Online Class: Marine Life Rescue 101

no certificate
with CEU Certificate*
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12Lessons
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15Exams &
Assignments -
7Hours
average time -
0.7CEUs
Course Description
Guardians of the Shore: Empowerment Through Marine Rescue Knowledge
Imagine you're strolling along the coast, the rhythm of waves crashing beside you, when you suddenly spot a dolphin, wounded and stranded in the shallows. As humanity encroaches upon coastal habitats, such encounters with distressed marine animals are becoming increasingly frequent. While the innate human instinct is to rush to aid these creatures, uninformed interventions might inadvertently exacerbate the situation.
"Marine Life Rescue" is meticulously crafted for those with a profound love for marine life and an eagerness to aid in marine wildlife rescue. While local stranding networks offer specialized training, this course lays the groundwork, giving you a deep dive into the fundamentals of marine animal physiology and preliminary rescue methods.
In any emergency, the golden rule remains: Seek expert assistance. Our curriculum is tailored to ensure you're not just a bystander but an informed and effective first responder.
Dive into this course, and you'll:
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Spot the Signs: Distinguish between a marine animal enjoying its natural habitat and one in genuine distress.
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Become the Eyes and Ears: Effectively relay critical information to professional rescue teams, making their intervention swifter and more successful.
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Delve into the Deep: Understand why marine animals strand and their remarkable adaptability to their oceanic homes.
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Seasonal Insights: Grasp the patterns of stranding across different seasons and regions.
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Be the First Responder: Gain knowledge on immediate and appropriate actions when confronted with a stranded marine creature.
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Connect with the Experts: Equip yourself with the essential contacts for rapid professional assistance.
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Legal Framework: Navigate the laws and regulations that guide and govern marine animal care.
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Behind the Scenes: Get a comprehensive view of the procedures and protocols adopted by marine rescue squads.
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Haven of Healing: Discover the pivotal role of marine rehabilitation centers in nursing injured marine animals back to health.
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Rehabilitation Realities: Explore the intricate considerations surrounding the care, recovery, and release of rescued marine animals.
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Oceanic Stewardship: Chart a personal blueprint to minimize your ecological footprint, thus preserving our shared marine ecosystem.
Join us in this course and embark on a transformative journey from casual beachgoer to a well-informed marine life protector. Your understanding and intervention can make a wave of difference!
Course Motivation
Marine animals live in the open sea. For some marine animals, like seals and sea lions, it is perfectly normal to come ashore. The animals may be tired from a long migration, or they may want to relax in the sun for a short time. In other cases, they might be sick, injured, or disoriented. Marine animals like sea turtles rarely come ashore, and if you see one lingering on land, there is a good chance the animal is ill. Whales and dolphins should never be ashore, seeing one of these animals out of the ocean is a serious emergency and requires immediate action by trained professionals.
Why animals strandThere are many reasons marine animals can end up on the beach, away from their natural environment. The most common issues are environmental or health-related, but there many unexplained strandings.
The outgoing tide can take an animal by surprise, suddenly leaving them in too little water to swim properly. During each month's new moon, tides are especially pronounced, and can move faster than normal.
The environment can sometimes make animals sick. Domoic acid, or DA, is an environmental toxin. Algae produce small amounts of DA. During an algae bloom, or "red tide," which can occasionally occur after very rainy weather, water runoff from land flushes too many nutrients (like excess lawn fertilizer) into the ocean. Just like your lawn algae flourishes on the nutrients, and the tiny organisms multiply and grow. The fish that eat algae can have a great feast, but at a cost; DA in the algae builds up in the fishes' blood. When larger animals like seals and sea lions eat sardines and shellfish that have excessive amounts of DA, these higher vertebrates can become sick. The DA poisoning attacks the brain and can cause marine mammals to have seizures, become lethargic, and disoriented. These confused animals can wander ashore, uncertain of how to get back. The DA-poisoned animals are particularly dangerous because of their altered mental states.
Some scientists think that military sonar pinging damages the brains of whales and dolphins. The sound waves are at a specific frequency that can reverberate inside the animal's skull, causing severe damage that makes it difficult for the animal to navigate.
There is also a theory that marine animals use the Earth's magnetic field as a navigational tool, and when the field suddenly changes, animals get confused and run into shallow water and dead ends. Underwater seismic activity (earthquakes) may also scare animals out of their normal territory, causing them to get lost in new areas.
Unlike seals, healthy sea turtles rarely come ashore. Turtles are not able to regulate their body temperature as well as mammals. They need to live within a narrow range of temperatures, not too hot and not too cold. These animals can ride the Gulf Stream north from the Caribbean and find themselves in cooler climates in the fall. A sudden cold snap can catch the turtles off guard, leaving them "cold-stunned," unable to hunt, navigate, or return to warmer water. It is almost like being in a coma.
Health, illness, and injury
Marine wildlife sometimes suffers from getting too close to humans. Dolphins, for example, are born to be hunters, but people like to throw food to the animals from boats. The dolphins like the free treats, so over time, they lose a little of their natural fear of humans and start seeking out boats and ships in search of a free meal. Many bad outcomes can happen as a result; dolphins can get too close to engine propellers, causing serious cuts and trauma. Boats can strike a dolphin, whale, or other marine animal, causing serious injury or death. If the vessel is a fishing boat, the animals can be tangled up in fishing nets, or injured by fishhooks. Even though they are not the intended catch, dolphins can end up injured or dead when they get too close to fishermen.
Unfortunately, the occasional human has decided to fire a gun at the animals, causing life threatening injuries.
How to spot a stranded animal
Not all animals on the beach are in distress. It is normal for seals and sea lions to come ashore to rest. Some types of seals can spend several days ashore without any problems. If you approach a healthy animal in an attempt to "save" it, the animal could get so scared that it hurts itself in an effort to get away. For example, if it is poised on top of an outcropping of rocks, and you try to get too close, it could leap without looking and get severely banged up in the process. Healthy wild animals are always better off left alone. If the animal is tired, trying to catch it and return it to the water can just make its exhaustion worse. Unnecessary interaction with humans can cause undue stress or make the animal too comfortable around people, which is not always a good thing.
Animals swimming or moving around on the beach, eating, or playing with one another are probably healthy. Even sick animals will try to hide their signs of distress; because as wild animal being the weak one makes you a target for predators. As an observer, you can watch the animal for several minutes and make notes about the animal's behavior in case you do need to call for help.
Signs of distress
- Excessive thinness. If you can see the animal's ribs, or if he appears to have loose, flappyskin that seems too big for its body, the animal is probably malnourished.
- Respiratory issues. Just like a person, if an animal is coughing, wheezing, or having difficulty breathing; it is a sign of trouble. An animal with visible mucus draining from its nose or eyes is probably sick.
- Listlessness. An animal that is lying very still could just be sleeping. It could be exhausted from weathering a rough storm at sea. However, if it has other symptoms like excessive thinness, wheezing, or disorientation, the animal is probably sick.
- Aggression. Consider how you feel when you are sick. If you are tired, hungry, have a really bad headache, stomach ache, and generally feel poorly, you would not take kindly to strangers coming into your bedroom repeatedly, prodding you, and asking if you are okay. You might snap at the strangers who came to help you. In the same way, wounded animals can be cranky.
- Poor posture. A seal on its belly propped up on its flippers and looking around is probably fine, but a seal or sea lion flat on its side or its back is probably sick.
- Completely Online
- Self-Paced
- Printable Lessons
- Full HD Video
- 6 Months to Complete
- 24/7 Availability
- Start Anytime
- PC & Mac Compatible
- Android & iOS Friendly
- Accredited CEUs

