Whales of the World
The Summer Reading Program continues on Monday, August 8th with a presentation by Marine Mammals of Maine at 5:30pm in Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library. This free public event is aimed towards adults but is open to all ages if interested.
Whales play a vital role in the ocean ecosystem that helps to support all life on Earth. Marine Mammals of Maine (MMoME) will give a presentation of the various types of whales present in the world and the struggles they face in everyday life and during a stranding. It will start with a basic overview of what species have been spotted in the Gulf of Maine, common and uncommon, and investigate the adaptations that these large mammals have in order to survive in their ocean home. This program will also focus on cetacean stranding response here in Maine, and highlight a few of MMoME’s most fascinating cases. Participants can also expect to learn about the challenges these animals face and the difficulties encountered by the rescue team of MMoME when a report of a stranded cetacean comes through their hotline.
Marine Mammals of Maine is a fast growing non-profit organization dedicated to marine mammal and sea turtle response, rescue, care, research and education. With two staff and a dedicated volunteer team, MMoME provides expert stranding response across roughly 2,500 miles of Maine’s coastline (including islands), covering the geographic area of Kittery to Rockland. Annually, MMoME responds to nearly 300 live and dead marine mammals and sea turtles, making it one of the busiest seal stranding areas on the east coast. It operates a 24/7 marine mammal and sea turtle reporting hotline. Through this hotline, anyone can report a stranded seal, whale, dolphin, porpoise or sea turtle to an experienced, dedicated and compassionate team ready to respond. MMoME operates a unique triage and rehabilitation center for seals. MMoME’s work also heavily encompasses important research to learn about marine mammals, their habitats, and human impacts on their populations.
Admission is free to all Library events and reservation is only required for Zoom; register here to attend the Zoom webinar. The program will also be livestreamed on Facebook.
More information on this program is available by contacting the Lewiston Public Library at 513-3135 or LPLReference@lewistonmaine.gov.
