Our completion of the new care facility was just in time for the Marine Mammal Center to begin treating sick animals suffering from an illness that is currently spreading along the coast.
The Marine Mammal Center has multiple facilities along the California Pacific shoreline and in Hawaii, and treats nearly 2000 mammals each year. The newly opened location is near Monterey Bay, and provides care for animals rescued along the coast from San Francisco towards its facility in the San Luis Obispo region. The Center works with a wide range of mammals including whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, and otters. With their skilled staff and a crew of volunteers capture animals in distress and if appropriate, they are brought to a facility for care.
Currently there is a an outbreak of leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that causes severe kidney damage and it can be fatal. This outbreak is thought to be the second largest on record and is affecting sea lions along the coast.
The Marine Mammal Center has multiple facilities along the California Pacific shoreline and in Hawaii, and treats nearly 2000 mammals each year. The newly opened location is near Monterey Bay, and provides care for mammals rescued in the Monterey and Santa Cruz region. The Center works with a wide range of mammals including whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, and otters. With their skilled staff and a crew of volunteers capture animals in distress and if appropriate, they are brought to a facility for care.
Currently there is an outbreak of leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that causes severe kidney damage and it can be fatal. This outbreak is thought to be the second largest on record and is affecting sea lions along the coast.
Building A “Hospital” For Large Marine Mammals
The new location will make for a great care facility. It will strengthen The Marine Mammal Center’s capacity to care for sick and injured marine mammals, while also serving as a hub for regional rescues.
Adaptive Re-use of an existing warehouse was coordinated by Josehart Construction Management and was designed by EHDD architects of San Francisco. Meylan Construction was selected to build the outdoor facility and a “fresh-fish kitchen” food prep area inside of an existing structure on the property.
The patient side of the facility is an open air slab of pens designed specifically for the care of large marine mammals. To provide adequate drainage, the civil engineering company Sandis designed and oversaw a new sewer system to service the new location and designed new drainage that is connected to the municipal sanitary system. This ensures that all waste was properly handled, preventing any negative biological impact on the local grounds. The shade structure over the new pen area was donated by a local business.
An existing building on the property acts as an office, and Meylan Construction built out a kitchen area where the staff can prepare meals mainly comprised of raw fish for the rehabilitating animals. Often they arrive dehydrated or undernourished. They are re-hydrated, and are fed raw fish, usually herring, equal to a tenth of their body weight until they recover.
Visit The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito
Did you know that you can visit The Marine Mammal Center’s headquarters in Sausalito, CA? Here is a link to schedule a visit and to meet the current patients getting care.
Below is a photo of recent patients who were nursed back to health and released by the Center.
About Meylan Construction
Meylan Construction has a portfolio of projects that includes animal care facilities and vivarium laboratories for organizations like UCSF, The Buck Institute, Bio Marin, and Google’s Life Science Division, Calico, Marin Humane Society, Veterinarians and boarding and “doggie day care” centers.
Meylan is a Commercial Contractor building new and reimagined Capital and Tenant Improvements in the North Bay. We specialize in tackling unusual construction situations, and those requiring specialized expertise. From creating new spaces for the arts, to warehouse size cooling facilities, we are your resource for building what you need to grow your business.