Course Lessons
Lesson 1. Introduction
Lesson 1 Video
Lesson discussions: Stranded Animals; Reasons for Taking this Course
Complete Assignment: An Introduction
Assessment: Lesson 1 Exam
Lesson 2. Biology
Lesson 2 Video
Assessment: Lesson 2 Exam
Lesson 3. When Do Animals Strand?
Lesson 3 Video
Assessment: Lesson 3 Exam
Lesson 4. Effects on the Animal of Coming Ashore
Lesson 4 Video
Assessment: Lesson 4 Exam
Lesson 5. What to do When you Spot a Stranded Animal
Lesson 5 Video
Complete: Lesson 5 Assignment
Assessment: Lesson 5 Exam
Lesson 6. Stranding Networks
Lesson 6 Video
Lesson discussions: Stranding Networks
Assessment: Lesson 6 Exam
Lesson 7. Basic Rescue: Birds
Lesson 7 Video
Assessment: Lesson 7 Exam
Lesson 8. Basic Rescue: Mammals
Lesson 8 Video
Assessment: Lesson 8 Exam
Lesson 9. Deceased Animal: First Responders
Lesson 9 Video
Assessment: Lesson 9 Exam
Lesson 10. Rehabilitation Process
Lesson 10 Video
Lesson discussions: Rehabilitation
Assessment: Lesson 10 Exam
Lesson 11. Release Criteria
Lesson 11 Video
Assessment: Lesson 11 Exam
Lesson 12. Prevention
Lesson 12 Video
Lesson discussions: What is your opinion of this course?; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course); Course Comments
Assessment: Lesson 12 Exam
Assessment: The Final Exam
Learning Outcomes
- Describe biology needed for marine life rescue.
- Identify when do animals strand.
- Summarize the effects on the animal of coming ashore.
- Describe what to do when you spot a stranded animal.
- Summarize what a basic rescue entails.
- Describe what to do when there's a deceased animal.
- Describe rehabilitation process.
- Describe release criteria.
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information

- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

Choose Your Subscription Plan
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Time to complete | 6 months |
No. of courses | 1 course |
Certificate & CEUs
This course only
Includes certificate |
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Includes CEUs |
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Self-paced |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 6 months |
No. of courses | 1 course |
Certificates & CEUs
Includes all 600+ courses
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Includes CEUs |
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Self-paced |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 12 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Certificates & CEUs
Includes all 600+ courses
Includes certificate |
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Includes CEUs |
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Self-paced |
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Instructor support |
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Time to complete | 24 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Student Testimonials
- "It was a fun course to take!" -- Abby H.
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