Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus)  are the largest animals that have ever existed on Earth. Despite this, they feed exclusively on krill (Nyctiphanes australis) which are typically no larger than 2 cm. Thus, they must consume massive amounts of these tiny organisms to support the large energy requirements of their life history processes. Researchers are interested in understanding how predator-prey dynamics between blue whales and krill may shift with changing ocean conditions. Nicole Principe is a 2nd year PhD student in the Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna (GEMM) Lab at the Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute, led by Dr. Leigh Torres. Her PhD work is part of the SAPPHIRE (Synthesis of Acoustics, Physiology, Prey, and Habitat in A Rapidly Changing Environment) Project and will focus on blue whales in the South Taranaki Bight in Aotearoa (New Zealand). This interdisciplinary work involves using oceanographic data, active acoustics for prey, drone imagery (i.e., photogrammetry), and hormone analysis to investigate the availability of krill and blue whale health and population resilience to climate change. 

Most blue whales, like other baleen whales, are migratory, meaning they move from cold-water feeding grounds to warmer waters for breeding. However, past research from the GEMM lab suggests that blue whales in the South Taranaki Bight do not migrate. Instead, blue whale song and acoustic calls can be heard year-round in this area, making it an important foraging and breeding ground for this population. Intermittent upwelling makes this a highly productive feeding area for blue whales, where high levels of primary productivity support large aggregations of krill. Therefore, these animals seem to stay for long periods of time, potentially year-round, to exploit these prey resources.

Part of Nicole’s work will build on previous work conducted by the GEMM lab by investigating the co-response of marine prey and predator to marine heatwaves. Marine heatwaves are a period of unusually high water temperatures and can have significant effects on ecosystems. As climate change continues, marine heatwaves may become more severe and prolonged. By understanding how krill and subsequently, blue whales respond to these events, researchers can then predict how populations may be impacted in the future, ultimately informing conservation measures. 

Nicole also completed a master’s degree studying bottlenose dolphin distribution in freshwater rivers in South Carolina, and spent a year and a half working for a marine mammal stranding network. Tune into the podcast this Sunday, November 9th to learn more about all of these incredible experiences!

Written by: Taylor Azizeh

Oregon’s many winding rivers meet the Pacific Ocean in gorgeous estuaries scattered along the coastline. These estuaries are critical habitat for salmon, water birds, Dungeness crab, and oysters, and are deeply connected to the local economies of coastal communities. These estuaries are also the primary habitat of eelgrass — a fully aquatic flowering plant. We may overlook eelgrass as the creepy thing under the waves that brushes against your foot while wading through the water, but it is actually incredibly important to coastal ecosystems. It protects against erosion, absorbs pollutants, provides breeding grounds for many fish and invertebrate species, and can act as carbon sinks. Unfortunately, eelgrass is disappearing because of dredging, development, and sea level rise. The good news is that researchers are actively investigating how to best restore eelgrass habitat. Olivia Boisen, a fifth year PhD student in the department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, is one of these researchers.

As part of her research in the lab of Scott Heppell, Olivia is investigating several estuary sites along the Oregon coast where restoration practices are being implemented. Through this work she is able to determine the effectiveness of certain restoration practices on eelgrass recovery, and subsequently how various fisheries species respond.
Tune in to 88.7FM KBVR on October, 26th at 7PM PST (or anywhere you get podcasts) to hear a deep dive into the world of eelgrass, conservation, non-profit conservation work, and the interplay between coastal societies and habitat restoration!

Written by Hannah Stuwe

In Oregon the fire season typically lasts from mid-May to late September. As the climate changes so do the frequency and severity of the blazes. New generations of scientists are needed to help study the impact these natural disasters can have on the populations of fish and large fauna in the area. However, a less obvious ecosystem that can be affected by the fires is the microenvironment. We’ll hear more about that from this week’s guest Meagan White.

Meagan is a 3^rd year M.S. student in the lab of Dr. Ivan Arismendi, a part of the Fisheries and Wildlife Department here at OSU. Meagan originally came to OSU from UC Santa Cruz. Interested in science from a young age, Meagan’s high school biotech teacher connected her with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The rest is history that we have the pleasure of hearing about on Inspiration Dissemination.

Tune into KBVR 88.7 FM at 7 pm PST on October 19^th to hear Meagan talk about how a fire changed her research plans and how being a parent in graduate school has led her on an inspiring path.  

Written by E Hernandez

Eastern Oregon consists of a multitude of landscapes such as high desert plains, rugged mountain ranges, and sweeping sagebrush steppe. Volcanic plateaus, deep river canyons, and wide valleys carved by ancient floods create a sense of space and solitude. However, despite the arid climate, much of Oregon’s agriculture thrives here. Supported by rivers and aquifers, farmers produce wheat, alfalfa, and hay and ranchers raise cattle and other livestock. Small farming and ranching communities anchor the area, where traditional agricultural practices blend with newer practices of sustainable land management and dryland farming. 

But what happens when the rich agricultural landscape meets the rugged and wild natural ecosystems of eastern Oregon? Fourth year PhD student Lara Mengak aims to answer some of these questions. Her dissertation work is trying to understand what social and ecological threats impact ranchers in Oregon. What kinds of conflicts exist between natural predators, such as wolves, and livestock? What are the best ways to mitigate these conflicts? How do we manage landscapes to support wildlife conservation and agriculture? How do these things vary as a function of climate change or drought?

