Cupid,
Tursiops truncatus, February 14, 2003
About TMMSN
The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, founded
in 1980, is a nonprofit volunteer-based organization dedicated to
the understanding and conservation of marine mammals.
The
Network rescues and rehabilitates marine mammals that strand along
the
Texas
Coast,
providing food, medical treatment and 24-hour-a-day observation.
Costs for this care can reach an average of $400 a day.
TMMSN
has developed a worldwide reputation for its ability to rescue, care
for and release live-stranded marine mammals. The program is used as
a model for developing networks in other countries.
TMMSN
also provides valuable data for education and research. The data
collected by the Network, from the live animals and those found
dead, provides insight into the basic biology, causes of illness and
death, feeding and migration habits of the marine mammals.
Network volunteers in six regions along the coast respond
immediately when a stranding is reported.