The Marine Mammal Physiology Project at Long Marine Laboratory has been home to a variety of animal species over the years. Many of the Marine Mammal Physiology Project animal residents were not successful living in the ocean and some were even slotted for euthanasia by the federal government. As an alternative, the Marine Mammal Physiology Project offered these animals a second chance and a new home where they became part of a team to investigate what these animal populations need for conservation in the wild. All successful conservation efforts, marine and terrestrial, are based on sound science. The animal residents of the Marine Mammal Physiology Project are essentially animal ambassadors for their species and work cooperatively with scientists and the youthful energy of college students to help conserve species around the world.


In addition to our marine mammal family, we also are home to several exotic birds. The exotic birds are part of the animal care and training volunteer program that we offer to undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz. Our birds work with our animal behaviorists to teach them about animal care  and various behavior conditioning techniques.


Beyond our current animal family, the Marine Mammal Physiology Project has been home to numerous other species as well. These animals have also contributed greatly to our knowledge of their species and how to design the most effective conservation efforts


Previous Resident Species:


California sea lions

Steller sea lions

Northern fur seals

Guadalupe fur seals

(Zalophus californianus)

(Eumentopias jubatus)

(Callorhinus ursinus)

(Arctocephalus townsendi)




 

Animal Ambassadors

Atlantic bottlenose dolphin

(Tursiops truncatus)

We are extremely fortunate to have many great sponsors on our sponsorship team. Donations provided by individuals and various companies support the fresh dietary requirements of all our exotic birds, as well as support other food necessities for our entire animal family. To find out more on how you can become involved, please visit our DONATE page and join our team.


Southern sea otter

(Enhydra lutris nereis)

Hawaiian monk seal

(Neomonachus schauinslandi)

Umbrella Cockatoo

(Cacatua alba)

Sulfur-Crested Cockatoo

(Cacatua galerita eleonora)

Moluccan Cockatoo

(Cacatua molunccensis)

Current Resident Species: