restoration and rehabilitation
MARINE STRANDING NETWORK
The Ocean Watch network in Goa is a collaborative public-private partnership established in 2017 by Terra Conscious, Goa State Forest Department and Drishti Marine Services. The network has trained lifeguards along the coast to handle stranded sea turtles and cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises and whales), and collect stranding data. It continues to function as a robust network of concerned citizens working together to protect Goa’s marine wildlife. In its first five years, the network recorded 400 stranding cases.
In 2021, our team joined the network incorporating a veterinary component to address the injuries and diseases affecting stranded animals. We support the network conducting necropsies, collecting samples, and creating a protocol for the treatment of stranded marine megafauna. From the period of March 2021 to March 2026, our team has conducted 552 post-mortems and gut analyses on turtles, dolphins and pelagic birds and handled 534 cases of live strandings across the state.
This network is particularly active during the monsoon season, when the highest number of strandings are reported. Many live sea turtles are found with severe injuries such as cut or severed flippers, likely caused by ghost nets and fishing gears. Some stranded turtles are still entangled in nets when rescued, while others show signs of weakness caused by parasitic infections.
The network has also documented concerning cases of dolphins with bundled fishing nets inside their stomachs, which can lead to starvation and death over time. Each stranding case provides valuable insight into the growing human impacts on marine life and contributes to a long-term understanding of ocean health, threats, and conservation needs.
We are an Indian Not For Profit, established in1993 as a Public Charitable Trust, committed to the conservation of marine & coastal biodiversity.