Amy Rubenstein, RVT

I feel so lucky to work with these animals from our ocean. If we listen to them, they have so much to teach us. We just need to pay attention and observe, and then problem-solve. Their feedback is a gift.

Amy Rubenstein first joined The Marine Mammal Center as an animal care volunteer in 2008 and did a 6-month internship in 2010 before joining the staff as a registered veterinary technician in 2015. 

As part of the veterinary team, Amy is part of medically managing the rehabilitation of our patients. She works with the veterinarians on daily patient assessment, provides medical care while the patients are restrained physically or with sedation, and serves as an advocate for the animals. She is also in charge of anesthesia when a patient needs to be anesthetized for a surgery, medical procedure or exam.

Amy works closely with the Center’s many animal care volunteers throughout our range, guiding, educating and supporting them on a daily basis. She is also an integral part of the Center’s teaching hospital, instructing veterinary and veterinary technician students, interns, externs, residents and professional development visitors. 

Amy deeply enjoys working on field research studies on a range of topics including sea otter health assessments in the Monterey Bay region, evaluating northern elephant seal pup health at Point Reyes National Seashore and testing for leptospirosis on Año Nuevo Island.

Prior to joining the Center full time, Amy worked part-time at the Center as well as at a busy small-animal hospital and the San Francisco Zoo on a range of species from a milky frog to a Sumatran tiger. Earlier in her career, she was a documentary film producer working at National Geographic and with smaller independent production companies for 15 years.

Areas of Expertise

• Ocean Conservation Medicine
• Wildlife Health and Welfare
• Teaching Veterinary Students
• Marine Mammal Husbandry
• Volunteer Training