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Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab
@marinemammalinstitute | @oregonstate

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We are excited to welcome Josie as a new PhD student who is being co-advised by Dr. Leigh Torres and Dr. Kathleen Hunt at @marinemammalinstitute ! Josie is a National Science Foundation @nsfgov Graduate Research Fellow whose work will focus on gray whale health through physiology research and integration of multiple data sources.

#graywhales #oregoncoast #research #science #education taken in Hatfield Marine Science Center by @gemm_lab

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4 days ago

The GRANITE team has been busy this summer, taking advantage of every good weather day to get out on the water and collect data on our PCFG gray whale population, their prey, and the environment.

We’ll be soaking in these views for one more month before wrapping up the season. Stay tuned for a full season recap, including our sightings and all the data we’ve been collecting!

#graywhales #research #oregoncoast #marinemammalinstitute #gemmlab by @gemm_lab

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20 days ago

Kinda chic to get to study whales!

The photos featured above are from both the GEMM lab’s GRANITE (Gray whale Responses to Ambient Noise Informed by Technology and Ecology) and SAPPHIRE (Synthesis of Acoustics, Physiology, Prey, and Habitat in a Rapidly changing Environment) projects

The GRANITE project studies gray whales of the Oregon coast utilizing a wide variety of non-invasive research methods such as drone imagery and CATS tags to help us better understand how gray whales are responding to increasing ocean noise. This data is used to help researchers understand how to improve gray whale management and conservation.

The SAPPHIRE project uses interdisciplinary methods to understand the co-response of krill and blue whale health to environmental variation at both individual and population levels, enabling a comprehensive understanding of impacts on species fitness under climate change conditions. Through the SAPPHIRE project, we aim to develop a framework for understanding the health impacts of environmental change on krill and blue whales in Aotearoa, New Zealand, which can in turn inform management decisions based on relevant thresholds. #graywhale #bluewhale #oregoncoast #oregonstate #newportoregon by @gemm_lab

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a month ago

That’s a wrap on the 2026 HALO cruise! During 24 hours at sea, the cetacean sighting tally was 8 fin whales, 13 humpback whales, 35 northern right whale dolphins, 8 Dall’s porpoises, and 8 unidentified cetaceans. In collaboration with Cornell University’s K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, the team successfully recovered three “rockhopper” hydrophones and deployed six. Hydrophones are underwater microphones that record the sounds whales make to help researchers better understand their distribution, behavior, and response to their environment.

All operations fall under MMI NOAA permit no.27426 by @gemm_lab

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2 months ago

That's a wrap on the 12th season of the TOPAZ/JASPER Project! 🐋

Leigh Torres and recent GEMM Lab graduate, Celest Sorrentino, led an amazing group of interns through six weeks of fieldwork in Port Orford, collecting data on gray whales, zooplankton, and environmental conditions.

Beyond helping us understand how gray whale foraging is connected to fine-scale prey distributions, the project gives young scientists hands-on experience in whale tracking, photo-ID, kayaking, GPS navigation, zooplankton sampling, GoPro surveys, and science communication.

While whale sightings were lower than usual this year, the team still collected valuable data and developed several blog posts exploring how changing environmental conditions may be affecting this important gray whale foraging ground. Check out the link in our bio to read about their experiences in the field!

Huge thanks to the 2026 TOPAZ/JASPER team for another great season! 🌊🐋

#GrayWhales #WhaleResearch #MarineMammals #OceanScience #FieldWork #OregonCoast #PortOrford #MarineBiology #WildlifeResearch #OceanConservation #GEMMLab #TOPAZJASPER #ScienceInTheField by @gemm_lab

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a month ago

A glimpse of the Oregon coast through the eyes of Hummingbird and our CATS tag ✨

#graywhales #oregoncoast #gemmlab by @gemm_lab

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a month ago

We had an amazing conversation with Dr Clara Bird on the #WhaleTalesPodcast and she shared an incredible Grey Whale encounter. Read or listen to A Familiar Face on our website!

Drone footage of Pacman from Oregon, not Baja. Drone photo Clara-Bird/GEMM-Lab-OSU, Footage collected under permit no. 27426

#WhaleTales
@clarabirdferrer @gemm_lab by @gemm_lab

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2 months ago

🐋 Did you know Aotearoa has its own population of pygmy blue whales?
Research led by Dr Leigh Torres has shown the South Taranaki Bight is much more than somewhere these whales pass through. They feed here, breed here and raise their calves here.
Earlier this year, researchers spent three weeks studying the whales and the krill they depend on, observing 66 pygmy blue whales, including a mum with a healthy nursing calf and a recently weaned youngster still figuring out the whole feeding thing 🥹

The South Taranaki Bight isn't an empty stretch of ocean waiting to be mined. It's a living, connected ecosystem and home to some pretty incredible neighbours.

This election, we're asking our politicians to make sure it stays that way.
👉 Ban seabed mining. Protect our moana for good 💙

#banseabedmining
#protectourmoana by @gemm_lab

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2 months ago

Attention fellow whale watching enthusiasts! Will we see you THIS Friday at the @osuportorford field station?

It's that time of the summer again! The OSU South Coast research team wraps up the field season with their annual community presentation, sharing what they've seen and studied in Port Orford's waters over the past several weeks. This year's focus: gray whales and zooplankton!

Where: OSU Field Station, 444 Jackson Street
When: Friday, August 21st, 4:30–6pm

Come hear directly from the folks who've been out on the water all summer! Presented by @marinemammalinstitute, the @gemm_lab, and @oregon_seagrant 🌊💙🐋 by @gemm_lab

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2 months ago

POV you’re a whale:

You saw Coal and her calf from the air, but what does it look like from their perspective?

Dive underwater with these gray whales through snapshot footage from our GRANITE 2026 suction cup CATS tag data! We use these minimally invasive, short term tags to monitor the whale’s movements, breathing, environment, social behavior, and dive patterns.

All operations under MMI’s NOAA permit no. 27426

#whaleresearch #marinemammals #conservation
#graywhales
#oregoncoast by @gemm_lab

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2 months ago

The GEMM Lab is seeking by a Postdoctoral scholar to join our interdisciplinary team for the GRANITE Project.

To apply:

Please prepare a single PDF that includes a 1-page cover letter, a full CV, and contact info for three references.

Email to leigh.torres@oregonstate.edu

The application period runs from August 1 to November 1.

Check out the 🔗 in our bio to read more about the GRANITE project

@marinemammalinstitute @hatfieldmsc by @gemm_lab

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2 months ago

Meet Coal, the Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whale, and her new calf! The pair were spotted together and tagged on July 15th during GRANITE fieldwork. Coal has been spotted since 2016, but this is the first time we have seen her with a calf!
Stay tuned for underwater footage of these two!

All operations under MMI’s NOAA Permit No. 27426
Drone flights piloted by PhD candidate Natalie Chazal

#whaleresearch #marinemammals #conservation
#graywhales
#GRANITEProject by @gemm_lab

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2 months ago