Pulse - December 2024 - 13

A U.S. Navy dolphin wearing his tracking equipment checks in with his Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific trainer Megan
Sereyko-Dunn while patrolling the waters off San Diego, July 10, 2019. The Navy's Marine Mammal Program trains bottlenose dolphins
and California sea lions to detect, locate, mark and recover objects in harbors, coastal areas, and at depth in the open sea. (U.S. Navy
Photo by Alan Antczak)
when compared with domestic terrestrial animals because of
the need for the animals to be returned to the water, " Dr. Jenson
reports. " But Navy dolphins and sea lions are mammals,
so most health challenges, diagnostic tools, and treatment
methods are similar for our patients and those seen in a community
veterinary practice. There are notable differences in
the biology, anatomy, and physiology of marine mammals that
change how we perform veterinary medicine. There are special
considerations for handling, equipment, treatments, and
monitoring due to the marine world in which they live "
Since 1962, the animal trainers and veterinary staff of
the Navy Marine Mammal Program have been helping to
pioneer and grow healthcare knowledge and techniques for
marine mammals. " Marine mammal husbandry behaviors,
or trained behaviors that help facilitate unrestrained animal
care, got their start with our program with the first voluntary
blood sample from a bottlenose dolphin in the late 1960s, " Dr.
Jenson notes. " Since then, there have been countless contributions
in the fields of marine mammal husbandry, physiology,
audiology, anesthesia, radiology, internal medicine, critical
care, infectious and metabolic diseases, nutrition, cardio-pulmonary,
and immunology made by the MMP. "
Much of that work has been shared at global conferences or
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DECEMBER 2024
published in peer-reviewed literature. According to Dr. Jensen,
the Navy's marine mammals have generated more than 1,200
scientific publications in the open scientific literature on their
health, physiology, sensory systems, and behavior. " Teaming
with trained animals in the open sea has allowed Navy and
visiting scientists to learn many things about marine mammals
that we would not know otherwise, " Dr. Jensen notes.
Dr. Jensen says he finds two areas of his work especially
rewarding: the relationship between the training and veterinary
staff and the animals, and contributing to the science of
marine mammal care.
" For some of us, our relationship with the animals spans
decades and allows us to really get to know the dolphins and
sea lions, " Dr. Jenson explains. " This leads to our ability to
practice what is known as precision medicine-healthcare
that is incredibly focused on the individual patient. That type
of medicine covers everything from nutrition and exercise to
advanced diagnostics and treatment tailored to the dolphins
and sea lions through all stages of their lives. " P
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Pulse - December 2024

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