Giving Ecologists Mega Muscles: Introducing the 2024 Port Orford Gray Whale Foraging Ecology Project Team, “Team Protein”!

Allison Dawn, Master’s alumni, OSU Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab

“Days are long and weeks are short” is the common quip used to describe our field work at the Port Orford Field Station, and given we have already breezed through our first week of the TOPAZ and JASPER projects I can confidently say this feeling has not changed. We have officially entered our 10th consecutive year of these two integrated projects, which provides experiential learning internships to high school and undergraduate students while conducting long-term monitoring of gray whale foraging ecology in this small study region.

To properly celebrate the decade of successful field seasons of TOPAZ/JASPER, the GEMM Lab organized a proper 10-year reunion party. Last Friday, 32 interns, previous team leaders (Florence Sullivan and Lisa Hildebrand), project PI Leigh Torres, and important project collaborators all gathered to share in a bit of nostalgia and laughter as we celebrated the project’s milestone. To get a preview of this “Decadal Celebration”, as well as our journey this summer, be sure to follow @gemm_lab on Instagram! Also keep an eye out for an upcoming blog post dedicated to recapping the celebration.

In addition to honoring the decade-long legacy, this year is also special as I am co-leading “Team Protein” with Celest Sorrentino, incoming GEMM lab Master’s student. Now with four South Coast summers under my belt, I am beyond excited to get to share what I’ve learned with someone equally as passionate about immersive marine science education and mentorship. While I am teaching Celest how to prepare for weather-dependent fieldwork, lead a team of 5, shop on a budget, organize the lab, and more, I am also learning so much from her. I am especially grateful for her bright energy and unwavering positivity, which are skills that can rarely be taught yet have such a powerfully positive influence on the success of a field season. After just a week together I feel there is no one better suited for me to pass on the “GoPro/RBR torch” to and I know she will lead the project successfully into its next chapter.

Figure 1: Allison and Celest, on a particularly windy day, fully packed with gear and groceries, ready and excited to head to the South Coast Outpost!

That said, we still have 5 weeks before the 10th year has officially culminated, and it is my honor and pleasure to introduce you to the team who will be paddling us through this incredible milestone! Before I talk about each individual, I’d like to explain the inspiration behind our team name this year.

Every Port Orford field team gets to choose their team name, and we quickly settled on ours – “Team Protein”! After we spent a few days together, the five of us found we have at least two things in common: we all love exercise and to fuel up on protein. Between quick 2-3 mile evening runs, competitive pushups after dinner, yoga – on top of our kayaking and gear-carrying- and so much baked chicken, we are undoubtedly getting stronger together. 

In addition to this name describing the team well, we also have seen an increase in zooplankton abundance sampled during the first-week than in previous years. Because whale food seems to be prevalent this year, we all agree that this season’s whales will also be on “Team Protein”. We hope that means we will see strong, healthy PCFG whale visitors in the next several weeks!

Figure 2: Logo for “Team Protein”, created by NSF REU Sophia Kormann

So, who exactly are the brains and brawn behind Team Protein? First, we have team leader Allison (me!). I defended my master’s degree in June 2023 and loved the beauty and community of the South Coast so much I decided to stick around for one more adventure-filled year before moving on to begin my doctorate at Clemson University in South Carolina. There I will be implementing all the skills and lessons learned in the GEMM Lab into studying grassland bird habitat using remote sensing technologies. I am thrilled to get another year of leading this incredibly dynamic project, mentoring students, and obviously increasing my muscle mass before I move on from studying (gray) whales to (bobwhite) quails.

Figure 3: Allison stoked on great conditions for our first kayaking sampling training day

Next, we have our co-lead, Celest Sorrentino!

Figure 4: Celest, Allison, and Leigh grabbing a selfie before the awesome Decadal Party!

Name: Celest Sorrentino

School/year: Oregon State University, incoming master’s student 

What interested you in this project/what are you most excited for?

As an older sister of four, teaching and mentoring them has always been something I’ve loved to do and intended to hone my skills in as I pursued higher education. When the opportunity arose during a conversation with Dr. Torres last summer to be able to develop these valuable skills during my masters, I couldn’t be more excited. Now having completed just my first week here in Port Orford, I can totally understand the enamor Allison has shared for this project. I am excited to continue to learn from her as not only a lead for this project, but also from her own mentorship style that is both naturally impactful and unique. 

Our third team member is our NSF REU student Sophia Kormann. Stay tuned for her blog next week on the exciting project that she has been co-mentored by myself, Leigh and Clara.

Figure 5: Sophia enjoying the beautiful moonrise on the cliff site at the Decadal Party.

Name: Sophia Kormann

School/year: rising senior at St. Olaf College

What interested you in this project/what are you most excited for?

I was looking for something within biology research that would allow me to do a lot of analysis but wouldn’t just be sitting at a desk all day. And if you get the chance to whale watch everyday for the summer…you take it. I am the most excited to combine my interests in biology and statistics.

Next we have Eden Van Maren, who I met during a recruitment talk in Brookings. Eden immediately stood out as an enthusiastic and bright student.

Figure 5: Eden’s first zooplankton net sample had more amphipods than Allison had ever seen in the net!

Name: Eden Van Maren

School/year: I am homeschooled doing electives at Brookings-Harbor High School. 

What interested you in this project/what are you most excited for?

I was interested in this opportunity because of the opportunity to do scientific field work while getting to kayak on the ocean. I’m excited to learn about how ocean conditions affect zooplankton and how that impacts whale foraging.

Last but not least, we have Oceana Powers-Schmitz. Oceana is a passionate bookworm and impressive history buff. In addition to taking on this fieldwork internship, she is also teaching herself Algebra 2 in order to test out of taking the class next year.

Figure 6: Oceana finds a red urchin at Nellie’s Cove!

Name: Oceana Powers-Schmitz

School/year: Brookings-Harbor High School

What interested you in this project/what are you most excited for?

Getting actual research/lab experience as well as using it to see what part of science I’m interested in, and to hopefully have a whale-filled summer. 

Well, as a surprise to no one, we’re off to do some yoga. Tune into our Instagram takeover by following @gemm_lab on instagram for more real-time updates from “Team Protein”!

Did you enjoy this blog? Want to learn more about marine life, research, and conservation? Subscribe to our blog and get a weekly message when we post a new blog. Just add your name and email into the subscribe box below.

Burning Krillories – Determining Krill Caloric Content in New Zealand’s South Taranaki Bight

By Nina Mahalingam, University of California Davis, OSU CEOAS REU program

Hello! I’m Nina Mahalingam, a rising junior at the University of California, Davis studying biochemistry and molecular biology. Growing up in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, the Boston Aquarium was practically in my backyard –  and with just one feel of a touch tank, a lifelong affinity for marine sciences began. CEOAS has provided me with a grand opportunity to pursue this passion, and I can’t wait to dip my toes into the salt water!

Figure 1. Nina posing with a Parr Semimicro Calorimeter.

Here at OSU, I’m researching how our tiny friends, the krill, can provide a krill-uminating perspective on trophic ecology and the vitality of marine ecosystems by investigating the caloric content of an understudied species of krill off the coast of New Zealand. Nyctiphanes australis serves as a key prey species to numerous higher trophic levels. Limited knowledge exists regarding the distribution of N. australis in the South Taranaki Bight (STB), with only a handful of studies focused exclusively on the species. The majority of recent information available on the species in the STB came out of research on blue whales and their foraging behaviors (e.g., Barlow et al., 2020). However, given that the spatial distribution of N. australis directly influences the distribution of predator species that depend on them for sustenance (Barlow et. al. 2020), studying the krill may yield a more comprehensive understanding of blue whale behavior as well as ecosystem resilience.

Figure 2. Nyctiphances australis. Photo by A. Slotwinski, CSIRO.

Seawater temperatures around New Zealand have been increasing since 1981 (Sutton & Bowen, 2019), and there is a growing concern about the implications to marine life. In particular, increasing ocean temperatures have had significant impacts on local aquaculture and fisheries (Sutton et al. 2005; Bowen et al. 2017). Although warming trends along the North Island, north of East Cape, have been more severe (around 0.4℃ increase per decade), warming has also been observed in the central and western areas of the STB, averaging around 0.15-0.20℃ increase per decade (Sutton & Bowen, 2019). During Marine Heat Waves (MHWs) (data collected between 2002 and 2018), warming anomalies were observed to decrease phytoplankton presence (Chiswell & Sutton, 2020). Being krill’s primary food source, this suggests a consequent decrease in krill health and reproduction. A recent study on blue whale reproductive patterns in the STB found that whale feeding activity decreased during MHWs, leading to a decline in their reproductive activity during the following breeding season (Barlow et al., 2020). Concurrently, the study observed that there were less krill aggregations and that they were less dense on average (Barlow et al., 2020). This is presumed to be a result of less upwelling nutrients, and therefore poor conditions for krill feeding and reproduction. These findings indicate that the absence of their primary food source, krill, during MHWs can lead to severely negative consequences for the blue whale populations (Barlow et al., 2023).

