About the Marine Mammal Stranding Network

Who we are...

The Marine Mammal Stranding Network for the Central Coast of North Carolina is supported with funding from the John H. Prescott Foundation,  the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, and the North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology.

 A team of dedicated staff and volunteers from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries, North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, North Carolina Maritime Museum, Cape Lookout National Seashore, the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, the Duke Marine Lab, the National Ocean Service and National Marine Fisheries Lab Beaufort, who respond to all marine mammal strandings that occur along central coastal North Carolina.  We also assist our northern and southern Stranding partners when needed.

We monitor and respond to strandings on the NC central coast from Ocracoke Island to Camp Lejeune, and in all counties that border the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, represented by the orange areas in Figure 1.  Figure 2 represents all 604  strandings that we have responded to from October 1, 2009 through April 30, 2022.

Marine mammal strandings in the southern part of the state-Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender and Onslow counties, south of Hammock's Beach State Park, are covered by the Marine Mammal Stranding Program at the University of NC Wilmington. Strandings in North Carolina's northern portion of the state are covered by the  North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission  and  Cape Hatteras National Seashore personnel.