Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory
The Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory (MMPL) is a field
laboratory of the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI)
located on the campus of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The MMPL is a dedicated member of the Manatee Salvage Program and
responds to reports from the FWC Law Enforcement and the public
concerning dead manatees in the waters of the northwestern sector
of Florida.
The majority of recovered manatee carcasses are transported to
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC),
Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory (MMPL) for necropsy.
In this small space, FWC-FWRI biologists perform cutting-edge
science that receives national and even international
recognition.
For a process known as histology, MMPL biologists collect
numerous tissue samples during necropsies of fresh carcasses.
Histology is a useful tool for identifying pathologies and
diagnosing causes of death.
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