Anthropogenic activity in the STB, including high vessel traffic, as well as petroleum and mineral exploration and extraction activities, has also been identified as a threat to the local blue whale population (Torres et. al., 2013). Given the cultural significance of the blue whales in this region, there is an urgent need for improved, dynamic management practices in the STB that can be achieved using predictive models to forecast blue whale spatial distribution. Using environmental factors to inform predictive spatial distribution models (SDMs) of blue whales (Redfern et al. 2006, Elith & Leathwick 2009), Barlow et al. (2021) designed a blue whale forecasting tool for managers and decision-makers in New Zealand.

Given the ecological and cultural significance of blue whales and their krill prey in the STB, a Project SAPPHIRE (Synthesis of Acoustics, Physiology, Prey, and Habitat in a Rapidly changing Environment) was developed to examine the impacts of climate change on the health of these crucial species. The overarching goal of Project SAPPHIRE is to measure prey (krill) and predator (blue whales) response to environmental change off the coast of New Zealand. Despite forecasts of high probability of occurrence of blue whales in the STB during the first field season conducted in January-February 2024, both the blue whales and their krill prey were scarce, and it is currently unclear why. My research will focus on examining the calorie content of N. australis in order to advance understanding of how they fulfill the energetic needs of blue whales. Thus, this data can inform future SDMs to forecast impacts of climate change on New Zealand’s marine ecosystem.

Figure 3. Map of SAPPHIRE’s survey effort for 2024. Gray lines represent visual tracking, dotted lines represent aerial tracking. Red dots represent whale sightings and purple stars indicate where two hydrophones were deployed.

This project has already proven tricky – but I’m ready to embrace the challenge. I would like to thank the CEOAS REU program as well as my mentors Kim Bernard, Rachel Kaplan, and Abby Tomita for their continued support. I can’t wait to see what this summer brings!

References

Barlow DR, Klinck H, Ponirakis D, Branch TA, Torres LG. 2023. Environmental conditions and marine heatwaves influence blue whale foraging and reproductive effort. Ecol Evol. 2023;13:e9770.

Barlow D, Kim S. Bernard, Pablo Escobar-Flores, Daniel M. Palacios, Leigh G. 2020. Torres Links in the trophic chain: modeling functional relationships between in situ oceanography, krill, and blue whale distribution under different oceanographic regimes. Marine Ecology Progress Series.

Sutton, P.J.H., & Bowen, M. 2019. Ocean temperature change around New Zealand over the last 36 years. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 53(3), 305–326.

Sutton P.J.H., Bowen M, Roemmich D. 2005. Decadal temperature changes in the Tasman Sea. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 39:1321–1329.

Bowen M, Markham J, Sutton P, Zhang X, Wu Q, Shears N, Fernandez D. 2017. Interannual variability of sea surface temperatures in the Southwest Pacific and the role of ocean dynamics. Journal of Climate.

Stephen M. Chiswell & Philip J. H. Sutton. 2020. Relationships between long-term ocean warming, marine heat waves and primary production in the New Zealand region. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research.

A Summer of Crustacean Investigation

By Matoska Silva, OSU Department of Integrative Biology, CEOAS REU Program

My name is Matoska Silva, and I just finished my first year at Oregon State University studying biology with a focus in ecology. This summer will be my first experience with marine ecology, and I’m eager to dive right in. I’m super excited for the opportunity to research krill due to the huge impacts these tiny organisms have on their surrounding ecosystems. The two weeks I’ve spent in the CEOAS REU so far have been among the most fun and informative of my life, and I can’t wait to see what else the summer has in store for me.

Figure 1. Matoska presents his proposed research to the CEOAS REU program.

I’ve spent most of my life in Oregon, so I was thrilled to learn that my project would focus on krill distribution along the Oregon Coast that I know and love. More specifically, my project focuses on the Northern California Current (NCC, the current found along the Oregon Coast) and the ways that geographic distribution of krill corresponds to climatic conditions in the region. Here is a synopsis of the project:

The NCC system, which spans the west coast of North America from Cape Mendocino, California to southern British Columbia, is notable for seasonal upwelling, a process that brings cool, nutrient-rich water from the ocean depths to the surface. This process provides nutrients for a complex marine food web containing phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, birds, and mammals (Checkley & Barth, 2009). Euphausiids, commonly known as krill, are among the most ecologically important zooplankton groups in the NCC, playing a vital role in the flow of nutrients through the food web (Evans et al., 2022). Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera are the predominant krill species in the NCC, with T. spinifera mainly inhabiting coastal waters and E. pacifica inhabiting a wider range offshore (Brinton, 1962). T. spinifera individuals are typically physically larger than E. pacifica and are generally a higher-energy food source for predators (Fisher et al., 2020). 

Temperature has been previously established as a major factor impacting krill abundance and distribution in the NCC (Phillips et al., 2022). Massive, ecosystem-wide changes in the NCC have been linked to extreme warming brought on by the 2014-2016 marine heatwave (Brodeur et al., 2019). Both dominant krill species have been shown to respond negatively to warming events in the NCC, with anomalous warm temperatures in 2014-2016 being linked to severe declines in E. pacifica biomass and with T. spinifera nearly disappearing from the Oregon Coast (Peterson et al., 2017). Changes in normal seasonal size variation and trends toward smaller size distributions in multiple age groups have been observed in E. pacifica in response to warming in northern California coastal waters (Robertson & Bjorkstedt, 2020). 

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a worldwide climatic pattern that has been linked to warming events and ecosystem disturbances in the California Current System (McGowan et al., 1998). El Niño events of both strong and weak intensity can result in changes in the NCC ecosystem (Fisher et al., 2015). Alterations in the typical zooplankton community accompanying warm water conditions and a decline in phytoplankton have been recorded in the NCC during weak and strong El Niño occurrences (Fisher et al., 2015). A strong El Niño event occurred in 2023 and 2024, with three-month Oceanic Niño Index means reaching above 1.90 from October 2023 to January 2024 (NOAA Climate Prediction Center, https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/data/indices/oni.ascii.txt).   

Figure 2. A graph of the ONI showing variability across two decades. Retrieved from NOAA at https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-variability-oceanic-nino-index 

While patterns in krill responses to warming have been described from previous years,  the effects of the 2023-2024 El Niño on the spatial distribution of krill off the Oregon coast have not yet been established. As climate models have predicted that strong El Niño events may become more common due to greenhouse warming effects (Cai et al., 2014), continuing efforts to document zooplankton responses to El Niño conditions are vital for understanding how the NCC ecosystem responds to a changing climate. By investigating krill spatial distributions in April 2023, during a period of neutral ENSO conditions following a year of La Niña conditions, and April 2024, during the 2023-2024 El Niño event, we can assess how recent ENSO activity has impacted krill distributions in the NCC. In addition to broader measures of ENSO, we will examine records of localized sea surface temperatures (SST) and measurements of upwelling activity during April 2023 and 2024.

Understanding spatial distribution of krill aggregations is both ecologically and economically relevant, with implications for both marine conservation and management of commercial fisheries. Modeling patterns in the distribution of krill species and their predators has potential to inform marine management decisions to mitigate human impacts on marine mammals like whales (Rockwood et al., 2020). The data used to identify krill distribution were originally collected as part of the Marine Offshore Species Assessments to Inform Clean Energy (MOSAIC) project. The larger MOSAIC initiative centers around monitoring marine mammals and birds in areas identified for possible future development of offshore wind energy infrastructure. The findings of this study could aid in the conservation of krill consumers during the implementation of wind energy expansion projects. Changes in krill spatial distribution are also important for monitoring species that support commercial fisheries. Temperature has been shown to play a role in the overlap in distribution of NCC krill and Pacific hake (Merluccius productus), a commercially valuable fish species in Oregon waters (Phillips et al., 2023). The findings of my project could supplement existing commercial fish abundance surveys by providing ecological insights into factors driving changes in economically important fisheries.

Figure 3. The study area and transect design of the MOSAIC project, during which active acoustic data was collected (MOSAIC Project, https://mmi.oregonstate.edu/marine-mammals-offshore-wind). 

I’m very grateful for the chance to work on a project with such important implications for the future of our Oregon coast ecosystems. My project has a lot of room for additional investigation of climate variables, with limited time being the main constraint on which processes I can explore. There are also unique methodological challenges to address during the project, and I’m ready to do some experimentation to work out solutions. Wherever my project takes me, I know that I will have developed a diverse range of skills and knowledge of krill by the end of the summer.

