ABOUT US
The Marine Animal Response Society (MARS) has been an integral part of the Canadian marine conservation community for 20 years.
MARS is dedicated to marine animal conservation through response, research and engagement.
All around the world, dolphins, whales, seals and other marine animals are threatened by human activities. Entanglement, vessel strikes, ocean noise, chemical pollution and marine debris are among the many hazards that can result in serious injury – and sometimes even death. With close to 25% of marine mammals threatened with extinction, we urgently need to find ways to reduce the impacts human activities are having on life in our oceans.
Driven by a small team of deeply-committed staff and hundreds of passionate volunteers, MARS strives to make positive conservation impacts and inspire people to become stewards of our oceans.
MARS IN ACTION
FRONTLINE SOLUTIONS FOR MARITIME COMMUNITIES
MARS operates a toll-free hotline (1-866-567-6277) that offers communities immediate access to expert advice on stranded, dead or distressed marine animals. Legally authorized by the Government of Canada to respond to these incidents, we are the primary point of contact for reports of incidents involving marine mammals and often the first experts on the scene.
EXPANDING OUR CONSERVATION IMPACT
We collaborate with organizations to improve response, obtain expert equipment and training, develop protocols, and implement better safety standards. In Canada, we helped start the regional Maritime Marine Animal Response Network and the national Canadian Marine Animal Response Alliance. Internationally, MARS is an active member of leading conservation advisory groups devoted to response and data collection as well as understanding and mitigating threats to marine animals. These include the Right Whale Consortium, the International Whaling Commission and the world’s largest group of marine mammal biologists, the Society for Marine Mammalogy.