The Roundhouse Aquarium is stepping off the pier and into the Manhattan Beach Library on Wednesday, Sept. 2, for a free talk on how Southern California's stranded seals and sea lions get a second chance at life.

Dave Bader, chief operations and education officer at the Marine Mammal Care Center, will lead the presentation, titled "Hope on the Horizon: Protecting Marine Mammals in a Changing World." Bader plans to walk attendees through the behind-the-scenes work of rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing pinnipeds back into the ocean, according to the event listing.

The talk is open to all ages.

RSVPs are requested, though the program is free.

Why it matters locally

The Marine Mammal Care Center, a San Pedro-based nonprofit, is the only organization authorized by NOAA to respond to distressed marine mammals year-round along the entire Los Angeles County coastline, stretching from Malibu to Long Beach and out to Catalina Island.

That work hits close to home. The center's own records describe a northern elephant seal pup named Lucky who was stranded in Manhattan Beach, tube-fed and treated for parasites over four months before being returned to the ocean.

Nationally, marine mammal strandings are climbing. A 2024 NOAA report counted 8,028 confirmed strandings that year, above the 2006–2023 average of 6,333. California sea lions alone accounted for 3,108 cases.

Details

The Manhattan Beach Library is at 1320 Highland Ave. The library is open Mondays through Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. A start time for the Sept. 2 presentation has not been announced; residents can check with the Roundhouse Aquarium at roundhouseaquarium.org or call the library at 310-545-8595 for updates.

The aquarium, located at the end of the Manhattan Beach Pier, has hosted similar free library talks before, including a Dolphin Committee presentation led by an expedition photographer in February.