ABSTRACT

Stranding networks are organizations that have developed to coordinate responses to stranded marine mammals. A stranded marine mammal has been defined in the United States as “Any dead marine mammal on a beach or floating nearshore; any live cetacean on a beach or in water so shallow that it is unable to free itself and resume normal activity; any live pinniped which is unable or unwilling to leave the shore because of injury or poor health” (Wilkinson, 1991). Although some causes of strandings have been identified, the majority remain enigmatic (Geraci, 1978; Geraci et al., 1999). The public concern for the welfare of stranded marine mammals, combined with the need to coordinate and maximize the information that can be obtained from these animals, are the forces behind stranding networks. This chapter describes the aims of stranding networks and reviews the history and structure of such networks worldwide.