References

Brinton, E. (1962). The distribution of Pacific euphausiids. Bulletin of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 8(2), 51-270. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6db5n157 

Brodeur, R. D., Auth, T. D., & Phillips, A. J. (2019). Major shifts in pelagic micronekton and macrozooplankton community structure in an upwelling ecosystem related to an unprecedented marine heatwave. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00212 

Cai, W., Borlace, S., Lengaigne, M., van Rensch, P., Collins, M., Vecchi, G., Timmermann, A., Santoso, A., McPhaden, M. J., Wu, L., England, M. H., Wang, G., Guilyardi, E., & Jin, F. F. (2014). Increasing frequency of extreme El Niño events due to greenhouse warming. Nature Climate Change, 4, 111–116. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2100 

Checkley, D. M., & Barth, J. A. (2009). Patterns and processes in the California Current System. Progress in Oceanography, 83, 49–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2009.07.028 

Evans, R., Gauthier, S., & Robinson, C. L. K. (2022). Ecological considerations for species distribution modelling of euphausiids in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 79, 518–532. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2020-0481 

Fisher, J. L., Peterson, W. T., & Rykaczewski, R. R. (2015). The impact of El Niño events on the pelagic food chain in the northern California Current. Global Change Biology, 21, 4401–4414. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.13054 

Fisher, J. L., Menkel, J., Copeman, L., Shaw, C. T., Feinberg, L. R., & Peterson, W. T. (2020). Comparison of condition metrics and lipid content between Euphausia pacifica and Thysanoessa spinifera in the Northern California Current, USA. Progress in Oceanography, 188, 102417. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2020.102417

McGowan, J. A., Cayan, D. R., & Dorman, L. M. (1998). Climate-ocean variability and ecosystem response in the Northeast Pacific. Science, 281, 210–217. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.281.5374.210 

Phillips, E. M., Chu, D., Gauthier, S., Parker-Stetter, S. L., Shelton, A. O., & Thomas, R. E. (2022). Spatiotemporal variability of Euphausiids in the California Current Ecosystem: Insights from a recently developed time series. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 79,   1312–1326. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsac055 

Phillips, E. M., Malick, M. J., Gauthier, S., Haltuch, M. A., Hunsicker, M. E., Parker‐Stetter, S. L., & Thomas, R. E. (2023). The influence of temperature on Pacific hake co‐occurrence with euphausiids in the California Current Ecosystem. Fisheries Oceanography, 32, 267–279. https://doi.org/10.1111/fog.12628

Peterson, W. T., Fisher, J. L., Strub, P. T., Du, X., Risien, C., Peterson, J., & Shaw, C. T. (2017). The pelagic ecosystem in the Northern California Current off Oregon during the 2014–2016 warm anomalies within the context of the past 20 years. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 122(9), 7267–7290. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jc012952 

Robertson, R. R., & Bjorkstedt, E. P. (2020). Climate-driven variability in Euphausia pacificasize distributions off Northern California. Progress in Oceanography, 188, 102412.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2020.102412

Are You Seeing Scars Too?: Examining Gray Whale Scars and Skin Conditions

By Serina Lane, GEMM Lab NSF REU Intern, Georgia Gwinnett College

Hello, everyone! My name is Serina and I’m a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Intern at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) this summer. I’ve had a love for the ocean for as long as I can remember. Honestly, it started off with just dolphins, but I soon started to realize that the ocean is full of fascinating creatures!

How I ended up here…well, I’ve never been to Oregon, I’m escaping the hot weather of Georgia, but I’m also getting to interact with like-minded marine biologists and experienced individuals at an amazing marine laboratory. At the age of 29, I’m also an older undergraduate student, and I will be graduating soon! I took a very long break from academics and coming back was hard, especially switching from business to biology. I have participated in surveys that asked how I felt about the statement “I am a scientist,” along with the degrees of agree and disagree. For most of my undergraduate career, I picked “slightly disagree”. I was getting great grades, but I did not feel like I was ever going to be able to accomplish the type of work scientific papers are written about. I really felt the need to gain more experience in the career path I intended to follow. All of these are the whirlwind ingredients that went into applying for the HMSC REU Internship at OSU! I’m being mentored by the lovely Natalie Chazal and Leigh Torres, and I am grateful for the opportunity and very excited to experience everything Hatfield has to offer. A little over a week of being here, I already feel my answer sliding from “neutral” to even “slightly agree”. There is still so much to learn!

The project I’m helping with is analyzing the scarring and skin conditions of Eastern North Pacific gray whales alongside the GRANITE team. My job will be analyzing over 100,000 pictures from the past eight years to detect various scars and potential skin conditions (yes, the comma is in the correct spot and no, there are no extra 0’s). Scars can come from a variety of sources such as boat propellers, fishing gear, and killer whales! A study conducted by Corsi et al. consisted of documenting killer whale rake marks (bites, essentially) on different types of whales in the eastern North Pacific. Their results showed that gray whales had the highest percentage of observed rake marks in sighted individuals, and provided insight into why body sections of observed marks are important. Most baleen whales had rake marks predominantly on their flukes, because they are often used for defense and if fleeing, are the closest area to bite. Fascinatingly, Corsi et al. consider that the higher occurrences of gray whale rake marks are due to killer whales adopting species-specific hunting approaches. Gray whales have predictable migratory routes, and we already know how intelligent killer whales can be. If I knew a truck had a specific delivery route and I could wait to intercept a fresh delivery of Krispy Kreme donuts, why wouldn’t I? 

Donuts aside, I’ll also be categorizing where the scars/skin conditions are located – for example, certain regions on the tail (like above) or on their left or right back (often due to boat collisions). Then I’ll define what I believe to be the source of scarring and rate my confidence in that decision based on the photo. Now, not all of the photos are clear enough for me to make informed decisions, so realistically I could end up with only a few hundred usable photos. At the end of the summer, we’ll gather the results and compare the different rates of scarring sources and the body parts where they occurred, and analyze any patterns in skin conditions, such as whether a skin condition has worsened or improved on an individual we have sighted multiple times over the years.

 Figure 1. A little look into a table I made to give examples of what scarring from different sources look like.

Surprisingly, cetaceans can heal deep wounds on their own without medical intervention. Scientists have discovered that compounds in their blubber layer, such as organohalogens and isovaleric acid, may naturally fight off infections and help wounds heal faster. Unlike humans and other terrestrial animals that form scabs when injured, cetaceans develop a different protective layer over their wounds. This layer consists of degenerative cells mixed with tiny bubbles and covers the injured area. This unique adaptation might help protect the wound from seawater and other environmental factors. While there have been studies on how surface wounds heal in captive dolphins and whales, there’s still much to learn about how these animals heal large, deep wounds. Understanding how wounds heal can help us to more accurately assess the frequency at which whales are wounded, whether it be from fishing gear or boats, to cookie cutter sharks or killer whales.

It seems like a lot, and it is, but our ultimate goal is to assess the effects that scarring and skin conditions can have in the ecology of marine megafauna. Assessing the individual gray whales in the photos can provide a bigger picture of the health of a whole population. We can also look for any patterns of skin conditions between mother and calf, individuals that are around each other often, adults and juveniles, or males and females. Scars may also play a role in a population’s health. If a gray whale had an open wound previously, did it develop into a skin condition? Did a skin condition worsen? Did it leave them more vulnerable to predators? These are the questions we would like to elaborate on with this research. A great read on this topic was conducted by Dawn R. Barlow, Acacia L. Pepper and Leigh G. Torres, which will be in the references below (Barlow et al., 2019). A better understanding of potential patterns is a better assessment of our current marine management practices. Is it enough, or do we need to change and do more?

Okay, lastly, let’s talk about artificial intelligence (AI). Would using AI methods for this project make our lives easier? Yes. If we could train AI to accurately identify specific scars and skin conditions, our 100,000 photos could be done within minutes. For my job security, woo no AI! But on a serious note, this approach could free up time that could be spent on other efforts, or speed up the process of assessing marine management. However, we gain so much by reviewing the photos ourselves which is still important to do when training AI on what specifics to search for. Over the summer, I’m going to get to know different whales and see how they may change over 8 years, just by their pictures. My excitement grew as soon as I looked at my first 3 gray whales and learned their names. It’s forever important to remember that we can always learn from sharing connections with the organisms we study and interact with. We share the same planet and we have to work together to preserve it. I thank you all for taking a trip through our summer research with me and I hope to meet some of you around Hatfield!

