Blood sampling is an important part of monitoring the health of seals
and sea lions at the New England Aquarium, but how do you find a blood vessel
under all of that fur? The seals and sea lions recognize the marine mammal
staff, and they spend hours eating, playing, observing, and interacting each
day. This familiarity plays a role in the animals’ willingness to cooperate
during blood sampling and other diagnostics. In an effort to gain a fuller
understanding, Jenny Montague, assistant curator of marine mammals, applied for
the 2013 John H. Cunningham Award, a professional development program for
Aquarium staff to further their knowledge in a particular area. She has known
several of the seals in the collection since they were newborns but needed
training to locate and draw from a large blood vessel under the fur and
blubber. Her award funded a trip to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito,
Calif., and the experience of a lifetime.
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