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Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab
@marinemammalinstitute | @oregonstate

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Day 4 & 5 😭 of the Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals!

1) Postdoctoral scholar Lindsay Wickman presents “Spatial and temporal patterns in the co-occurrence of overlapping humpback whale subpopulations and fixed gear fisheries in Oregon, USA reveal varying levels of entanglement risk”

2) Doctoral student Taylor Azizeh presents “Photogrammetry over four decades reveals environmental and life-stage drivers of gray whale body condition”

3) Professor Leigh Torres presents “A decade of replicate, non-invasive sampling reveals links between morphology, environment, and vital rates in a baleen whale”
@natgeosociety

4) Doctoral student Madison Kosma presents “Ground-Truthing and Calibrating Drone Photogrammetry for Beluga Body Condition:
Direct Measurements from Wild Individuals”

5) Celest Sorrentino MSc discusses her research poster, “Every Breath You Take: Assessment of blow synchrony and spatial relationships using AI-assisted analysis to inform baleen calf development in drone footage”

6) Michaela Kratofil PhD shares her research poster, “Dynamic, Scale-Dependent
Oceanographic Features Structure Co-occurrence Between Hawai i’s Pelagic False Killer Whales and Longline Fishing Vessels”

7) Stranding Program Manager Jim Rice presents his research poster, “Morbidity and Mortality in Marine Mammals Along the Oregon and Southern
Washington Coasts 2006-2025”

8) Research Associate and SMM communicator Clarissa Teixeira films Director Lisa T. Ballance talking about the next biennial conference in Portland, Oregon.

9) Doctoral student Natalie Charbonneau and her mentor Professor Kate Stafford stand by Natalie’s research poster, “Investigating Geographic Variation in Mammal-Eating Killer Whale Acoustic Behavior in the Pacific Arctic”

10) Assistant Professor Mauricio Cantor presents “Context-dependent pathways to foraging success across human-dolphin cooperative fisheries”

11) Clarissa Teixeira PhD presents “Bowhead whale toraging ecology across three decades of sea-ice variability in the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas”

12) Mauricio Cantor PhD receives an Emily B. Shane award, which recognizes conservation-oriented, non-harmful field research on free-

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Day 3 of the Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals — and we’re feeling the love!

1) 53 current MMIers and alumni reunite! ❤️

@oceanecologylab @gemm_lab @osufwcs @osuagsci @marinemammalogy

2) Shanta Shamsunnahar and Santi Domínguez Sánchez — PhD candidate friends

@oceanecologylab

3) Lisa Ballance and Bob Pitman connect with colleagues from Japan and China

4) Alyssa Lopez presents “Crossing Paths: Vessel Activity and Southern Resident Killer Whales Along Washington’s Outer Coast”

5) Shanta Shamsunnahar presents “Predicting Distribution and Habitat Associations of Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) and Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) in coastal Bangladesh Using Density Surface Models” on Tuesday

6, 7) Kyra Bankhead presents “Cultural Evolutionary Impacts of Human–Wildlife Interactions on Dolphin Behavior and Fitness”

@sarasotadolphinresearch

6, 7) Kyra Bankhead presents “Cultural Evolutionary Impacts of Human–Wildlife Interactions on Dolphin Behavior and Fitness”

@sarasotadolphinresearch

8, 9) Professor Josh Stewart presents “Life at Carrying Capacity Sucks”

8, 9) Professor Josh Stewart presents “Life at Carrying Capacity Sucks”

10) Mariam Alsaid shares her research poster, “Using BirdNET to Automate the Detection of Baleen Whales in Passive Acoustic Data”

@gemm_lab

11) A resident manatee swims in Laguna del Condado (photo by MMI Affiliate Dave Mellinger)

#lagunadelcondado #condadolagoon

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Day 1 at the Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in #SanJuan #PuertoRico!

Photos 1, 2: Prof. Kate Stafford presents “Humpback whales in the Beaufort Sea — Rapid Arctic colonization by a subarctic species” (photos by Casey Liu)

#SMM2026 @marinemammalogy

Photos 1, 2: Prof. Kate Stafford presents “Humpback whales in the Beaufort Sea — Rapid Arctic colonization by a subarctic species” (photos by Casey Liu)

Research Coordinator Barb Lagerquist and PhD student Nat Chazal share the anticipation of MMI hosting #SMM2028 in #Portland #Oregon

PhD student João Valle-Pereira presents “Social and spatial boundaries can shape behavioural transmission of mud-ring feeding among bottlenose dolphins”

Recent MMI graduates Michaela Kratofil PhD and Alyssa Lopez MSc join current PhD student Nat Chazal to talk to about MMI research and graduate opportunities

MMI alumna Dr. Clara Bird presents “Foraging Gray Whales have Social Structure and Demographically Variable Social Associations and Centrality”

Another spectacular #puertorican #sunset in #SanJuan

#PuertoRicoSMM2026

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The Marine Mammal Institute is heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the 26th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, October 19–23!