References

Barlow, D. R., Pepper, A. L., & Torres, L. G. (2019a). Skin deep: An assessment of New Zealand blue whale skin condition. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2019.00757 

Bradford, A. L., Weller, D. W., Ivashchenko, Y. V., Burdin, A. M., & Brownell, Jr, R. L. (2009). Anthropogenic scarring of Western Gray Whales (Eschrichtius robustus). Marine Mammal Science, 25(1), 161–175. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2008.00253.x 

Corsi, E., Calambokidis, J., Flynn, K. R., & Steiger, G. H. (2021). Killer whale predatory scarring on Mysticetes: A comparison of rake marks among blue, humpback, and gray whales in the eastern North Pacific. Marine Mammal Science, 38(1), 223–234. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12863 

NOAA. (2020, April 4). Fisheries of the United States. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/sustainable-fisheries/fisheries-united-states

Hamilton, P. K., & Marx, M. K. (2005). Skin lesions on North Atlantic right whales: Categories, prevalence and change in occurrence in the 1990s. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 68, 71–82. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao068071 

Pettis, H. M., Rolland, R. M., Hamilton, P. K., Brault, S., Knowlton, A. R., & Kraus, S. D. (2004). Visual health assessment of north atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) using photographs. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 82(1), 8–19. https://doi.org/10.1139/z03-207 

Silber, G. K., Weller, D. W., Reeves, R. R., Adams, J. D., & Moore, T. J. (2021). Co-occurrence of gray whales and vessel traffic in the North Pacific Ocean. Endangered Species Research, 44, 177–201. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01093 Sun, L., Engle, C., Kumar, G., & van Senten, J. (2022). Retail market trends for Seafood in the United States. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 54(3), 603–624. https://doi.org/10.1111/jwas.12919

Expand your rolodex and meet some more IndividuWhales!

In case you aren’t already aware, I want to remind you of a website called IndividuWhale we created about Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whales we study as part of our GRANITE project. IndividuWhale features stories of some of the Oregon coast’s most iconic gray whales, as well as information about how we study them, stressors they experience in our waters, and even a game to test your gray whale identification skills. We also provide details about where to best spot gray whales along our coast and the different behaviors you might see gray whales displaying at different times of the year. Since launching the website in late 2021, we have made small tweaks and updates along the way, but now, after about 2.5 years, the time has come for a major content update as we are introducing you to three new individuals and their stories! Head over to IndividuWhale.com to check out the updates or continue reading for a preview of the content…

Lunita

Even though “Lunita” is only two years old (as of 2024), they (sex currently unknown!) have quickly become a star of our dataset and hearts. We documented Lunita as a calf with their mother “Luna” (hence the name Lunita, which means little Luna/moon) in 2022. We observed the mom-calf pair in our study area for almost two weeks during which it seemed like Lunita was a very attentive calf, always staying close to Luna and appearing to benthic feed alongside their mom. As is often the case when we document mom–calf pairs, we wonder whether we will see the calf again and how it will fair in an environment increasingly impacted by human activities. Much to our delight, we were reunited with Lunita later in the same summer when we saw them feeding independently, indicating that they had successfully weaned. We were even more delighted when we were reunited with Lunita again many times during the summer of 2023 as Lunita spent almost the entire feeding season along the central Oregon coast. This is yet another example, much like “Cheetah” and “Pacman,” of successful internal recruitment of calves born to PCFG females into the PCFG sub-population.

Lunita’s high site fidelity to our study area in 2023 meant that she was an excellent candidate for the suction-cup tagging we have been conducting in the last few years. During suction-cup tagging, we attach a device (or tag) via suction cups to a whale’s back. The tag contains a number of different sensors, including an accelerometer (to measure speed), a gyroscope (to measure direction), and a magnetometer (to measure magnetic field), as well as a high-definition video camera and hydrophone (or underwater microphone). These tags typically stay on for a maximum of 24 hours before they pop off the whale leaving no harm to the whale. Upon retrieval, we can recreate the whale’s dive path and see the environment and conditions that the whale experienced over several hours. We sometimes refer to tagging as giving the gray whales some temporary jewelry because the tags are a very flashy, bright orange color. From the video from Lunita’s tag shows how they soared through kelp forests feeding on mysids for many, many hours. Check out their profile here: https://www.individuwhale.com/whales/lunita/

Burned

There are many ways to assess the health of a whale. In our lab, we calculate body condition from drone images to determine how fat or skinny a whale is, examine different hormones from their poop, and assess growth rates via length measurements from drone images. Another health assessment metric that we explore in the lab is the skin and scarring on the individuals that we see in our central Oregon study area. By conducting a skin and scarring analysis, we can identify scarring patterns and lesions that may indicate interactions with human activities and track the progression of skin diseases that will help us understand the prevalence and impacts of pathogens on whales. One skin condition that we are particularly interested in tracking appears as a thick white or gray layer that can mask a gray whale’s natural pigmentation. An example of a whale that has experienced this skin condition is “Burned.”

Burned is a female who is at least 9 years old (as of 2024), as she was first documented in the PCFG range in 2015. We saw Burned for the first time in 2016. At the time, we noticed small, isolated, gray patches of the skin condition on both sides of Burned’s body. Throughout the years as we have continued to resight Burned, we noticed the skin condition spreading progressively across her body. We saw the skin condition at its maximum extent in 2022 when, at first glance, Burned was hardly recognizable. Luckily, we can identify gray whales using more than just their pigmentation patterns (learn more on our whale identification page). Interestingly, when we saw Burned in June 2024, it appeared that the skin condition completely disappeared! Burned is just one example of whales with this skin condition, leaving us with many questions about its origin and impact on the whales: What causes the skin condition (viral, fungal, bacterial?); How it is transmitted (via air or contact?); Is it harmful to the whale (weakened immune system?). Our research is aimed at addressing these questions to make this skin condition a little less mysterious. Check out her profile here: https://www.individuwhale.com/whales/burned/

Heart

“Heart,” who is also known as “Ginger,” is a very well known and popular whale in the Depoe Bay region. Heart is a female who is particularly famous for being a “tall fluker,” meaning that when she dives, she arches her tail fluke high in the air before it glides elegantly into the water. Heart was first documented as a calf in 2010, which means that she is 14 years old (as of 2024). At 14 years of age, we would expect for Heart to have had at least one, if not more, calves by now, as it is believed that gray whales reach sexual maturity at age 8 or 9. However, Heart has never been documented with a calf. Why?

While we cannot know for sure, we have a theory that it might be linked to her body length. Recent work in our lab has explored how growth of PCFG whales has changed over time. Using measurements of whales from our drone data, we  investigated how the asymptotic length (i.e. the final length reached once an individual stops growing) for the PCFG whales has changed since the 1980s. Shockingly, we found that starting in the year 2000 the asymptotic length of PCFG whales has declined at an average rate of 0.05–0.12 meters per year. Over time, this means that a whale born in 2020 is expected to reach an adult body length that is 13% shorter than a gray whale born prior to 2000. In Heart’s case specifically, when we last measured her length at 13 years old, she was 10.65 meters long. If she had been born prior to 2000, then she would be 12.04 meters long by now at the age of 13. That’s a whole 1.5 meters (or almost 5 feet) shorter!

You might be wondering how Heart’s length links back to her ability to have a calf. It takes a lot of energy to be pregnant and support the fetus, so by being smaller, Heart may not be able to store and allocate enough energy towards reproduction. Many of the whales we commonly see are shorter than expected based on their age (including “Zorro”), so we are monitoring the number and frequency of calves in the PCFG to see how this decline in length may impact the population. Check our her profile here: https://www.individuwhale.com/whales/heart/

Be sure to head over to IndividuWhale.com to explore all of the whale profiles and lots of other information that we have provided there about PCFG gray whales and how we study them here in Oregon waters!

Did you enjoy this blog? Want to learn more about marine life, research, and conservation? Subscribe to our blog and get a weekly message when we post a new blog. Just add your name and email into the subscribe box below.

Blubber and Barnacles: An Introduction to Cetacean Skin Disease

By Natalie Chazal, PhD student, OSU Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, & Conservation Sciences, Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab

Ever noticed how our skin gets pruny and overly soft after just ten minutes in the water? That’s because human skin is adapted for life on dry land, where retaining moisture is a primary concern. In contrast, cetaceans have evolved remarkable adaptations to thrive in the cold, salty ocean water for their entire lives. Understanding cetacean skin is crucial for conservation efforts, as it allows us to monitor and assess the overall health of these marine populations. By analyzing skin conditions, we can identify scarring patterns and lesions that may indicate interactions with human activities, such as entanglements or boat strikes, which can inform more effective risk assessment and mitigation strategies. Additionally, tracking the progression of skin diseases provides vital information on the prevalence and impact of pathogens, in order to guide more targeted management strategies to improve whale health and population resilience in their changing environments. To fully appreciate why monitoring skin diseases in cetaceans matters, let’s first explore the anatomy and physiology of cetacean skin and understand how scarring and diseases occur.

