News

Gray whale die-off feared as starving whales migrate north
OregonLive: 04/18/2025

Thousands of gray whales now migrating north from Baja California are in such poor shape and so few calves were born this winter that researchers and others worry they may be witnessing another die-off.

ODFW removes elephant seal from popular Oregon beach ahead of spring break
KOIN: 03/26/2025

With spring break approaching, Jim Rice, the director for OSU Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and ODFW worked to relocate the elephant seal pup to a more suitable beach.

Oregon sees uptick in sea turtles washing ashore
OPB: 01/03/2025

Two sea turtles washed up along Oregon’s beaches in the final days of 2024, bringing the number of sea turtles that appeared on the state’s shores last year to 17, the highest number the state has seen. “During the winter months, in particular, we tend to see sea turtles succumbing to hypothermia,” said Jim Rice, program manager at Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

Sea Lion Humanely Euthanized Following Injury And Decline
Oregon Coast Aquarium: 04/15/2024

A wounded California sea lion was humanely euthanized at Newport’s Port Dock One, following quality of life discussions between the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute, and the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

Science and Wonder: When Whales Strand on our Coast
Oregon On The Record: 03/07/2024

On this edition of Oregon On The Record, Tiffany Boothe, an assistant director of the Seaside aquarium, and Jim Rice, a member of Oregon State University's Marine Mammal Institute, weigh in on the life and death of whales along Oregon’s shores.

Blue whale skeleton to be displayed at Hatfield Marine Science Center
Daily Barometer: 02/18/2024

In November 2015, the Marine Mammal Institute, which is also the headquarters for the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, received a call from the United States Coast Guard about the body of a blue whale off the coast of Gold Beach, Oregon. Now, eight years and two countries later, the whale’s skeleton is almost ready for display at the Hatfield Marine Science Center.

Don’t bother stranded seals and sea lions on beaches
KLCC: 05/24/2023

It's the heart of harbor seal pupping season. Jim Rice, the stranding program manager for Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, said seal pups may come ashore and seem stranded, but they’re just waiting for their mom to retrieve them.

It’s beach season for harbor seals, sea lions and humans — and the experts would like to offer a few words of advice
YachatsNews: 05/18/2023

Few beachgoers can resist the desire for a close-up look at these fascinating mammals, but Rice warns that it’s best to give them a wide berth.

3 Gray Whales Strand on Oregon Coast: Calf from Orca Attack; Mother and Calf Swim Away
Oregon Coast Beach Connection: 05/12/2023

[Jim] Rice did a necropsy on the beach and was in the middle of that when word came of the two whales farther up the coast.

Blue whale bones nearing final stages of cleaning; OSU plans to assemble them for display
OPB/KLCC: 03/27/2023

The blue whale’s 70-foot-long carcass washed up in Gold Beach, Oregon in 2015. Often whales sink to the ocean floor and are picked apart by predators and scavengers, making the odds of a nearly complete carcass being recovered exceptionally rare. “It’s an exciting opportunity for us and we’re thrilled to make it happen,” [Lisa] Ballance said.

Rare blue whale skeleton heads to Canada for final cleaning and preservation so it can go on display in Newport
OSU Newsroom: 03/23/2023

The skeleton of a rare 70-foot blue whale that washed up on the Oregon coast several years ago will journey to Alberta, Canada, later this week so a team of preservation and restoration specialists can prepare it for public display at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. 

Oregon coast whale beachings part of larger trend as oceans undergo ‘profound changes’
OregonLive: 02/08/2023

Changes in arctic waters may be affecting the gray whales’ food supply, leading them to become malnourished, [Jim] Rice said. Killer whales also prey on them. ... Rice said the whale deaths are concerning, but he pointed out that it’s not completely unusual.

Oregon Sperm Whale to Be Given Back to Nature Before Potential Burial
01/18/2023

A sperm whale carcass washed up on a northern Oregon beach this week. Jim Rice, stranding program manager, said, "We document an average of six large whale strandings annually in Oregon. In the vast majority of cases, the animal is dead before it comes ashore."

OSU researcher revisits dead orca saga through genetic analysis
KLCC: 01/02/2023

Charles Nye, a graduate fellow with OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute, said he was able to examine some organic material from the crabbing gear line. Nye has determined that the dead orca was not [endangered Southern Resident killer whale] K44. 

Disease outbreak leaves sea lions stranded on Oregon Coast
OPB Think Out Loud: 11/04/2022

More than 150 sea lions have been found sick or dead along Oregon’s coast due to a bacterial outbreak of Leptospirosis this summer. Jim Rice is the stranding program manager for Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute. He joins Think Out Loud to share what the outbreak has looked like so far and how it compares to previous years.

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