About Rehabilitation

The ASLC Rescue and Rehabilitation Program is an important part of the Center's commitment to understand and maintain the integrity of the marine ecosystem of Alaska through research, rehabilitation and public education. Through this program, the center rescues, treats, and releases stranded animals. It is the policy of the Alaska SeaLife Center to make every reasonable effort to rehabilitate and release as many rescued animals as possible. The main objective of the Rehabilitation Program is to return healthy rehabilitated animals back to their natural habitat.

The Alaska SeaLife Center is the only permanent stranding facility for marine mammals in Alaska. Operating as a designated marine mammal "stranding center" within a marine research facility allows veterinarians and staff to learn a great deal about these animals during the rehabilitation process.

Rescued and rehabilitated animals provide ASLC with insight to their biology and physiology. This information adds to the pool of knowledge necessary to conserve threatened and endangered species. This program also assists with monitoring the status of wild populations through scientific study of ill or orphaned marine mammals and birds. Through communication and education programs, we increase public knowledge of the marine environment and public awareness of its importance to our ecosystem.

The ASLC Rescue and Rehabilitation Program is authorized by NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) and USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) to respond to marine mammal and bird strandings from the entire gulf coast of Alaska. The program includes a veterinary staff, interns, and volunteers trained to respond and care for marine mammals and birds.

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