Whale skin has similar layers to our own, but modified over millions of years of evolution. Thicker than terrestrial mammals, the epidermis (the outermost layer) in marine mammals is designed to help maintain hydration in a hyperosmotic (very salty) environment where water is trying to flow into the cells of the whale. This top layer sloughs off at the surface as new cells are continuously renewed. The hypodermis, or blubber layer, is composed of primarily vascularized fat cells which insulate, store energy, and regulate buoyancy (Figure 1). 

Figure 1. Major layers of whale skin with the pop up showing a detailed figure of the epidermal/hypodermal junction (Mouton et al. 2011). 

Some other interesting skin adaptations that allow whales to maximize their efficiency underwater include near hairlessness, no sweat glands, and high levels of melanin. First, cetacean hairlessness helps them reduce drag in the water, but they don’t quite lack all hair. Most species of whales have hair around their mouths when they’re developing in the womb and then lose their hair either before birth or shortly after. Some species, like the humpback, have tubercles that are modified hair follicles to help them sense their surroundings, similar to whiskers on a dog. Second, because sweating is not effective for thermoregulation in the aquatic environment, whales have lost the sweat gland structure in their skin, making it slightly less permeable than terrestrial mammals. Their lack of glands also means that whales don’t secrete their own oils to maintain the moisture of the skin. So, if they’re exposed to dry air, their skin will dry out faster than the skin of terrestrial mammals. Lastly, melanin pigments vary from species to species. You can easily see this when we compare lateral surface photos of different species (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Comparison of surfacing photos between blue whales (upper left), Cuvier’s beaked whale (upper right), gray whale (lower left), and beluga whale (lower right) coloration. Blue and gray whale photos from GEMM Lab, beaked whale photo from Cascadia Research Collective (https://cascadiaresearch.org/files/Discriminating-between-Cuviers-and-Blainvilles-beaked-whales.pdf), and beluga whale photo from NOAA (https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/event/2022-belugas-count)

This difference in coloration can be used by animals for camouflage either to avoid predators or to help ambush prey, and helps us to identify the species while they are at the surface. Coloration can also change as an animal ages and can help signal to us or other conspecifics the age or reproductive status of the individual (Caro et al. 2011). The melanin that creates these different colorations can protect whales against the harmful effects of UV radiation by absorbing and dissipating UV radiation, which decreases how far it penetrates into the skin, reducing cell damage (Morales-Guerrero et al. 2017). 

Thus, whale skin is very well adapted to the aquatic environment, from thick blubber layers to no sweat glands. However, despite these adaptations, cetaceans remain vulnerable to a range of pathogens. The major skin diseases documented in whales can fall into 4 categories: viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic. Viral infections in cetaceans involve the invasion of host cells, where viruses replicate and cause cell death or dysfunction, leading directly to skin lesions or nodules. Viruses can also manipulate the host immune response, suppressing immunity and exacerbating inflammation, which further contributes to skin damage. In contrast, fungal infections typically involve fungal growth and colonization on the skin surface or within tissues, with some fungi producing toxins that directly damage cells or provoke inflammatory responses (Espregueira et al. 2023). Bacterial infections in cetaceans often result from bacterial invasion and multiplication within skin tissues, accompanied by toxin production that damages cells and triggers a robust inflammatory response (Bressem et al. 2009). Parasitic infections, such as barnacle and whale lice infestations, can cause irritation, abrasions, and compromise the skin’s protective function, leading to localized inflammation and potential secondary infections. 

Understanding the specific causes of skin conditions in cetaceans is crucial because different pathogens spread through populations in distinct ways, impacting both individuals and population level health. Viral infections, for instance, can spread rapidly within populations through direct contact or respiratory droplets, potentially leading to widespread outbreaks and systemic effects. Fungal infections may persist in environmental reservoirs (spores of fungus can exist in seawater, sediment, organic marine debris, and the air) and can affect multiple individuals over time, particularly in conditions favoring fungal growth. Bacterial infections often spread through direct contact or contaminated environments, posing risks of localized outbreaks and secondary complications. Parasitic infestations, such as barnacles and whale lice, can transmit between individuals through close contact or shared habitat spaces (Romero et al 2012). By accurately identifying the causative agents of skin diseases, we can assess their transmission dynamics, anticipate population-level impacts, and implement targeted management strategies to mitigate disease spread and preserve whale health.

There are complex factors that contribute to skin disease prevalence in cetaceans. Environmental degradation, chemical pollution, climate change, and other anthropogenic stressors are known to lower immune systems, and degrade prey quality and quantity (Bressem et al. 2009). To understand the interactions between disease and the environment, we have to begin by establishing baseline health metrics. This summer, we will characterize an emerging skin disease in gray whales (see Zorro’s progression in Figure 3) using the photographs taken from the last 9 years of GRANITE fieldwork. Gray whales are particularly vulnerable to environmental threats because of their reliance on nearshore habitats. Unlike some other cetacean species that venture into deeper waters, gray whales are primarily coastal dwellers, feeding on benthic and epi-benthic organisms found in shallow, nutrient-rich waters. This dependence on nearshore environments exposes them to numerous risks. Pollution from runoff, oil spills, and plastic debris accumulates in these coastal waters, disrupting their immune systems leaving them more susceptible to disease. Climate change can induce shifts in the environment that alter the availability and quality of these habitats, potentially forcing them into proximity of other animals or places that harbor more disease. Habitat degradation due to coastal development and human activities like overfishing and increased vessel traffic further restricts their access to critical feeding areas (Bressem et al. 2009).

Figure 3. Comparisons of Zorro (a PCFG gray whale) between a year with no skin condition, 2020 (left panels) and this year where he came back covered in an unknown skin condition, 2024 (right panels). The upper panels capture his left side and the lower panels capture his right side.

These cumulative impacts increase the susceptibility of gray whales to diseases and stressors, highlighting the urgent need for baseline health assessments and identifying early signs of environmental stress (Stimmelmayr 2020). By documenting and analyzing skin conditions of gray whales through photographs, we can track changes over time and correlate them with environmental factors like pollution levels or habitat alterations. This non-invasive approach not only provides valuable insights into the prevalence and severity of skin diseases but also helps to understand broader ecological health trends in gray whale populations. 

P.S. Check out IndividuWhale to explore some great examples of how the skin condition of some of the local Oregon PCFG gray whales compare to each other and how we use their specific markings to help identify them in the field. 

References

Barlow, D.R., Pepper, A.L., Torres, L.G., 2019. Skin Deep: An Assessment of New Zealand Blue Whale Skin Condition. Frontiers in Marine Science 6.

Bressem, M.-F.V., Raga, J.A., Guardo, G.D., Jepson, P.D., Duignan, P.J., Siebert, U., Barrett, T., Santos, M.C. de O., Moreno, I.B., Siciliano, S., Aguilar, A., Waerebeek, K.V., 2009. Emerging infectious diseases in cetaceans worldwide and the possible role of environmental stressors. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 86, 143–157. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02101

Callewaert, C., Ravard Helffer, K., Lebaron, P., 2020. Skin Microbiome and its Interplay with the Environment. Am J Clin Dermatol 21, 4–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-020-00551-x

Caro, T., Beeman, K., Stankowich, T., Whitehead, H., 2011. The functional significance of colouration in cetaceans. Evol Ecol 25, 1231–1245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-011-9479-5

Espregueira Themudo, G., Alves, L.Q., Machado, A.M., Lopes-Marques, M., da Fonseca, R.R., Fonseca, M., Ruivo, R., Castro, L.F.C., 2020. Losing Genes: The Evolutionary Remodeling of Cetacea Skin. Front. Mar. Sci. 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.592375

Menon, G.K., Elias, P.M., Wakefield, J.S., Crumrine, D., 2022. CETACEAN EPIDERMAL SPECIALIZATION: A REVIEW. Anat Histol Embryol 51, 563–575. https://doi.org/10.1111/ahe.12829

Morales-Guerrero, B., Barragán-Vargas, C., Silva-Rosales, G.R., Ortega-Ortiz, C.D., Gendron, D., Martinez-Levasseur, L.M., Acevedo-Whitehouse, K., 2017. Melanin granules melanophages and a fully-melanized epidermis are common traits of odontocete and mysticete cetaceans. Veterinary Dermatology 28, 213-e50. https://doi.org/10.1111/vde.12392

Mouton, M., Botha, A., Mouton, M., Botha, A., 2012. Cutaneous Lesions in Cetaceans: An Indicator of Ecosystem Status?, in: New Approaches to the Study of Marine Mammals. IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/54432

Pitman, R.L., Durban, J.W., Joyce, T., Fearnbach, H., Panigada, S., Lauriano, G., 2020. Skin in the game: Epidermal molt as a driver of long-distance migration in whales. Marine Mammal Science 36, 565–594. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12661

Romero, A., Keith, E.O., 2012. New Approaches to the Study of Marine Mammals. BoD – Books on Demand.

