Marine mammal stranding

A marine mammal stranding occurs when one or more marine mammals come ashore alive or dead, or become trapped in shallow water and cannot return to the sea unaided.

Cetacean echolocation: The use of reflected sound by whales and dolphins to detect objects and navigate underwater. Sound-based navigation may be disrupted by coastal features or intense noise.
Mass stranding: A stranding involving multiple marine mammals at the same time and place. Large groups of social cetaceans can strand together, requiring coordinated response.
Marine mammal rescue: The organized assessment and aid of marine mammals in distress. Rescue teams assess whether live stranded animals can be safely returned to water.
Mass mortality event: An event in which an unusually large number of animals die in a defined place and period. A mass stranding can become a mass mortality event when many animals die.
Stranding network: An organized system for reporting, investigating, and responding to marine mammal strandings. Networks pool observations needed to distinguish isolated accidents from recurring patterns.
Tidal stranding: A stranding caused when a falling tide leaves an animal on exposed shore or in shallow water. A receding tide can turn temporary access to shallow feeding grounds into a trap.
Beaked whale stranding: A stranding involving a member of the deep-diving whale family Ziphiidae. Beaked whales feature prominently in investigations of associations between naval sonar and strandings.
Cetacean refloating: The process of returning a stranded whale or dolphin to the water. Refloating is a possible intervention when an animal is stable and conditions permit.
Animal welfare: The physical and mental state of an animal in relation to its living conditions and treatment. Stranded animals may suffer dehydration, overheating, pressure injuries, and distress.
Stranding data: Recorded information about the location, species, condition, and circumstances of stranded animals. Incomplete reporting and uneven coverage limit comparisons across places and time.

Linked from 8 pages