COVID-19 holds the world in a tight grip, with repercussions not only on our economy and social life but also on science. Forensic staff and marine mammal response teams are forced to shut down their labs, work from home and with their own equipment – equipment which includes safety gear that is difficult to come by these days.
A young bottlenose dolphin was washed up on Kiawah Island beach, South California, over the weekend. After unsuccessful attempts to refloat it, field workers of the Lowcountry Marine Mammal Network had to call a veterinarian to euthanize the weak animal. The team could do little more than take basic measurements and make sure the animals gets buried, “using their own shovels”. An investigation into what caused the animal to get stranded will not be possible under current circumstances.
The restricted workflow might lead to a huge gap in data, “which is more important than people might think”. In 2020 alone, more than a dozen individuals of different species have already been washed ashore on South Carolina’s beaches. Underlying reasons are varied, but a threat the team is currently most worried about is a possible outbreak of disease or water contamination that might cause marine mammals to die off. Though there are no implications for any such worry right now, they would not be able to discover it and take necessary countermeasures. With the lack of safety gear right now, the team would also not be able to protect themselves accordingly.
Especially problematic would be the stranding of a big whale or even a mass stranding. Beside the huge forensic loss associated with the lack of investigation ability, “social distancing guidelines would limit how quickly and how many people could respond”. With precautions as to not jeopardize the helpers’ wellbeing – related to the virus itself and possible disease spread by the animal – the response would have to be very slow, mostly focused on burying the animals as best as possible.
The teams hope for the best but assume that there are “going to be more dead animals left on the beach for longer”. Passerbys should keep their distance from the animal and each other as to not put themselves or others in danger, and contact the local stranding response team who will do whatever is in their power in the face of such a difficult situation.
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