Stimmelmayr, R., Gulland, F.M.D., 2020. Gray Whale (Eschrichtius robustus) Health and Disease: Review and Future Directions. Frontiers in Marine Science 7.

Su, C.-Y., Hughes, M.W., Liu, T.-Y., Chuong, C.-M., Wang, H.-V., Yang, W.-C., 2022. Defining Wound Healing Progression in Cetacean Skin: Characteristics of Full-Thickness Wound Healing in Fraser’s Dolphins (Lagenodelphis hosei). Animals (Basel) 12, 537. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12050537

Van Bressem, M.-F., Van Waerebeek, K., Duignan, P.J., 2022. Tattoo Skin Disease in Cetacea: A Review, with New Cases for the Northeast Pacific. Animals 12, 3581. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12243581

Reflecting on a solitary journey surrounded by an incredible team

Clara Bird, PhD Candidate, OSU Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab

Graduate school is an odd phase of life, at least in my experience. You spend years hyperfocused on a project, learning countless new skills – and the journey is completely unique to you. Unlike high school or undergrad, you are on your own timeline. While you may have peers on similar timelines, at the end of day your major deadlines and milestone dates are your own. This has struck me throughout my time in grad school, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately as I approach my biggest, and final milestone – defending my PhD! 

I defend in just about two months, and to be honest, it’s very odd approaching a milestone like this alone. In high school and college, you count down to the end together. The feelings of anticipation, stress, excitement, and anticipatory grief that can accompany the lead-up to graduation are typically shared. This time, as I’m in an intense final push to the end while processing these emotions, most of the people around me are on their own unique timeline. At times grad school can feel quite lonely, but this journey would have been impossible without an incredible community of people.

A central contradiction of being a grad student is that your research is your own, but you need a variety of communities to successfully complete it. Your community of formal advisors, including your advisor and committee members, guide you along the way and provide feedback. Professors help you fill specific knowledge and skill gaps, while lab mates provide invaluable peer mentorship. Finally, fellow grad students share the experience and can celebrate and commiserate with you. I’ve also had the incredible fortune of having the community of the GRANITE team, and I’ve recently been reflecting on how special the experience has been.

To briefly recap, GRANITE stands for Gray whale Response to Ambient Noise Informed by Technology and Ecology (read this blog to learn more). This project is one of the GEMM lab’s long-running gray whale projects focused on studying gray whale behavior, physiology, and health to understand how whales respond to ocean noise. Given the many questions under this project, it takes a team of researchers to accomplish our goals. I have learned so much from being on the team. While we spend most of the year working on our own components, we have annual meetings that are always a highlight of the year. Our team is made up of ecologists, physiologists, and statisticians with backgrounds across a range of taxa and methodologies. These meetings are an incredible time to watch, and participate in, scientific collaboration in action. I have learned so much from watching experts critically think about questions and draw inspiration from their knowledge bases. It’s been a multi-year masterclass and a critically important piece of my PhD. 

The GRANITE team during our first in person meeting

These annual meetings have also served as markers of the passage of time. It’s been fascinating to observe how our discussions, questions, and ideas have evolved as the project progressed. In the early years, our presentations shared proposed research and our conversations focused on working out how on earth we were going to tackle the big questions we were posing. In parallel, it was so helpful to work out how I was going to accomplish my proposed PhD questions as part of this larger group effort. During the middle years, it was fun to hear progress updates and to learn from watching others go through their process too. In grad school, it’s easy to feel like your setbacks and stumbles are failures that reflect your own incompetence, but working alongside and learning from these scientists has helped remind me that setbacks and stumbles are just part of the process. Now, in the final phase, as results abound, it feels extra exciting to celebrate with this team that has watched the work, and me grow, from the beginning. 

The GRANITE team taking a beach walk after our second in person meeting.

We just wrapped up our last team meeting of the GRANITE project, and this year provided a learning experience in a phase of science that isn’t often emphasized in grad school. For graduate students, our work tends to end when we graduate. While we certainly think about follow-up questions to our studies, we rarely get the opportunity to follow through. In our final exams, we are often asked to think of next steps outside the constraints of funding or practicality, as a critical thinking exercise. But it’s a different skillset to dream up follow-up questions, and to then assess which of those questions are feasible and could come together to form a proposal. This last meeting felt like a cool full-story moment. From our earliest meetings determining how to answer our new questions, to now deciding what the next new questions are, I have learned countless lessons from watching this team operate. 

The GRANITE team after our third in person meeting.

There are a few overarching lessons I’ll take with me. First and foremost, the value of patience and kindness. As a young scientist stumbling up the learning curve of many skills all at once, I am so grateful for the patience and kindness I’ve been shown. Second, to keep an open mind and to draw inspiration from anything and everything. Studying whales is hard, and we often need to take ideas from studies on other animals. Which brings me to my third takeaway, to collaborate with scientists from a wide range of backgrounds who can combine their knowledges bases with yours, to generate better research questions and approaches to answering them.

I am so grateful to have worked with this team during my final sprint to the finish. Despite the pressure of the end nearing, I’m enjoying moments to reflect and be grateful. I am grateful for my teachers and peers and friends. And I can’t wait to share this project with everyone.

P.S. Interested in tuning into my defense seminar? Keep an eye on the GEMM lab Instagram (@gemm_lab) for the details and zoom link.

Did you enjoy this blog? Want to learn more about marine life, research, and conservation? Subscribe to our blog and get a weekly alert when we make a new post! Just add your name into the subscribe box below!

New publication reveals gray whale habitat use patterns over three decades in the Northern California Current

By Dr. Dawn Barlow, Postdoctoral Scholar, OSU Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab

The EMERALD project (Examining Marine mammal Ecology through Regional Assessment of Long-term Data) has reached a milestone with a recent publication detailing our findings on long-term gray whale distribution, abundance, and habitat use patterns (Barlow et al. 2024). The study is made possible by an incredible dataset. Every May-July since 1992, a team of observers surveyed the coastline between the Columbia River at the border between Oregon and Washington and San Francisco Bay, California for marbled murrelets, a seabird species of conservation concern. They drive a small vessel along pre-determined tracklines, and record observations of seabirds and marine mammals—not just marbled murrelets—and fortunately for us, that means there is a record of annual gray whale distribution and abundance patterns that spans over three decades.

The Crescent Coastal Research team collecting survey data. We are incredibly grateful to Craig Strong and the many folks who collected these valuable observations over the years!

We analyzed these valuable data using density surface modeling to better understand what drives gray whale distribution and abundance, what their habitat preferences are, and whether and how these occurrence patterns have changed over time. I am excited to share a few of our findings here!

Long-term, stable hotspots

The survey data revealed three main areas with consistently high gray whale density: the central Oregon Coast off Newport, Cape Blanco off Oregon’s south coast, and the mouth of the Klamath River in northern California. Despite fluctuations in how many whales were observed over the years, these areas have remained predicable hotspots for gray whales during their summer feeding season.

(A) Mean gray whale encounter rate (whales/kilometers surveyed) summarized by year, across all latitudes. (B) Mean gray whale encounter rate summarized by 1° latitude bin, across all years. White indicates times and locations with no survey effort. (C) Mean gray whale encounter rate summarized by year and 1° latitude bin. (D) Map of the study area, with region boundaries shown by the dashed lines, and major placenames denoted. Figure and caption reproduced from Barlow et al. 2024.

Key regional differences

Major features like prominent capes divide the California Current into different regions with distinct oceanographic characteristics. We found that gray whales showed different habitat preferences in the different regions. In the northern part of our study area between the Columbia River and Cape Blanco, we found that rocky bottom substrate was strongly related to areas of higher gray whale abundance, despite being far less available than soft, sandy bottom habitat. In the region between Cape Blanco and Cape Mendocino, gray whales were more abundant in areas south of prominent capes and in closer proximity to river estuaries.

Coastal upwelling and relaxation are key

Coastal upwelling—the process by which winds in the spring and summer push surface water offshore that is then replaced by cold, nutrient-rich water that is brought into the sunlight and drives an abundance of marine life—is a critically important influence in the oceanography, ecology, and biodiversity of our study region. But relaxation of those upwelling winds is also important for coastal species, as relaxation events allow the upwelled nutrients to be retained in the nearshore waters and enhance and aggregate local productivity and prey. We found that gray whale abundance was highest when there was a combination of both upwelling and relaxation events—a critical balance of “enough but not too much”—that seems to be optimal for gray whale feeding opportunities in nearshore waters.

You are what, where, and how you eat

Gray whales are incredibly flexible predators and have a wide range of prey items they are known to feed on. We found that throughout our study range, gray whales have different habitat preferences. As they spend their summers here to feed, these habitat preferences are linked to their foraging preferences. Off the central Oregon Coast, gray whales are known to feed on zooplankton that aggregate around rocky reefs and kelp forests (Hildebrand et al. 2022, 2024).

