Importance Score: 75 / 100 🔴
BLOCK ISLAND, R.I. — The Mystic Aquarium Animal Rescue Team is currently under significant pressure. Entangled seals pose a growing challenge on Block Island, Rhode Island.
Monitoring the Shore
Program director Sarah Callan utilized binoculars to survey the coastline for seals trapped in debris.
The Perils of Entanglement
When fishing equipment, refuse, or even a balloon becomes entangled around a gray seal’s neck, it can constrict as the marine mammal—which can weigh over 800 pounds—grows. This can result in severe injury or fatality.
Thus far, this year has seen 20 reports of entangled seals reported to the Connecticut-based non-profit, marking of an increase in incidents than what is usually documented annually by Mystic Aquarium. Callan described the rise as troubling.
Seal Rescue Initiatives on Block Island
NBC News was granted exclusive access to follow the Mystic Aquarium team. The team collaborates with the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society and the Block Island Maritime Institute, venturing out to free seals born in recent months from entanglements.
Callan and her colleagues approached a group of seal pups basking in the sun near the water’s edge. They crawled stealthily, aiming not to startle the group, and then swiftly moved in with bright red paddles. They isolated the ensnared pup and swiftly lifted it using a net, demonstrating remarkable speed and coordination.
Procedures for Seal Rescue
- Once secure, the team drew blood for analysis.
- They attached a monitoring device for research purposes.
- Finally, they severed the fishing net restricting the pup’s neck.
“We can promptly release the seal today, averting the need for rehabilitation at our clinic,” Callan remarked as the team worked. “The faster we can intervene and free them, the better.”
The Impact of Marine Debris
The same team that rescued a misplaced seal pup found distressed in New Haven, Connecticut, in February. The pup captivated the internet with its expressive eyes and plaintive cries, culminating in the Internet community voting on its name, “Chappy.” The Team attempted to nurse him back to health, but sadly the pup succumbed to severe gastrointestinal complications. Plastic debris recovered from his stomach underscored the hazards marine litter poses to marine life.
Some estimates indicate that marine debris, particularly plastic pollution, claims the lives of over 100,000 marine mammals annually. The variety of animals engaging with human-generated waste and debris within their earliest months of life is concerning, Callan noted, directly linking it to ocean health. “We see it as our responsibility to communicate these messages and educate the public about these threats,” she stated.
The Ongoing Battle
The struggle to protect marine life from entanglement is intensifying, but Mystic Aquarium remains steadfast in its commitment.
The team celebrated as the seal they had recently liberated from the netting returned to the ocean, using the distinctive undulating motion seals employ when moving on land.
“We have the opportunity to afford an animal a second chance at life, one it otherwise would not have had without our assistance,” Callan said. “Witnessing that moment is truly special.”