California Marine Mammal Response Network
by Justin Viesbicke, California Stranding Network Coordinator
National Marine Fisheries Service
Justin Viezbicke is the California Stranding Network Coordinator for National Marine Fisheries Service Protected Resources Division in Long Beach. Justin will discuss his role in both the California Marine Mammal Response Network and the Large Whale Entanglement Response program.
The presentation will take a look at how the stranding network responds to animals in need of assistance and what causes a majority of these animals to strand. Justin will also talk about how the trained teams attempt to free large whales from life threatening entanglements each year off the California coast. The presentation will cover why and how this group of volunteers, non-profits and government agencies is able to safely document and removed entangling gear from whales without getting in the water. Justin recently moved to California from Hawaii where he was the Hawaii Island Coordinator for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary since 2004. In his current position Justin is responsible for coordinating marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation with network partners, volunteers and other government agencies. Justin likes to spend his free time with his wife and two kids in the great outdoors on some form of a board (surf/snow/skate).
The talk is free and open to the public, held at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive in San Pedro.
Meet the speaker for a relaxed, no-host dinner at Puesta del Sol (1622 S. Gaffey, San Pedro). Dinner is from 6pm to 7pm.
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