A gray whale surfaces in a patch of kelp, foraging around a rocky reef. UAS image credit: GEMM Lab.

Further south, in the region between Cape Blanco and Cape Mendocino that encompassed the long-term hotspot of gray whale sightings off the Klamath River, our models revealed different habitat preferences. In the soft-bottom habitat off the Klamath River, gray whales are known to do more benthic feeding, whereby they scoop up the seafloor and filter out the invertebrates in the sediment such as amphipods and cumaceans (Mallonée 1991, Jenkinson 2001).

A gray whale surfaces with a mouth full of muddy sediment, filtering out the invertebrate prey. UAS image credit: GEMM Lab.

These differences in regional habitat preferences and preferred prey likely relate to larger-scale phenomena as well. Indeed, when we looked at how gray whale abundance in different regions related to widespread warm or cool phases in the North Pacific Ocean, the responses differed by region. This aspect of the study indicates that what gray whales eat and where they forage influences how they respond to shifting environmental conditions and prey availability.

Conservation of an iconic nearshore predator

The unique mosaic of habitat characteristics throughout the Northern California Current summer feeding range of gray whales provides them the opportunity to gain the energetic stores they need to survive, reproduce, and migrate. Thus, the reliability of these resources has led them to return to these stable foraging hotspots year after year. Under climate change, one potential impact on upwelling systems is shifts in the intensity and location of upwelling (Bograd et al. 2023); in the Northern California Current, this could mean reduced relaxation events that we found are crucial for gray whales feeding in this habitat. Furthermore, these whales overlap with human activities such as vessel disturbance, entanglement and vessel strike risk, and ocean noise throughout the foraging season, and have to bear the consequences of these anthropogenic stressors (Sullivan & Torres 2018, Lemos et al. 2022, Pirotta et al. 2023) as they also navigate changing environmental conditions. Our study highlights the value of long-term monitoring to better understand present ecological patterns in the context of the past, which can be used to inform conservation management decisions for the future.

For more details, we invite you to read the full, open access publication here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-59552-z

Did you enjoy this blog? Want to learn more about marine life, research, and conservation? Subscribe to our blog and get a weekly alert when we make a new post! Just add your name into the subscribe box below!

References

Barlow DR, Strong CS, Torres LG (2024) Three decades of nearshore surveys reveal long-term patterns in gray whale habitat use, distribution, and abundance in the Northern California Current. Sci Rep 14:9352.

Bograd SJ, Jacox MG, Hazen EL, Lovecchio E, Montes I, Pozo Buil M, Shannon LJ, Sydeman WJ, Rykaczewski RR (2023) Climate Change Impacts on Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems. Ann Rev Mar Sci 15:1–26.

Hildebrand L, Derville S, Hildebrand I, Torres LG (2024) Exploring indirect effects of a classic trophic cascade between urchins and kelp on zooplankton and whales. Sci Rep 14.

Hildebrand L, Sullivan FA, Orben RA, Derville S, Torres LG (2022) Trade-offs in prey quantity and quality in gray whale foraging. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 695:189–201.

Jenkinson RS (2001) Gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus) prey availability and feeding ecology in Northern California, 1999-2000. Humboldt State University

Lemos L, Haxel J, Olsen A, Burnett JD, Smith A, Chandler TE, Nieukirk SL, Larson SE, Hunt KE, Torres LG (2022) Effects of vessel traffic and ocean noise on gray whale stress hormones. Sci Rep 12:1–13.

Mallonée JS (1991) Behaviour of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) summering off the northern California coast, from Patrick’s Point to Crescent City. Can J Zool 69:681–690.

Pirotta E, Fernandez Ajó A, Bierlich KC, Bird CN, Buck CL, Haver SM, Haxel JH, Hildebrand L, Hunt KE, Lemos LS, New L, Torres LG (2023) Assessing variation in faecal glucocorticoid concentrations in gray whales exposed to anthropogenic stressors. Conserv Physiol 11:coad082.

Sullivan FA, Torres LG (2018) Assessment of vessel disturbance to gray whales to inform sustainable ecotourism. J Wildl Manage 82:896–905.

Measure faster! New tools for automatically obtaining body length and body condition of whales from drone videos

Dr. KC Bierlich, Postdoctoral Scholar, OSU Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, & Conservation Sciences, Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab

Monitoring the body length and body condition of animals can help provide important information on the health status of individuals and their populations, and can even serve as early warning signs if a population is adapting to habitat changes or is at risk of collapse (Cerini et al., 2023). As discussed in previous blogs, drone-based photogrammetry provides a method for non-invasively collecting important size measurements of whales, such as for detecting differences in body condition and length between populations, and even diagnosing pregnancy. Thus, using drones to collect measurement data on the growth, body condition, and pregnancy rates of whales can help expedite population health assessments to elicit conservation and management actions.

However, it takes a long time to manually measure whales filmed in drone imagery. For every video collected, an analyst must carefully watch each video and manually select frames with whales in good positions for measuring (flat and straight at the surface). Once frames are selected, each image must then be ranked and filtered for quality before finally measuring using a photogrammetry software, such as MorphoMetriX. This entire manual processing pipeline ultimately delays results, which hinders the ability to rapidly assess population health. If only there was a way to automate this process of obtaining measurements…

Well now there is! Recently, a collaboration between researchers from the GEMM Lab, CODEX, and OSU’s Department of Engineering and Computer Science published a manuscript introducing automated methods for obtaining body length and body condition measurements (Bierlich et al., 2024). The manuscript describes two user-friendly models: 1) “DeteX”, which automatically detects whales in drone videos to output frames for measuring and 2) “XtraX”, which automatically extracts body length and body condition measurements from input frames (Figure 1). We found that using DeteX and XtraX produces measurements just as good as manual measurement (Coefficient of Variation < 5%), while substantially reducing the processing time by almost 90%. This increased efficiency not only saves hours (weeks!) of manual processing time, but enables more rapid assessments of populations’ health.

Future steps for DeteX and XtraX are to adapt the models so that measurements can be extracted from multiple whales in a single frame, which could be particularly useful for analyzing images containing mothers with their calf. We also look forward to adapting DeteX and XtraX to accommodate more species. While DeteX and XtraX was trained using only gray whale imagery, we were pleased to see that these models performed well when trialing on imagery of a blue whale (Figure 2). These results are encouraging because it shows that the models can be adapted to accommodate other species with different body shapes, such as belugas or beaked whales, with the inclusion of more training data.

We are excited to share these methods with the drone community and the rest of this blog walks through the features and steps for running DeteX and XtraX to make them even easier to use.

Figure 1. Overview of DeteX and XtraX for automatically obtaining body length and body condition measurements from drone-based videos.

Figure 2. Example comparing manual (MorphoMetriX) vs. automated (XtraX) measurements of a blue whale.

DeteX and XtraX walkthrough

Both DeteX and XtraX are web-based applications designed to be intuitive and user-friendly. Instructions to install and run DeteX and XtraX are available on the CODEX website. Once DeteX is launched, the default web-browser automatically opens the application where the user is asked to select 1) the folder containing the drone-based videos to analyze and 2) the folder to save output frames (Figure 3). Then, the user can select ‘start’ to begin. The default for DeteX is set to analyze the entire video from start to finish at one frame per second; if recording a video at 30 frames per second, the last (or 30th) frame is processed for each second in the video. There is also a “finetune” version of DeteX that offers users much more control, where they can change these default settings (Figure 4). For example, users can change the defaults to increase the number of frames processed per second (i.e., 10 instead of 1), to target a specific region in the video rather than the entire video, and adjust the “detection model threshold” to change the threshold of confidence the model has for detecting a whale. These specific features for enhanced control may be particularly helpful when there is a specific surfacing sequence that a user wants to have more flexibility in selecting specific frames for measuring.

Figure 3. A screenshot of the DeteX web-based application interface.

Figure 4. The DeteX “finetune” version provides more control for users to change the default settings to target a specific region in the video (here between 3 min 00 sec and 3 min 05 sec), change the number of frames per second to process (now 10 per second), and the detection threshold, or level of confidence for identifying a whale in the video (now a higher threshold at 0.9 instead of the default at 0.8).

