Tohunga Tohorā: Ramari Stewart awarded Honorary Doctor of Science
NZ Herald: 08/30/2022

In 1995, Professor Scott Baker established research on southern right whales at the Auckland Islands, the same time as Stewart's research at Campbell Island. This collaboration led to a joint publication and acknowledgements of support in subsequent work.

Guadalupe fur seal receives care at Oregon Coast Aquarium
News-Guard: 08/01/2022

The seal, a male yearling, was found stranded on Salishan Beach and reported by a private citizen to Jim Rice, Stranding Program manager with the Marine Mammal Institute. Rice and Research Assistant Charles Nye responded to the call.

Whale entanglements affect future generations
The Wildlife Society: 07/12/2022

When North Atlantic right whales get entangled in fishing gear, it can have long-term consequences for their populations. Not only can the energy cost of carrying the gear around cause the whales to become smaller, it can also result in them having fewer calves. “These impacts are influencing population growth rates,” said Joshua Stewart, assistant professor at the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute. 

Where did they all go? Sea lions travel south for mating season
Newport News-Times: 06/24/2022

Once a year for two months, the cacophony of barking coming from the Newport Sea Lion Docks falls silent. “They will probably be absent from the Yaquina Bay and most of the Oregon coast from early June to late July,” said Jim Rice, Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Stranding Program manager.

Watching for whales — and their food
NWNews: 06/21/2022

MMI grad student and postdoctoral researchers were recently aboard the R/V Bell M. Shimada as part of ongoing marine mammal surveys. Listen to a 4-min story here to share in their excitement over finding the tiny crustaceans that whales call food.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

New map and report expose growing dangers along whale ‘superhighways’ across the globe
OSU Newsroom: 02/16/2022

“Protecting Blue Corridors” was developed through collaborative analysis of 30 years of scientific data contributed by more than 50 research groups, with leading marine scientists from Oregon State University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, the University of Southampton and others

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.

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