Mission Statement

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (“IMMS”) is a non-profit organization established in 1984 for the purposes of education, conservation, and research on marine mammals in the wild and under human care. It is located in Gulfport, Mississippi and has been an active participant of the National Stranding Network since its inception. Through its affiliation with Marine Life Oceanarium, the Institute is the only organization in the Mississippi-Louisiana-Alabama subregion of the Gulf Coast with the capability and expertise to care for sick and injured marine mammals while simultaneously incorporating programs for conservation, education and research of marine mammals and their environment.

IMMS serves as a liaison between public and private entities interested in marine mammal science. IMMS has provided funding and facilities to graduate students in order to conduct their research and has developed and supervised an ongoing marine mammal veterinary preceptorship program held at Marine Life Oceanarium for final year veterinary students. Subjects of research at IMMS cover a broad range of scientific disciplines including population dynamics, underwater acoustics, health, genetics, microbiology, endocrinology, behavior, biomagnetism and ecology. The Institute has conducted studies in cooperation with scientists from the University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi State University, Oklahoma State University, Portland State University, University of Miami, University of California, Berkeley, National Marine Fisheries Service, Naval Ocean Systems Center, Naval Research laboratory, and Louisiana State University. Currently there are many different studies in progress involving several of these entities.

All of our conservation, research, and rehabilitation efforts here at IMMS require significant resources.  Your generous donations will greatly help with the endless needs that arise in tending to sick and injured marine animals and in conducting research.