Once output frames are generated by DeteX, the user can select which frames to input into XtraX to measure. Once XtraX is launched, the default web-browser automatically opens the application where the user is asked to select 1) the folder containing the frames to measure and 2) the folder to save the output measurements. If the input frames were generated using DeteX, the barometric altitude is automatically extracted from the file name (note, that altitudes collected from a LiDAR altimeter can be joined in the XtraX output .csv file to then calculate measurements using this altitude). The image width (pixels) is automatically extracted from the input frame metadata. Users can then input specific camera parameters, such as sensor width (mm) and the focal length of the camera (mm), the launch height of the drone (i.e., if launching from hand when on a boat), and the region along the body to measure body condition (Figure 5). This region along the body is called the Head-Tail range and is identified as the area where most lipid storage takes place to estimate body condition. To run, the user selects “start”. XtraX then will output a .png file of each frame showing the keypoints (used for the body length measurement) and the shaded region (used for the body condition estimate) along the body to help visual results so users can filter for quality (Figure 6). XtraX also outputs a single .csv containing all the measurements (in meters and pixels) with their associated metadata.

Figure 5. User interface for XtraX. The user specifies a folder containing the images to measure and a folder to save the outputs measurements, and then can enter in camera specifications, the launch height of the drone (to be added to the barometer altitude) and the range of body widths to include in the body condition measurement (in the case, 0.2 and 0.7 correspond to body region between widths 20% and 70% of the total length, respectively).

Figure 6. Example output from XtraX showing (red) keypoints along the body to measure body length and the (green) shaded region used for body condition.

We hope this walkthrough is helpful for researchers interested in using and adapting these tools for their projects. There is also a video tutorial available online. Happy (faster) measuring!

References

Bierlich, K. C., Karki, S., Bird, C. N., Fern, A., & Torres, L. G. (2024). Automated body length and body condition measurements of whales from drone videos for rapid assessment of population health. Marine Mammal Science, e13137. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13137

Cerini, F., Childs, D. Z., & Clements, C. F. (2023). A predictive timeline of wildlife population collapse. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 7(3), 320–331. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-01985-2

Disentangling the whys of whale entanglement

By Lindsay Wickman, Postdoctoral Scholar, Oregon State University Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab

Previously on our blog, we mentioned  the concerning rise of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) entanglement in fishing gear on the US West Coast (see here and here). Gaining an improved understanding of the rate of entanglement and risk factors of humpback whales in Oregon are primary aims of the GEMM Lab’s SLATE and OPAL projects. In this post, I will discuss some reasons why whales get entangled. With whales generally regarded as intelligent, it is understandable to wonder why whales are unable to avoid these underwater obstacles.

Figure 1. Wrapping scars like these at the base of the flukes indicate this humpback whale was previously entangled. Photo taken under NOAA/NMFS permit #21678 to John Calambokidis.

Fishing lines are hard to detect underwater

Water clarity, depth, and time of day can all influence how visible a fishing line is underwater.  Since baleen whales lack the ability to discriminate color (Levenson et al., 2000; Peichl et al. 2001), the brightly colored yellow and red ropes that make it easier for fishermen to find their gear make it harder for whales to see it underwater. White or black ropes may stand out better for whales (Kot et al., 2012), but there’s not enough evidence yet to suggest they reduce entanglement rates.

Whales have excellent hearing, but this may still not be enough to ensure detection of underwater ropes. Even if whales can hear water currents flowing over the rope, this noise can easily be masked by other sounds like weather, surf, and passing boats. Fishing gear also has a weak acoustic signature (Leatherwood et al., 1977), or it may be at a frequency not heard by whales. So even though whales produce and listen for sounds to help locate prey (Stimpert et al., 2007) and communicate, any sound produced by fishing lines may not be sufficient to alert whales to its presence.

There are very few studies that examine the behavior of whales around fishing gear, but a study of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) by Kot et al. (2017) provides an exception. Researchers observed whales slowing down as they approached their test gear, and speeding up once they were past it (Kot et al., 2017). While the scope of the study was too small to generalize about whales’ ability to detect fishing gear, it does suggest whales can detect fishing gear, at least some of the time. There is also likely some individual variation in this skillset. Less experienced, juvenile humpback whales, for example, may be at a higher risk of entanglement than adults (Robbins, 2012).

Distracted driving?

Just like distracted drivers are more likely to crash when texting or eating, whales may be more likely to get entangled when they are preoccupied with behaviors like feeding or socializing.

Evidence suggests feeding is especially risky for entanglement. An analysis of entanglements in the North Atlantic found that almost half (43%) of the humpback whales were entangled at the mouth, and the mouth was also the most common attachment point for North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis, 77%; Johnson et al., 2005). In a study of minke whales in the East Sea of Korea, 80% of entangled whales had recently fed (Song et al, 2010). In many cases, entanglement at the mouth can severely restrict feeding ability, resulting in emaciation and/or death (Moore and van der Hoop, 2012).

Figure 2. A North Atlantic right whale with fishing gear attached at the mouth. Photo credit: NOAA Photo Library.

More whales, more heat waves, and more entanglements

On the US West Coast, the number of humpback whales has been increasing since the end of whaling (e.g., Barlow et al, 2011). With more whales in our waters, it makes sense that the number of entanglements will increase. Still, a larger population size is probably not the only reason for increasing entanglements.

Climate change, for example, may place whales in the areas with dense fishing gear much more often. A recent example of this was during 2014–2016, when a heatwave on the US West Coast led to a cascade of events that increased the likelihood of whale entanglements in California waters (Santora et al., 2020).

The increased temperatures led to a bloom of toxic diatoms, which delayed the commercial fishing season for Dungeness crabs in California. Unfortunately, the delay caused fishing to resume right as high numbers of whales were arriving from their annual migration from their breeding grounds. The wider ecosystem effects of the heat wave also meant humpback whales were feeding closer to shore — right where most crab pots are set. The combination of both the fisheries’ timing and the altered distribution of whales contributed to an unprecedented number of entanglements (Santora et al., 2020).

Whale entanglement is a concerning issue for fishermen, conservationists, and wildlife managers. By disentangling some of the whys of entanglement for humpback whales in Oregon, we hope our research can contribute to improved management plans that benefit both whales and the continuity of the Dungeness crab fishery. To learn more about these projects, visit the SLATE and OPAL pages, and subscribe to the blog for more updates.

Did you enjoy this blog? Want to learn more about marine life, research, and conservation? Subscribe to our blog and get a weekly message when we post a new blog. Just add your name and email into the subscribe box below.

References

Barlow, J., Calambokidis, J., Falcone, E.A., Baker, C.S., Burdin, A.M., Clapham, P.J., Ford, J.K., Gabriele, C.M., LeDuc, R., Mattila, D.K. and Quinn, T.J. (2011). Humpback whale abundance in the North Pacific estimated by photographic capture‐recapture with bias correction from simulation studies. Marine Mammal Science, 27(4), 793-818.

Johnson, A., Salvador, G., Kenney, J., Robbins, J., Kraus, S., Landry, S., and Clapham, P. (2005). Fishing gear involved in entanglements of right and humpback whales. Marine Mammal Science, 21, 635–645.

Kot, B.W., Sears, R., Anis, A., Nowacek, D.P., Gedamke, J. and Marshall, C.D. (2012). Behavioral responses of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) to experimental fishing gear in a coastal environment. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 413, pp.13-20.

Leatherwood, J.S., Johnson, R.A., Ljungblad, D.K., and Evans, W.E. (1977). Broadband Measurements of Underwater Acoustic Target Strengths of Panels of Tuna Nets. Naval Oceans Systems Center, San Diego, CA Tech, Rep. 126.

Levenson, D.H., Dizon, A., and Ponganis, P.J. (2000). Identification of loss-of-function mutations within the short wave-length sensitive cone opsin genes of baleen and odontocete cetaceans. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 41, S610.

Moore, M. J., and van der Hoop, J. M. (2012). The painful side of trap and fixed net fisheries: chronic entanglement of large whales. Journal of Marine Sciences, 2012.

Peichl, L., Behrmann, and G., Kröger, R.H.H. (2001). For whales and seals the ocean is not blue: a visual pigment loss in marine mammals. European Journal of Neuroscience, 13, 1520–1528.

Robbins J. (2012). Scar-based inference Into Gulf of Maine humpback whale entanglement: 2010. Report EA133F0 9CN0253 to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service. Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown, MA.

Santora, J. A., Mantua, N. J., Schroeder, I. D., Field, J. C., Hazen, E. L., Bograd, S. J., Sydeman, W. J., Wells, B. K., Calambokidis, J., Saez, L., Lawson, D., and Forney, K. A. (2020). Habitat compression and ecosystem shifts as potential links between marine heatwave and record whale entanglements. Nature Communications, 11(1).

Song, K.-J., Kim, Z.G., Zhang, C.I., Kim, Y.H. (2010). Fishing gears involved in entanglements of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) in the east sea of Korea. Marine Mammal Science, 26, 282–295.

Stimpert, A.K., Wiley, D.N., Au, W.W.L., Johnson, M.P., Arsenault, R. (2007). “Megapclicks”: acoustic click trains and buzzes produced during night-time foraging of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Biology Letters, 3, 467–470.