Lara’s work is unique in that she aims to blend social science and field-based ecological research to develop a deep understanding of human-wildlife conflict in eastern Oregon. Her surveys have brought in over 700 responses from ranchers across the entire state. In addition to these types of data, she spent two field seasons collecting data in the Starkey Experimental Forest and Range. She uses vegetation data to understand what types of plants are available to grazing animals like elk and livestock, and she also collected scat to use DNA metabarcoding to identify exactly which plant species are being grazed. She describes DNA metabarcoding, a technique that uses short, standardized sections of DNA, called barcodes, to identify species, similar to how a supermarket scanner uses barcodes to identify items in the store.

Lara had a variety of experience before starting her doctoral degree at Oregon State University. Originally from Georgia, she completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia. She received her master’s degree at Virginia Tech in 2018, and has also worked as a research technician at various field sites across the country. She spent two years in Anchorage, Alaska, working for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game as a Wildlife Biologist. We are so excited to talk to Lara about her past work experiences and her current social and ecological research on October 12th at 7pm on KBVR 88.7, and afterwards, find her episode anywhere you listen to podcasts!

Written by: Taylor Azizeh

To many of us inhabiting the Western half of the US, wildland firefighters are the heroes that put their lives on the line to save our lives, homes, and treasured natural landscapes. Behind the scenes however, researchers put in countless hours trying to understand the factors that contribute to forest fires, and the ecological impact that follows. Laken Alles, a masters student in the department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences at OSU, has been on the front lines fighting fires and is now researching fire and habitat ecology in the lab of Lisa Ellsworth.

Laken’s work focuses on the Great Basin in Utah, which is also where he spent the majority of his career wildland firefighting. Nowadays Laken is observing how the implementation of different fuel treatments (fuel in this case being any flammable material in the ecosystem) affect future wild fires, as well as how invasive species like cheat grass can take hold in regions after a fire has burned through. Cheat grass is a highly invasive annual grass, and it is causing unprecedented ecological impacts in sagebrush ecosystems. Fire tends to favor cheatgrass over native plant species like sagebrush, so preventing fire-related invasions has been a major focus of cheatgrass mitigation efforts.

Tune in to 88.7FM at 7PM PST on October 5th, 2025 to hear all about the intricacies of wild fires, invasive cheat grass, and how one goes from the fire front lines to modeling fire outcomes. You can also listen live on KBVR’s website or wherever you get podcasts!

For more info about sagebrush restoration visit sagestep.org

Written by Hannah Stuwe

Mammals encompass some of the most interesting animals on the planet. We can see how bats have mastered the sky with wings like birds or how dolphins have adapted streamlined bodies for life in the ocean just like fish. The ability to evolve similar characteristics to overcome common problems found in the environment is called convergent evolution and opens our eyes to the fundamentals of how life has changed to face the challenges of our planet. One such trait that is the product of convergent evolution is echolocation, which is the subject of research for our guest on the show this week Serena Frazee.

Serena is a 2nd year PhD student in the lab of Dr. Katie Everson, a part of the Department of Integrated Biology. Serena is an Oregon native from Portland and was initially driven to science by an interest at the intersections of neuroscience and art. However, it was her love of understanding genetics that inspired her to come to OSU and pursue her PhD. Since coming to OSU she has been a part of a few projects, but on the show we’ll get to hear what she’s learned while studying tenrecs, a relative of shrews that are only found in Madagascar.

Tune into KBVR 88.7 FM at 7 pm PST on May 25th to hear Serena explain how echolocation evolves in unusual places and her fight to change how people view the narrative of gene research. Hopefully she’ll also answer my burning question of “why does everything become crab?”

Written by Mireia Roig-Paul

Nanoplastics are an emerging contaminant and the result of plastics breaking down in the environment. In most cases these particles can be more than 70 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. Their small size means that nanoplastics can easily entire the bloodstream where they can travel to every part of the body. The prevalence of plastic waste mixed with incomplete risk assessment data highlights the importance of further research like what’s being conducted by our guest this week Kelso Arther.

Kelso is a third-year PhD student in the Stacey Harper lab, part of the department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology here at OSU. Their research focuses on understanding how nanoplastics interact with pesticides in agricultural systems. They ask questions like how the presence of these nanoplastics effects pesticide efficacy, spread, and degradation. They’re also looking at how the mixing of nanoplastics with pesticides changes the toxicological profile of both components. Raised in Kentucky, Kelso is the grandchild of hard working coal miners so fighting to keep workers safe from occupational exposure to toxins is in Kelso’s lifeblood. We’ll get a glimpse at how growing up around a proud but dangerous pillar of America’s workforce inspired Kelso to strive and keep workers safe.   

Tune into KBVR 88.7 FM at 7 pm PST on May 18^th to hear Kelso break down the complexities of the “nano world”, help us understand nanoscopic soil environments, and highlight how animal models help us answer important questions about molecule’s toxicity. We’ll also get to hear about their journey from undergrad to industry and what drove them to come to graduate school.