Sightings of Orca families hunting along the Oregon coast excite throngs of people — and help marine mammal researchers
Yachats News: 06/07/2022

“All these sightings over the past month have been pretty exciting,” Leigh Torres said. “And what’s especially cool here is that you can view them from the shore pretty easily.”

Altruism in Humpback Whales
All Things Wild: 04/11/2022

Marine ecologist Bob Pitman witnessed some extraordinary things during his career. In this episode of the All Things Wild podcast, Bob shares an incredible account of humpback whales protecting seals from killer whales.

Sea lions in distress? Stay clear and call it in
News-Times: 04/01/2022

What do you do if you happen across a carcass or an animal that seems to be in distress? Call the Stranding Network at 541-270-6830.

New PMEL Science at Work Video Released: Innovations in Acoustics and eDNA Research to Study Blue Whales
NOAA PMEL: 04/01/2022

A video has been released showcasing the work of MMI affiliate Angie Sremba and Bob Dziak, who use eDNA and acoustics to study blue whales off the Oregon coast.

OSU’s Hatfield Center to host virtual Marine Science Day April 9
OSU Newsroom: 03/31/2022

Lisa T. Ballance will be the keynote speaker at HMSC Marine Science Day on April 9.

'Skinny Whales' Remain Issue on Washington / Oregon Coast, But May Be Lessening
Oregon Coast Beach Connection: 03/24/2022

“The gray whales eat mainly mysids while here off Oregon, so we are guessing that food supply might be reduced,” [Leigh] Torres said.

Last of the Big Ones
Portland Monthly: 03/22/2022

“These are big animals,” says Lisa Ballance, director of Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute. “They’re not planktonic organisms, and we just know next to nothing about them.”

Ten remarkable new marine species from 2021: Ramari's Beaked Whale
LifeWatch Belgium: 03/19/2022

A team of international collaborators examined a dead female whale in New Zealand whale found that it was morphologically and genetically different from all other whale species, and so Ramari’s beaked whale was described. Scott Baker initiated the DNA and tissue archive used for this study when he was a professor at the University of Auckland.

In Graphic Detail: Solving Tuna’s Dolphin By-catch Problem
Hakai Magazine: 03/18/2022

[T]here are indications that some fisheries observers might be underreporting the number of deaths, says Oregon State University marine mammal ecologist Lisa Ballance, who led a recent review of the dolphin by-catch. 

Gray whales pass Oregon Coast
03/16/2022

[Leigh] Torres is hoping to see more and healthier whales this year. Some of the underfed whales they spotted in years past have not recovered to where researchers think they should be.

Study Finds Sharp Decline in Alaska Humpback Whale Population Due to Marine Heatwave
National Park Service: 03/14/2022

Scott Baker is a coauthor on a new study concludes that the humpback whale population in Southeast Alaska waters was disrupted by the massive and intense 2014-2016 Northeast Pacific marine heatwave.

Whale migrations: how new UN treaty aims to protect species on the high seas
The Conversation: 03/14/2022

United Nations member states agreed in 2017 to negotiate an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of the high seas. The whale migration tracks identified in a new collaborative report from WWF will be essential when it comes to identifying areas of importance to marine mammals.

Where the whales are: OSU helps compile atlas of whale travel routes
JPR: 03/01/2022

Daniel Palacios was interviewed by Jefferson Public Radio about his role in the new World Wildlife Fund report, Protecting Blue Corridors, which describes global whale "superhighways."

Orcas found to kill blue whales, the largest animals on Earth, for first time
National Geographic: 01/26/2022

Robert Pitman has coauthored a paper documenting the first known lethal predation events on blue whales.

Three Oregon State researchers receive distinction of AAAS fellow
OSU Newsroom: 01/26/2022

MMI Director, Lisa T. Ballance, has received the distinction of AAAS Fellow for her outstanding contributions to science.

Website tracks Oregon's gray whales by name and habits
KGW8: 01/04/2022

The Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Laboratory at OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute has developed a website that allows visitors to meet some of the whales the researchers have identified over the years. IndividuWhale aims to teach about the animals, the stressors humans put on whale populations, and how those stressors can be reduced.

Sea otter bitten by shark found on Oregon Coast, taken to Aquarium for care
12/01/2021

An unlikely visitor to the Oregon Coast -- a live sea otter -- was transported by Jim Rice to the Oregon Coast Aquarium for care after it was bitten by a shark. 

Whales eat far more than thought
Newport News-Times: 11/10/2021

KC Bierlich, currently a postdoctoral scholar at the Marine Mammal Institute, was a PhD student at Duke University when he contributed to the project. “They are eating so much more than we thought. It’s crazy,” Bierlich said.

An Oregon State ocean expedition’s surprisingly close-to-home whale discovery
Oregon Public Broadcasting: 10/26/2021

Ballance and her team were on the trail of what they thought could be a totally new species that had been sighted, but not identified, near the garbage patch. But with more than half their time being eaten up by engine repairs and other delays, the team made the call to look for whales a bit closer to home.

Interior eyes Oregon for offshore wind energy development
Oregon Public Broadcasting: 10/20/2021

Last week, Oregon’s two U.S. senators announced a $2 million grant to OSU to study potential impacts of offshore wind developments to seabirds and marine mammals. Project leader Lisa Ballance, director of the school’s Marine Mammal Institute, says data gathered in the survey will help the Department of Energy site wind facilities.

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