Every year, a large number of marine mammal carcasses are found along the Dutch coast. It is of great importance for scientific research to establish the cause of death of these animals. For this reason, all seal and a large number of porpoise bodies found in the Netherlands are examined in Pieterburen. The SRRC vets carry out the autopsies, but they are often assisted by volunteers (those who are interested in this type of research) and students, who are on an internship at the SRRC. Blood samples and organs are sent off to specialised laboratories. All the autopsy results, and reports of where the dead animals are found, are recorded in a database.