Blood sampling is an important part of monitoring the health of seals and sea lions at the New England Aquarium, but how do you find a blood vessel under all of that fur? The seals and sea lions recognize the marine mammal staff, and they spend hours eating, playing, observing and interacting each day. This familiarity plays a role in the animals' willingness to cooperate during blood samplingand other diagnostics. In an effort to gain a fuller understanding, Jenny Montague, assistant curator of marine mammals, applied for the 2013 John H. Cunningham Award, a professional development program for Aquarium staff to further their knowledge in a particular area. She has known several of the seals in the collection since they were newborns but needed training to locate and draw from a large blood vessel under the fur and blubber. Her award funded a trip to The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, Calif., and the experience of a lifetime.