Festival Year: 2022

Dr. Sarah Sharp

Roles: Special Guest

Dr. Sharp is the Animal Rescue Veterinarian for IFAW’s Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Program. Dr. Sharp leads IFAW’s efforts to document the causes of death for all marine mammals on and around Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, including endangered North Atlantic right whales. Sharp was the lead author on the 2019 paper that summarized right whale mortalities occurring over a 16 year period, “Gross and histopathologic diagnoses from North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis mortalities between 2003 and 2018.” This paper has been pivotal in providing essential data to government managers and in right whale conservation court proceedings. Sharp also leads IFAW’s large whale medical intervention program, which provides treatment and facilitates disentanglement through sedation for injured free-swimming whales at sea. Dr. Sharp also provides medical care to stranded dolphins, whales and seals to improve their health and welfare as well as their chance of survival after release back to the wild.

Dr. Sharp graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree from Stanford University, worked as the Stranding Coordinator for IFAW’s Marine Mammal Rescue and Research Program, and then received her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Sharp has dedicated her twenty year career to rescuing stranded marine mammals and researching the causes of death for those that don’t survive.

 

Festival Year: 2022