Oceans and Human Health Training Grant
Training Tomorrow’s Ecosystem and Public Health Leaders using Marine Mammals as Sentinels of Oceanic Change
Marine mammals have proven to be effective and highly sensitive indicators of declining ocean health and looming human health concerns. Our continued reliance on the ocean ecosystems for sustenance and recreation requires that careful attention be paid to early warnings suggested by marine animal sentinels. Providing excellent training for the next generation of environmental science leaders and researchers is the only way to ensure new discoveries, new diagnostic technology, and integration of the vast amount of new information possible through intensive monitoring of ocean health. There are currently three students and three postdocs supported by the OHH training grant. Their mentors can be found here.
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS
The consortium consists of the West Coast Center for Oceans and Human Health based at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington; the NOAA Center of Excellence in Oceans and Human Health based at Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina; The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California; and the Wildlife Health Center in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis.
The Marine Mammal Center is a privately run NGO committed to research into marine mammal health as an indicator of oceans and human health. The Center functions as a teaching hospital for seals and sea lions, and handles the largest number of stranded marine mammals in the world, diagnosing diseases in 500-1000 seals and sea lions per year.
The UC Davis Wildlife Health Center is a center of excellence within the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), dedicated to balancing the needs of people, wildlife, and the environment. The Wildlife Health Center is the nation’s only comprehensive, university-based veterinary program dedicated to conservation of healthy wildlife and ecosystems.
The Northwest Fisheries Science Centerhas strong and productive research programs with proven track records in the fields of microbiology and infectious disease, molecular biology and genomics, immunology, ecotoxicology, neurotoxicology, developmental biology, harmful algae and marine biotoxins, genetics, physiology, and marine culture systems. NWFSC has more than 300 scientists and staff with extensive experience studying ocean issues, approximately sixty of whom specifically investigate ocean and human health issues.
Other training partners:
Hollings Marine Laboratory
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
University of South Florida, College of Marine Science
Mentors & Students
Oceans and Human Health Trainees: Mentors
Oceans and Human Health Training: Students
Funding
Funding is provided by the Oceans and Human Health.
Publications by OHH Trainees
Montie, Eric et al.: Magnetic resonance imaging quality and volumes of brain structures from live and postmortem imaging of California sea lions with clinical
signs of domoic acid toxicosis
