Study of Pacific predators shows importance of biological 'hotspots'
OSU News and Research Communications: 06/22/2011
Research Vessel

An unprecedented decade-long study of apex predators in the Pacific Ocean found a wider range of distribution among some species than previously thought, unknown relationships between other species, and the importance of biological “hotspots” to the survival of most of these sea creatures.
 

Scott Baker named Pew Marine Fellow
MMI: 04/26/2011
C Scott Baker

The Pew Environment Group announced today that four individuals, representing Chile, Mexico and the United States, received a 2011 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation.  Scott Baker is associate director of the Marine Mammal Institute and professor of Fisheries and Wildlife at OSU.  His project is entitled: "A pattern of dolphins:  the seascape genetics of island populations in protected an unprotected habitats of Oceania"

Hector's dophin research in New Zealand
CCGL: 02/24/2011
Dolphin pair swimming

Associate Director Scott Baker and PhD student Becca Hamner were in Cloudy Bay, New Zealand, working with colleagues to collect genetic samples and individual identification photographs from Hector's dolphins.

Western gray whale makes unexpected journey
02/21/2011
Whale Fluke

Flex was first photo-identified off Sakhalin Island as a calf in 1997 and has subsequently been observed in multiple years off Sakhalin during the summer feeding season. To better understand his movements, photo-identification images of Flex were compared with a photo catalog of over 1000 eastern gray whales, which revealed a match.

Rare Whale and Orcas Make It to Oregon Coast Waters
Beach Connection: 02/10/2011
Flex the Russian Whale Surfacing

Newport, Oregon – One of the world's top whale researchers is keeping track of a genetically distinct and rare whale that has wandered from the waters of Russia to the Oregon coast recently. Meanwhile, some pods of Killer Whales have been spotted marauding around these waters as well (above: Flex photographed near Russia).

South Pacific Whale Research Consortium meets in Apia,Western Samoa
CCGL: 02/04/2011
SPWRC11 SPREP

Associate Director Scott Baker and Research Assistant Debbie Steel are in Apia, Samoa for a meeting of the South Pacific Whale Research Consortium, hosted by the South Pacific Regional Environment Progamme (SPREP).The Consortium includes 36 independent researchers active in 10 Pacific Island ...

Gray Whale Carcass Washes Ashore South of Waldport
U.S. Coast Guard: 05/28/2010

On Saturday evening, May 22, the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network received a report from the U.S. Coast Guard of a decomposed whale carcass that had been sighted by helicopter about a mile offshore from Waldport. The following morning the carcass was sighted on the beach just north of Beachside State Park.

Members of the stranding network responded and found a 40 foot male gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) in an advanced state of decomposition. Photographs and measurements were collected and limited sampling of...

Sea Lion Disentangled at Lincoln Beach
OMMSN: 05/21/2010
Volunteers on beach running after entangled sea lion

On Thursday May 20, a team from the Marine Mammal Institute was able to successfully remove a plastic packing band that had been wrapped around the neck of an adult male California sea lion. This was our first attempt at removing debris from a sea lion on a beach.

We've also recently been successful with desentanglement efforts on a Steller sea lion at Sea Lion Caves and at our recently deployed disentanglement capture cage at the Bayfront in Newport.

Unfortunately, packing band entanglements are increasingly common with sea lions along the West Coast. These plastic strips are used in the packaging of many products, particularly frozen fish used for bait, and end up...

Terra Spring 2010 article featuring Scott Baker, Gene Stalker
CCGL: 05/19/2010
Scott Baker 2010-05-19

Scott Baker had no idea that when he agreed to participate in the making of The Cove, a documentary about a dolphin slaughter in Japan, that the movie would win an Academy Award.

Wave energy device would steer whales away
WTG: 05/14/2010
Whale fluke

When Ocean Power Technologies floats its first 200-ton wave energy-generating buoy off the Oregon Coast this year, it wants to be sure the device doesn’t disturb the coast’s most frequent multi-ton visitors: gray whales.

