Since 1975, Mystic Aquarium’s Animal Rescue Program (ARP) has been rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing sick, injured and stranded marine animals along 1,000 miles of the Northeastern coastline throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island and Fishers Island, New York. As a founding member of the Greater Atlantic Region Stranding Network, the ARP also learns more about why these stranded animals came to shore. Working closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, which is the ARP’s permitting office, and other government agencies, the Animal Rescue Team responds to an average of 150 hotline calls each year while also providing support to other stranding facilities in New England and even as far as California and Bermuda!
You can volunteer for the Animal Rescue Program by becoming a first responder. In this role, you would be dispatched to various types of marine mammal and sea turtle responses that may include the following: live animal monitoring, data collection, and public outreach. There is no specific time commitment or schedule requirement for this role. Mystic Aquarium accepts applications for this volunteer position in late summer/early fall. If you would like to be notified when the applications become available or if you would like more information about the program, please email volunteer@mysticaquarium.org.
All marine mammals (dead or alive) are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. This prohibits the hunting, harassing, capturing or killing of any marine mammal.