The purpose of the trip was to gain an understanding of the SeaLife Center’s capabilities and capacity to engage in certain wildlife related activities during an oil spill response in Alaska. The SeaLife Center staff have been training their staff and acquiring equipment in preparation for potential oil spill response in remote areas of the State, focusing on addressing oiled marine mammals, primarily seals, sea lions, sea otters, walrus and cetaceans. During the SeaLife Center tour, the Coast Guard staff was afforded an opportunity to view the Center’s work with various marine mammals and some of the equipment that the SeaLife Center is designing and building for remote oiled wildlife response.

Other agencies on the tour included Alaska Departments of Environmental Conservation and Fish and Game, Department of Interior Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

For further information, contact Catherine.Berg@noaa.gov.

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