Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle First Responder Training In Southampton

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — With an eye toward addressing the whales, turtles and seals that often wash up on local shores, Southampton Town officials participated in marine mammal and sea turtle first responder training recently.

Southampton Town's department of public safety and emergency management teamed up with the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to provide the training.

Attending the training, held at the Hampton Bays Volunteer Ambulance Corps building, were staff from Southampton Town departments including animal control, marine patrol, the fire marshal’s office, code enforcement, and emergency management.

Southampton Town Councilwoman Cyndi McNamara. Brookhaven Town's marine patrol and the Quogue Village Police Department also participated.

Experts from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society provided information about marine mammals commonly found in the area; ways to best assist animals in distress; best practices for responding to unfortunate situations involving deceased marine mammals; and how the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society acts as an emergency response partner for marine mammal incidents.

"I probably learned as much about the different types of excavators and other heavy equipment needed to handle different sized whales, as I did about actual marine mammals," said McNamara.

Town Emergency Manager Ryan Murphy added: "The Atlantic Marine Conservation Society is a great emergency response partner to the town."

He added: "Having an organization like the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society in our jurisdiction is a tremendous asset to us. They provide expertise when dealing with marine mammals and are also responsible for conducting examinations and necropsies to try and ascertain what might have happened to deceased marine mammals that might be encountered in our waters and on our shores."

Atlantic Marine Conservation Society Founder and Chief Scientist, Robert A. DiGiovanni, Jr. also reflected: "We are pleased to work with the town to provide this training and education. It is also always important to network and collaborate with our partners in non-emergency settings like this so that we can continue to work together effectively and successfully during emergency response scenarios."