Of the six extant species of sea lions around the globe, three are endangered, including the New Zealand sea lion. Once intensely hunted for its pelt, the New Zealand sea lion now mainly breeds at remote sub-Antarctic islands...
In 2015, a 78-ft blue whale carcass washed ashore near Gold Beach, OR. Our researchers submerged its bones in nets in Yaquina Bay to allow marine scavengers to clean them.
Now we hope to raise $125,000 to remove oil from the bones and treat the skeleton for display, so that the public can enjoy the magnificent presence of the largest species the world has ever known.
Thanks to everyone who helped us reach our goal of 3000 vouchers! Your purchase will help support whale research, graduate student education, and public outreach. If you purchased a voucher, click below to learn more about the process.
The OSU Marine Mammal Institute is a multi-disciplinary facility incorporating the work of academics from engineering, genetics, agriculture, aquatics, ecology, veterinary medicine, biology, and communications.
As the only institute of its kind, the Marine Mammal Institute combines the efforts of top researchers from around the world to continue the legacy of discovery and preservation of critical habitats of target species and to understand how those species interact with their environment and human activities.
Marine Mammal Institute
Marine mammals are protected by federal law. It is illegal for unauthorized persons to disturb, handle, or feed them.
Learn more about Stranding Do's and Don'ts.
The Whale Telemetry Group uses satellite-monitored radio tags to determine the distribution and critical habitats of endangered whales.
The Cetacean Conservation and Genomics Laboratory explores the genomes of whales and dolphins to understand the past, assess the present, and conserve the future.
The Pinniped Ecology Applied Research Laboratory investigates the ecology, behavioral physiology, and conservation biology of pinnipeds.
The Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Laboratory focuses on the ecology, behavior and conservation of marine megafauna including cetaceans, pinnipeds, seabirds, and sharks.
The Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network documents occurrences and investigates the causes of marine mammal strandings in Oregon.
The Bio-Telemetry and Behavioral Ecology Laboratory is focused on using new biotelemetry technology to understand the underwater behavior and ecology of marine mammals.
Results from a study led by graduate student Logan Pallin during his OSU masters program at MMI show that humpbacks who live and breed in the southern oceans near Antarctica appear to be making a comeback.
At springtime, harbor seal pups are frequently found alone on area beaches. They are usually not stranded but simply resting and waiting for their mothers to come back ashore to nurse them. Adult female seals are shy and unlikely to rejoin a pup if there is activity nearby. Please remember to stay away from seal pups and to keep dogs from disturbing them. Mother seals may only return to suckle their pup at night when people and dogs are not around. It is very important not to interfere with this process, and especially not to move a pup from where it is receiving care from its mother.
When endangered killer whales swim through the sheltered waters of Puget Sound, they leave behind traces of “environmental DNA” that researchers can detect as much as two hours later, a new study has found. The findings, published today in the journal Frontiers, are surprising and significant. They not only provide a new non-invasive way to study whales, they may help scientists locate cetacean species that are known but have rarely been detected – including...
