Announcement of availability of skeletal remains collected from stranded marine mammals within the Gulf of Mexico

During and after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, numerous biological samples were collected from stranded cetaceans found in the northern Gulf of Mexico.  With a court approved settlement for natural resource damages caused by the oil spill now in place, NOAA intends to make samples from this collection available to the scientific community.  The current announcement is only for certain skeletal remains/carcasses (frozen, tissue attached, not cleaned) from cetaceans other than bottlenose dolphins. Future announcements will be made in the late summer/early fall regarding available tissue (non-skeletal) samples.

Organizations interested in obtaining skeletal remains for research or education purposes (per 50 CFR 216.22 and/or 216.37) should complete the attached sample request form and return it by June 10, 2016 to DWHmammalsamples@noaa.gov.  Requests received in a different format or after this date may not be able to be processed. Available skeletal remains are from strandings that occurred from 2010 to 2016 in the Panhandle of Florida or Alabama.  A list of species expected to be available can be found below.  Availability will depend on logistical considerations and operational limitations at the storage facility.

Additional information:

Most carcasses are moderately to severely decomposed and have been completely dissected for examination (at times including destruction of the skull for evaluation of the nervous system).  Skeletal remains can only be distributed to researchers within the United States. Requesters must have or be in the process of applying for authorization to receive marine mammal parts under 50 CFR 216.22 or 216.37 (e.g., parts authorization letter, marine mammal permit, stranding agreement). Requesters would ideally come to Louisiana or Mississippi (location TBD) at the end of July to pick up the requested skeletal remains and/or will be required to provide appropriate shipping boxes and cover all costs for transportation fees.  

Species with skeletal remains/carcasses expected to be available:

Feresa attenuata

Globicephala macrorhynchus

Grampus griseus

Kogia breviceps

Kogia sp.

Mesoplodon densirostris

Peponocephala electra

Stenella attenuata

Stenella clymene

Stenella frontalis

Stenella longirostris

Stenella sp.

Steno bredanensis