| Bob
McLaughlin has been an advisor
with SCP since 1999. McLaughlin is the main contact for media interaction and
boat handling duties for SCP. Holding a bachelor’s degree in
Environmental Studies from the
University
of
Washington, McLaughlin also holds a U.S. Coast Guard license for 100 ton, Master
of steam, motor, and sailboats. McLaughlin is also a licensed private pilot,
emergency medical technician - certified open water diver, and a licensed
amateur radio operator. McLaughlin was also district representative to United
States Senator Henry M. Jackson, and has conducted film and documentary
consulting and production for Warner Brothers, the Jean Michael Cousteau
Institute, Fisher Entertainment, Cox Broadcasting, CNN, German Television,
National Geographic, Nature Magazine, the Seattle Times, Paramount Television,
ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX television. |
 |
| Jeff
Foster
has over
30 years of experience with marine mammals. Foster worked as the
Director of Field Operations and Research for Ocean Futures Society and
oversaw Keiko’s rehabilitation in
Oregon
and
Iceland
from 1997-2001. He was the Animal Care Supervisor for the marine mammal
department at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, overseeing the daily
care, training and enrichment program for a wide variety of marine mammals
and seabirds. He has worked extensively with the National Marine Fisheries
Service including as the animal care and capture supervisor for the A73
Project in 2002; The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; the
Alaskan Department of Fish and Game; and numerous other governmental and
private organizations. Jeff supervised the northern sea otter rescue and
rehabilitation immediately following the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.
He has also worked as a head trainer for the Seattle Marine Aquarium, and
a field consultant for Sea World. He has extensive experience in killer
whale rehabilitation, husbandry, training, capture, and transports. |
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| Dr.
Laurie Gage is presently the Large
Cat Specialist and Marine Mammal Advisor for the United States
Department of Agriculture Animal Care Division. She
has served as the Chief Veterinarian at Six
Flags Marine World
(formerly Marine World Africa USA) in
Vallejo
,
California
from 1980 to 2003. Dr. Gage simultaneously was the Director of Veterinary
Services at the
Marine
Mammal
Center
in
Sausalito
,
California
from 1980 through 1994. She was the part-time
veterinarian at the Los Angeles Zoo as well as a veterinary consultant to
the
Coyote
Point
Museum
on the
San Francisco
Peninsula
, Safari West in
Santa Rosa
, and the Oregon Tiger Sanctuary in
Medford
Oregon
. Since 1998, she has been a veterinary consultant for the
Veterinary Information Network; an online veterinary resource service
subscribed to by over 10,000 individuals. From 1993 to 1995 she was a
veterinary consultant to Safari World in
Bangkok
,
Thailand
. She graduated from UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in 1979, and
was a resident in equine surgery at
Washington
State
University
from 1979 to 1980. She is an associate clinical professor and guest
lecturer at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, where she teaches the
marine mammal medicine and husbandry courses, as well as lectures on
carnivore and elephant medicine. She has been involved in several
expeditions to help endangered marine mammals, including assisting with
the now legendary story of Humphrey "the wrong way Whale" in
San Francisco
. She's traveled to
Barnes Lake
,
Alaska
to help 9 trapped whales in a tidal lake and to Hubbard Glacier to assist
with the rescue of several trapped seals. She has published “Hand
Rearing Wild and Domestic Mammals”, has authored, numerous scientific
articles and book chapters, appeared on a variety of TV and radio programs
and interviews, and has been the subject of many newspaper and internet
articles. |
 |
| Matt
Nichols is the current chairman and chief executive of
Nichols Brothers Boat Builders. His company builds boats for fishing,
hauling freight, fire fighting, luxury cruise ships, and passenger ferries
for cars, passengers, and Killer Whales. His company is the largest
employer in
Island
County
in the State of
Washington
. Matt was instrumental in the successful relocation of the orphaned
killer whale Springer over 350 miles from the Seattle area to the north
end of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Matt volunteered the
use of the 160-foot catamaran “Catalina Jet”, her crew, the fuel, and
all the necessary support for the success of this mission. The Springer
rescue would not have been successful without the unselfish participation
of Matt Nichols. Matt maintains contacts with boat builders and operators
throughout the world. Those contacts allow us the access to support
vessels and equipment, just about anywhere around the globe. |
 |
| Dr.
David Bain
is a lead researcher at SRR. He has worked in marine mammal
research and rescue since 1977. He received his Ph.D. in
Biology from the
University
of
California
at
Santa Cruz
, where he studied killer whales at the north end of
Vancouver Island
under the late Ken Norris as a National Science Foundation Graduate
Fellow. His research has been diverse, involving both captive and
wild marine mammals. It has addressed behavior, communication,
population dynamics, genetics, toxicology, social organization,
physiology, ecology, health, and effects of human activities on marine
mammals. |
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