 times heavier than adult females, and at about 7 feet long, he will be
about 40% longer than the adult females. Northern fur seals have a dense, thick coat of fur that traps air and helps
prevent the loss of body heat, but as a result, they spend a significant amount of time grooming their coat. Visitors to
MMCC often ask if grooming fur seals are scratching because of parasites. Their rear flippers are proportionately the
longest of all the Otariid species, measuring up to one-fourth of their total body length. Fur seals will live from 17 to 25
years.
It goes without saying that MMCC is
very grateful for Lori Olsen, the
dedicated job she does, and the
hours she puts in, all to help make
MMCC the most efficient rehabilitation facility possible.
Lori added, “There is nothing like it
when you leave for the day, and you
see all of the critters looking content
and quiet.”
Although some populations are increasing, the overall population trend is down
ward, and as a result this species is listed as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
“Starfish”
Three fur seal patients enjoying the pool
References:
 Gelatt, T. & Lowry, L. (2008). Callorhinus ursinus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.
 IUCN 2014. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3.
 Riedman, Marianne. The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions and Walruses. Berkeley: Univ.
of California Press, 1990.
 http://www.arkive.org/northern-fur-seal/callorhinus-ursinus/
SCIENCE CORNER
Visitors to MMCC often ask about
the markings or “scars” on the
sides of rehabilitating pinnipeds
(seals and sea lions). What may
appear to be some kind of scarring
is MMCC’s method of identifying
individual animals. Animals
brought to MMCC for rehabilitation are assigned an accession
number based on the sequential
order in which they arrive.
For example, the first animal at
MMCC this year (2015) was assigned number 15-1. The second
animal was assigned number 15-2,
and so on. Medical records and
feeding charts refer to individual
animals by this number, since
MMCC does not name animals. In
order to tell one animal from
another, the sequential portion of
the accession number (1, 2, 3, etc.)
is shaved into the animal’s fur,
right side for females, left side for
males. New animal care volunteers
are sometimes reminded that
“females are always right” as a
way to easily remember how to
tell male from female once they
are numbered.
Because curved numbers (2, 3, 5,
6, 8, 9 and 0) are difficult to shave
in fur, a numbering system developed by Dr. R. Keith Farrell at
Washington State University was
modified for use at the MMCC.
Referred to as Ferrell Numbers or
the Modified Angle System, all
accession numbers can be shaved
by using a series of small straight
lines. See the illustration below.
The numbers that have been
“modified” are one and zero.
Instead of using two vertical lines
Winter
2014
QUARTERLY MAR3INE NEWSLETTER
This Issue
Ferrell Numbers or
the Modified Angle System
for the number one, and two
horizontal lines for zero, MMCC
simply uses a single vertical line for
the number one, and a single horizontal line for zero. So the ninetyfifth animal to come into the center
would have the shaved symbols < >.
In our next installment of Science
Corner, we will discuss roto tags and
the forehead color scheme used to
identify individual Northern elephant
seals in the busy season. Stay tuned.
ELEPHANT SEAL BENEFACTORS
SEA LION PROTECTORS
INDIVIDUAL $500+; FAMILY $1,000+
INDIVIDUAL $250+; FAMILY $500+
Steven Crooke
Michael McNerney
Karen and Charles Epperley Dorothy Meyer
Deborah Eppolito
Lynne Onak
The Kelly Family
Virginia Panossian
Amy Friend
Laura Teasley
Harold Mansfield
Augustyn Foundation
Vincent & Janice Corti
David & Linda Fenton
The Holmstrom Family
Larry Leonakis
The Kadota Family
Lynne Onak
Jessica Rappe
The Shenbaum Family
VW & Hathaikarn Tozer
David & Virginia Witte
HARBOR SEAL HELPERS
FOUNDATIONS & COMPANIES
INDIVIDUAL $150+; FAMILY $300+
Anderson Bard Memorial Fund
Tesoro Refinery
California United Terminals
ExxonMobil
Chevron
Supervisor Don Knabe
Animal Print Shop
Capital Group Companies Charitable Fdn.
Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council
Employees Community Fund of Boeing CA
John S. Meek
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery
Quality Refrigeration
Securitas Security Services
Julia Buck
Marlene Bishop
Maricella Chavez
Karen Constine
Glyniss Anthony
Darcy Hayhurst
Terry Ishihara
Rosemary Jorde
RS Kimble
Angela Loya
Joan Maguire
Pamela Morgan
Elizabeth Margolis
Pat Morse
Gary Parsons
Rebecca Osepian
Glenn Ritter
Jessica Stern
Julie Stembridge
Joan Vandegrift
Lorie Zerweck
Arlene Zimmer
TO BECOME A MEMBER, PLEASE VISIT
WWW.MARINEMAMMALCARE.ORG/JOIN
*Totals include membership contributions only
(from 12/15/2013 to 12/14/2014)
1536 West 25th Street, San Pedro, CA 90732
310.832.4352 ● www.marinemammalcare.org
Sea Dog Winter 2014
Sea Dog
Letter from the President
P. 1
Pen Enclosures
P. 2
Employee Spotlight
P. 2
Bear in Mind
P. 3
Science Corner—Farrell Numbers
P. 4
Member and Donor Recognition
P. 4
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
During the off season, the Marine Mammal Care Center at Fort MacArthur (MMCC) and MAR3INE have been
preparing for spring. Scientists are still predicting a 50-60% chance of El Niño in the next two months. As I
write this article, an unusual amount of Northern Fur Seals have already been admitted which could be an
indictor of El Nino since this species is very sensitive to warming ocean waters. Our feature article in this
issue features the Northern Fur Seal, its characteristics, behaviors, and habitats.
MAR3INE is directing many resources toward organizing the volunteer effort in spring. MAR3INE coordinated
with the husbandry team to better define the various volunteer job descriptions, streamline application
procedures, and ensure all shifts are scheduled with appropriate variety of skill sets. Additionally, MAR3INE
approved funding to pay for a part-time husbandry assistant, Heather Henderson. A big thanks goes out to
Holly Kadota for volunteering to be an interim Volunteer Coordinator, Lori Olsen (featured in this issue),
Heather Henderson, and Dr. Lauren Palmer.
Another exciting addition to MMCC is the new Marketing and Development Director, Raymond
Simanavicius, who was hired in late October. Although new to the position, Raymond has helped MMCC
throughout the years at Seal Day, Party for Pinnipeds, and other MMCC events. He brings a wealth of
experience in marketing, public relations, and project management. We really enjoy working with Raymond
on projects and look forward to collaborating with him in the future!
Finally, as you will read in the article on the next page, new pen enclosures were constructed that are
capable of accommodating 32 pinniped patients. This new space will come in handy if patient numbers are
high again in spring.
Thank you again for your support. We could not continue this important work without your generosity and
hope you enjoy this issue!
Sincerely,
Jeff Cozad
MAR3INE Board
President
Photographs courtesy of the MMCC at Fort
MacArthur. All photographs were taken during
stranding response activities conducted under a
Stranding Agreement between the National Marine
Fisheries Service and the MMCC at Fort MacArthur
issued under the authority of the Marine Mammal
Protection Act.