'Corvallis Science Pub' highlights Markus Horning's research on Pinnipeds
05/11/2010
Markus Horning lecturing at the Corvallis Science Pub

Markus Horning was this month's lecturer at Corvallis' Science Pub - a monthly gathering for the community to interact with OSU scientists on a variety of topics. This topic was "Consummate and Consumed Predators:  Threats to Seals & Sea Lions in a Changing Ocean”. 

MMI scientists to study whale-deterring sounds
OSU News and Research Communications: 05/05/2010
OSU Marine Mammal Institute scientists will begin testing a low-power acoustic device to see if it will be effective in preventing migrating gray whales from entering areas that soon may have wave energy platforms and cables.
Scientists, film-makers team up to expose illegal international trade in whale meat
04/19/2010
whale meat on display in ice case

In October 2009, a man and two women walked into a renowned Los Angeles restaurant called The Hump and ordered some sushi. This seemingly innocuous act was the start of a fascinating chain of events that would involve hidden cameras, genetic sequencing, a few arrests, and the first solid proof of an illegal international trade in whale meat.

DNA suggests whale meat from sushi restaurants originated from Japan
CCGL: 04/13/2010
Whale meat sushi on a plate

An international team of Oregon State University scientists, documentary filmmakers and environmental advocates has uncovered an apparent illegal trade in whalemeat, linking whales killed in Japan’s controversial scientific whaling program to sushi restaurants in Seoul, South Korea, and Los Angeles, Calif. 

California Sea Lion Disentangled at Newport Bayfront
OMMSN: 03/31/2010
Sea Lion in disentangle cage with with gaping wound around neck

On Wednesday March 31, 2010 we had our first opportunity to put our new Sea Lion Disentanglement Cage to good use.

You can follow these links for the story:

http://www.newportnewstimes.com/v2_news_articles....

Rehabilitated Steller Sea Lion Pup Released
PEARL: 03/30/2010

A crew from the Pinniped Ecology Applied Research Laboratory (PEARL) with OSU's Marine Mammal Institute is helping the North Coast Marine Mammal Center (http://www.northcoastmmc.org/index.php) track a young female Steller sea lion who was released from the rehabilitation facility in Crescent City, CA on Saturday, March 27. Markus Horning and interns Julia Hager, Stephen Meck and Jennifer Olson glued a satellite transmitter to the fur on the animals' head using 5-minute epoxy. The transmitter allows researchers to track the sea lion's location on a daily basis. The device is expected to fall off by the annual molt in August.

This is the first time a...

Oregon State Legislature Approves Matching Funds for New MMI/Marine Genomics Building
Daily Journal of Commerce: 03/23/2010
Proposed Building Drawing

Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal and Marine Genomics Building got a boost from the Oregon Legislature, which dedicated $9 million in state money to the $25 million project. Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed House Bill 3643 into law last week.

Entangled Steller sea lion rescued at Sea Lion Caves
03/19/2010
Stranding sea lion laying head down in exhaustion

A sub-adult Steller sea lion was successfully disentangled from a trawl net at Sea Lion Caves on Thursday March18. Click HERE for details.

Sea Lion Disentanglement Cage Deployed at Newport Bayfront
OMMSN: 03/03/2010
Capture cage and sea lions on dock

A custom-built capture cage has been deployed at Newport's Port Dock 1 to address this problem of sea lion entanglement. The cage is basically a modified floating dock enclosed on four sides by a galvanized steel structure, with sliding doors on two sides. It is designed primarily to serve as an additional haul out area for sea lions to use freely, with its doors locked in the open position so animals can comfortably come and go as they choose.

Huge Aggregation of California Sea Lions near Heceta Head
MMI: 02/19/2010
Thousands of sea lions on Heceta Head shore

For several months this past fall and winter, thousands of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) assembled on and just offshore of a remote beach just to the south of Heceta Head on the central Oregon coast. It is unknown specifically what attracted so many of these animals to this site, although it is clear that enormous amounts of prey fish (possibly herring, squid, hake, sardine or anchovies) must have been available to support such huge numbers of sea lions. This area is also home to several hundred Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), which use nearby Sea Lion Caves as a regular haul out.

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