Many children say they want to be a veterinarian when they grow up.
Some say they want to become a marine biologist.
But how many people can say that they live BOTH dream careers?
Not many.
My guest today is Dr. Cara Field. Cara is one of only 30 veterinarians in the United States with a specialty in aquatic marine medicine, and the Medical Director at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito California, the world’s largest marine mammal hospital and education center.
Join us as she tells the tale of her career from her undergraduate work studying elephant seals to responding to the BP oil spill, becoming the lead veterinarian at the Georgia Aquarium (one of the largest aquariums in the world!), and finally coming back home to California and the Marine Mammal Center.
You’ll also learn:
- How the team at the Marine Mammal Center monitors 600+ miles of California coastline
- Just how amazing divers elephant seals are (I had no idea!)
- What the Seal Apocalypse of 2015 is
- How to become a marine mammal vet
Connect with Cara: website
Quick Links
Bodega Bay Lab
UC Davis
Marine Mammal Center
Elephant Seals
Beaked Whales
UC Santa Cruz
Pinnipeds
Cetaceans
Mystic Aquarium
Brucella
Audubon Zoo
Deepwater Horizon Spill
Morbillivirus
Georgia Aquarium
Sand Tiger Shark
African Penguins
ENSO
Domoic Acid
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
Show Notes
3:50 After finishing undergrad, Cara Field took a break from school, even though she knew she wanted to go to veterinary school.
6:30 studying elephant seals’ blood platelets, and figuring out how to create a physiology study from scratch, including how to get blood samples from elephant seals.
11:25 Leaving the west coast and doing small animal veterinary before working at Mystic Aquarium studying brucella in marine mammals.
20:40 Cara Field shares her experience as the stranding coordinator for endangered animals in New Orleans during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.
25:55 Getting to work at one of the biggest aquariums in the world: the Georgia Aquarium. What the roles and responsibilities of the senior vet looked like, including creating a breeding program for endangered animals such as the sand tiger shark.
41:31 Marine Mammal Center: covering over 600 miles of California coastline plus some in Hawaii. Learn what it looks like to rescue a stranded marine mammal.
47:19 Dr. Cara Field explains what exactly the difference between seals and sea lions are.
54:54 Favorite Field story: a seal release gone awry!
58:22 The most important lesson that Cara has for aspiring veterinarians: “don’t give up.” Volunteer. Doing something beyond yourself and getting an incredible experience. Get diverse experience.
1:03:25 Dr. Cara Field’s conservation ask: the little things that we do matter. If you see wildlife, enjoy them but leave them be. Keep your distance. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Help clean a beach. Donate to organizations that you care about, including the marine mammal center.