Marine wildlife center preparing for what could be arrival of hundreds of oily sea mammals

Miss. center preparing to handle oily mammals

GULFPORT, Miss. — A marine wildlife rehabilitation center in Mississippi is gearing up to take in possibly hundreds of oily sea mammals from Texas to Florida.

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport has surgery, necropsy and exam rooms, walk-in freezers full of frozen fish for food, X-ray and ultrasound machines and plenty of medicine. The nonprofit facility also has eight large pools, which have been cleaned and prepared to handle sea turtles, manatees and dolphins.

Center director Dr. Moby Solangi said Friday the site will be “ground zero” for injured marine mammals.

Solangi said there are roughly up to 5,000 dolphins in the Gulf area between the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts and the oil rig, many giving birth right now.