MARVET is an educational program offering introductory courses in marine animal medicine for veterinary students, veterinarians, ecologists and others who would like to become more acquainted with the expanding field of marine animal health in the context of One Health and conservation medicine. One Health is an emerging discipline which explores connections between human, animal and ecosystem health.
MARVET is approached in a workshop format, combining classroom presentations with practical hands-on and observational activities through site visits to marine animal facilities and natural ecosystems. Selected workshops now invite participation from biologists, ecologists and advanced students interested in ecosystem health and the interdisciplinary team approach increasingly required for ecological health problem-solving.
Since 1999, MARVET workshops have been conducted in various locations, including Florida, California, Grenada, Costa Rica, Mexico and the Cayman Islands. A new course is being planned for 2023 in Roatan, Honduras. Content of these courses ranges from clinical medicine for marine animals under human care, to population wellness for free-ranging animals in the ocean environment currently experiencing a variety of stressors, including pollution, climate change and plastics. Participants have been traditionally comprised of veterinary students and veterinarians, but there is interest in involving students from other professional disciplines in order to bring diversity and a wider variety of perspectives to the workshops.