Lori Marino on stress physiology
From Dr. Lori Marino - Changing the Scenery for Captive Whales: The Whale Sanctuary Global Movement · · TheIHMC
“When you are in a stress situation brain mechanisms cause a physiological response known as fight or flight; what if the stress doesn't go away? The system stays ramped up, eventually causing damage to the brain and the immune system — resulting in behavioral dysregulation, stereotypies and opportunistic infections just what we see in captive orcas.”
On , Lori Marino, Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary & Chief Compliance Officer at ITT INC, spoke about stress physiology during Dr. Lori Marino - Changing the Scenery for Captive Whales: The Whale Sanctuary Global Movement on TheIHMC.
About Lori Marino
Lori Marino, a neuroscientist and founder of the Whale Sanctuary Project, has continued to advocate for the transition of captive whales and dolphins to seaside sanctuaries. In a December 2023 lecture, she discussed the global whale sanctuary movement, describing the project's planned 100-acre open-ocean sanctuary in Port Hilford, Nova Scotia, which she said would provide animals with autonomy, natural habitat, and veterinary care without performances or breeding. She cited data indicating that captive orcas rarely live past 30 years, while wild females can reach 80 to 90, and noted that 73 of 103 orcas held in captivity since 1985 have died. Marino also referenced the death of the orca Lolita at the Miami Seaquarium in August 2023 at age 57, stating that preparations to return her to her natal waters were underway at the time. In a September 2023 talk at Yale Law School, Marino discussed the role of science in animal protection legislation, highlighting the SWIMS Act in the U.S., which would end the breeding and import of orcas, beluga whales, false killer whales, and pilot whales, and Canada's Bill S-203, which banned breeding and entertainment use of dolphins and whales in 2019. She described a new program aimed at bridging animal law and science, including webinars on natural and social science for lawyers, and argued that scientific evidence on animal welfare is essential for legal advocacy. Marino has also spoken about the cognitive and social complexity of cetaceans, stating that orca brains are the most convoluted on Earth and that dolphins demonstrate self-awareness, cultural transmission, and empathy, which she said supports the case for legal personhood and improved protections.