New York Marine Rescue: An interview with Maxine Montello
By Farrah Leone
Name: Maxine Montello
IG Handle: @montellom and @nymarinerescue
Hey! Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Maxine Montello and I’m the Rescue Program Director for the New York Marine Rescue Center located in Riverhead, NY. I’m originally from Portland, ME! I have been working with sea turtles and marine mammals for over 10 years and have a unique background of human care, clinical care and in-field experience
How did you get to where you are now?
After undergraduate, I landed myself a job working with animals at an aquarium as well as working on their research vessel. I fell in love with the Long Island Sound and all the organisms that utilized the area. Though sea turtles are my true passion, I have experience working with a lot of the flora and fauna of New York especially pertaining to the Long Island Sound. While working at the aquarium I gained a passion for the clinical care of animal collection and worked directly with some of the best veterinarians who provided me with the knowledge I use in my current role. I have always had a passion for field work and conservation of megafauna that when the job opened at NYMRC I knew I had to apply. Now I get to work with these charismatic animals and contribute to the conservation and preservation of these important species.
Can you explain more about what your job entails?
My responsibilities are overseeing the response, rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals and sea turtles for the entire state of NY. Our responses can be 20 mins away from our facility to over 3 hours. I also oversee all the research that we are working on in-house and in the field. In addition to animal care and research, I am also responsible for grant writing, project
proposals, contracts and I managed our internship program and rescue program volunteers. I also have been involved in a research group Barbuda Ecological Research Group since 2010. We work on the island of Barbuda in the Caribbean and have several various research projects. However, my biggest work down there involves the sea turtle population where we have been further understanding the nesting ecology of 3 species: leatherbacks, greens and hawksbills.
How do you hope your voice and work as a marine educator will influence
others?
Education is key to ensuring our mission and the work we do is out there. I always say that we are all educators even if our title is Biologist or Scientist. Having the ability to share the work we do with the community could ensure the protection of these species down the line. Often, we must speak to people about what they should do if they come across a sea turtle or marine mammal. We understand that they have the best intentions but often due to lack of direct experience may cause additional harm to an animal. Taking these opportunities and speaking with these people directly only provides further protection for these amazing species that utilize our “backyards.”
Why is it so important to engage the community with your work?
We are a small team and so we need the support of our community to help protect these critical species. Continuing to spread our mission and educating the local community supports our program. Getting people interested in the work we do also helps our organization. We cannot save these animals without the support of the community.
What has the most challenging part of your career been? And how did you
solve this?
Work life balance has always been a challenge for me. I’m not sure if I have solved this completely but understanding when I need to step away versus being onsite all the time. We are working with very sick animals and often we forget to take care of ourselves.
Who or what do you draw your inspiration from?
I have some amazing mentors in my life that have honestly made me the scientist I am today. I love the team that I work with and all the hard work they put in each day. We are a full team of women who are dedicated to the science field.
Where do you go from here?
My job allows me to participate in so much amazing work that I see myself here for a bit. My next journey includes the pursuing of a higher degree of PhD. I’m currently a PhD student at Stony Brook University where I will be incorporating my work with sea turtles at NYMRC. Managing a full-time job and a PhD program will come with its challenges but I feel it is the right step for my career.
What is the best thing non-rehabbers can do to support the well-being of
cetaceans, pinnipeds, and sea turtles?
We encourage people to call our 24-hour hotline 631-369-9829 and speak to one of our experts about what they should do. We will ask those that encounter a marine mammal or sea turtle to provide photos of the animal, explain to us the behavior they are seeing, and GPS coordinates. If people are interested in getting involved with our program, they can check out our
website www.nymarinerescue.org and looked under volunteer opportunities. We also have internship positions offered all 4 semesters for undergraduate and graduate students.
