Alaska SeaLife Center and International Bird Rescue Team Up for Spill Responses
ALASKA SEALIFE CENTER
The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) and International Bird Rescue (IBR) finalized a mutual services agreement to train, prepare, and respond together to wildlife affected by oil spills.
Just In Case
ASLC and IBR have a common mission of helping animals in need, so after two years of strategizing, both organizations are forming an official partnership to strengthen oil spill response.
“This union is critical because we will expand our response capabilities exponentially. We can do more for animals working together than working independently,” explains ASLC Chief Operating Officer Chip Arnold.
The organizations boast a combined seventy-plus years of knowledge in wildlife response. ASLC has more than twenty years of experience rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals throughout Alaska. Additionally, ASLC created mobile response conex units in 2016 to deploy in the event of a spill. These units provide the ability to bring a condensed version of the center directly to affected zones. IBR has more than fifty years of experience and expertise in managing wildlife programs in oil spills, predominantly caring for marine species of birds impacted by spills.
“As International Bird Rescue reflects on our half-century of successful wildlife emergency response, including the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, we deeply appreciate that partnerships are and will always be key to successful projects. We are excited to be able to bring the resources and talents of both organizations to provide the best possible care for Alaskan wildlife in crisis,” says IBR Chief Executive Officer JD Bergeron.
Since 1971, International Bird Rescue has provided oiled wildlife collection, rehabilitation, and documentation services on an assured basis for companies that transport or hold petroleum products. They research best practices at crisis response hospitals in California and Alaska and share them worldwide.
The Alaska SeaLife Center, opened in Seward in 1998, operates as a 501(c)(3), nonprofit research institution and a public aquarium. The center generates and shares scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. The ASLC is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Making History
The track of oil and gas development in Alaska shows the footprints of bold companies and hard-working individuals who shaped the industry in the past and continue to innovate today. The May 2024 issue of Alaska Business explores that history while looking forward to new product development, the energy transition for the fishing fleet, and the ethics of AI tools in business.