Every two years this conference brings together marine mammal researchers, students, managers, and conservation practitioners from around the world to share new research and build collaborations.

Nearly 50 MMIers will be in attendance, presenting over 35 first-authored talks and posters, leading workshops, chairing sessions, and hosting two exhibit booths.

It’s going to be a great week! If you’re there, stop by our booths to meet our team and learn more about our work and opportunities for furthering your education about marine mammal science.

Follow along here for highlights throughout the week!

#SMM2026 #MarineMammals #OregonState #MarineMammalInstitute #GoBeavs

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That ring of mud? It’s a hunting strategy🐬
Bottlenose dolphins in Florida have been observed using a specialized behavior called mud ring feeding.

A dolphin circles a school of fish while disturbing the seafloor, creating a muddy ring. As the fish jump to escape, the dolphins are waiting on the other side.

Pretty smart use of the seafloor, if you ask us 👀
And your Protect Marine Wildlife plate helps keep research, rescue & conservation going across Florida 🌊 
Get your plate 🔗 link in bio

All images/videos were collected under EVER-2026-SCI-0044 and NOAA Fisheries LOC 27369-01
#FloridaKeys #Dolphins #MarineBiology #oceanlovers #Ocean

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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 🌊💙🐋

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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

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🐋 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

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We spotted a mother and her calf in the Florida Keys 🏝️ this is our why🫶

Your license plate can help protect Florida’s marine wildlife 🐬 Every Protect Marine Wildlife specialty plate directly funds rescue efforts, rehabilitation, research, and conservation grants.

Get your plate today 🔗 link in bio

#marinebiology #ocean #thefloridakeys #floridawildlife #oceanlovers

All images/videos were collected under NMFS permit
27369-01

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Ever wondered what goes into a dolphin survey 🐬

Some days we’re photo-identifying familiar fins. Other days we catch incredible behaviors like mud ring feeding. We’re listening to dolphin vocalizations, checking water conditions, and documenting everything we see. Every survey helps us learn a little more about the wild dolphins that call the Florida Keys home.

This is what your Protect Marine Wildlife specialty license plate helps make possible. Every plate helps fund research, rescue, and conservation across Florida, helping our team continue studying and protecting Florida’s marine wildlife.

Order your plate today 🔗 link in bio

#floridawildlife #thefloridakeys #marinebiology #ocean #oceanlovers

All images/videos were collected under NMFS permit
27369-01

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If you grew up watching Animal Planet…you’re in the right place.

Every week, we’re heading into the Florida Keys alongside the scientists and conservationists studying and protecting marine wildlife.

You can help help us today by purchasing the Protect Marine Wildlife specialty license plate
🔗 link in bio

Our plate directly funds marine wildlife research, rescue, and conservation across Florida.

#floridakeys #thefloridakeys #dolphins #oceanlovers #ocean

All images/videos were collected under NMFS Permit
27369-01

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Gray whales need our help!
Happywhale is launching a new initiative focused on understanding and protecting Eastern North Pacific gray whales through AI, photo identification, and collaborative research.

In partnership with Cascadia Research Collective, The Marine Mammal Center, and Oregon State University’s GEMM Lab, we are working to build a shared gray whale photo-ID database and AI matching system that will help researchers connect sightings, monitor individuals, and better understand population decline and recovery across the Pacific.
But the urgency is real. These gray whales have experienced dramatic population decline since 2019, and recent research highlights increasing mortality linked to vessel strikes and malnutrition in the San Francisco Bay Area. Read more about this research by visiting the link in this post.

NOAA released a new abundance estimate showing more gray whales than the previous year's estimate. That's encouraging news! However, scientists are still approaching these results with caution, as estimating whale populations is challenging and recent calf production has remained low. Gray whales continue to face ongoing threats, making long-term monitoring more important than ever.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/s3/2026-07/lang-2026-abundance-gray-whales.pdf

Every whale photo helps tell a bigger story. Every sighting matters.

We are currently seeking supporters to help fund this project and protect gray whales for future generations.

Please go to the link in our bio or linktree to learn more about supporting this project.

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2026.1775666/full

#GrayWhales #Happywhale #CitizenScience #MarineConservation #whaleresearch

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