GARSCON
Greater Atlantic Regional Stranding Conference
GARSCON
2026
Greater Atlantic Regional Stranding Conference
"STRANDING ON A SHOESTRING."
September 14 - 16, 2026
Ronkonkoma, NY
GARSCON 2026 Schedule
WORKSHOP
Response Planning for High-Interest Stranding Events:
Managing Public Expectations and Communications While Maintaining Operational Continuity
When the Pressure Hits
Building Trust, Managing Communication, and Supporting Responders During High-Interest Stranding Events
When high-interest marine animal stranding events occur, responders are tasked with far more than field operations and scientific assessment. They are suddenly navigating public concern, media attention, stakeholder expectations, social media pressure, and the emotional weight carried by their own teams, all in real time.
This workshop explores how proactive communication systems can reduce anxiety, strengthen operational clarity, and build long-term public trust during high-visibility incidents.
As marine animal response operations continue to evolve in an area shaped by rapid information sharing, heightened public engagement, and increased visibility of stranding events, communication systems have become a critical component of operational readiness. This workshop recognizes communication not as a secondary task, but as essential response infrastructure that supports responders, agencies, stakeholders, and the communities they serve.
Built around the TRUST Framework. Transparency, Readiness, Unity, Stability, and Trust. Participants will engage with practical tools and real-world strategies designed specifically for the marine mammal response, management, and research community.
Through case studies, collaborative discussion, and applied planning exercises, attendees will gain more tools to:
manage communication during rapidly evolving incidents
· maintain public confidence while protecting scientific integrity
· reduce communication overload and responder stress
· strengthen coordination across agencies and stakeholders
· create educational and post-incident communication strategies that build lasting community trust
Responders already carry the weight of the science, logistics, and animal care. This workshop focuses on the often-overlooked layer of incident response: managing public perception, expectation, and anxiety in a way that supports both the community and the responder.
Because in high-interest events, trust is not built during the crisis. It is built before it.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Breaking Down Silos: Strengthening Collaboration Across Stranding Partners
Effective stranding response depends on strong collaboration among field responders, biologists, veterinarians, pathologists, and diagnostic laboratories. This presentation will explore how working together across disciplines and organizations can improve our collective understanding of marine animal health.
Jenny Bloodgood, MS, DVM, PhD
Wildlife Veterinarian, Cornell Wildlife Health Lab
Faculty Affiliate, Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health
Asst Professor of Practice, Dept of Public and Ecosystem Health
I am the Wildlife Veterinarian for the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab and an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. The CWHL works in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to implement the NYS Wildlife Health Program, a program focused on safeguarding the long-term health of NYS wildlife populations through health and disease surveillance, training, communication, and research. Prior to joining the CWHL, I was the Research Veterinarian at Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Alabama where I oversaw stranding response, necropsies, and health and disease research for marine mammals for the state. I hold BS and MS degrees in Wildlife Biology from Clemson University, and a PhD in Integrative Conservation from the University of Georgia with a focus on nutrition in green sea turtles. I also completed my DVM at UGA with a focus on research and wildlife health. As both a wildlife veterinarian and biologist, I have a broad interest in free-ranging wildlife health and disease. I have particular interests in pathology, infectious disease, and the interface of human and wildlife health, and enjoy mentoring students and working in interdisciplinary teams to tackle real-world issues.