![\"IMG_6948\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/gemmlab\/files\/2015\/05\/IMG_6948.jpg\")
<\/a><\/a>On April 19, I\u00a0went down to Port Orford, OR to participate in “Redfish Rocks on the Docks” \u00a0an outreach event showcasing all the exciting research being done in conjunction with the Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve<\/a> near Port Orford. \u00a0I presented a poster about\u00a0my thesis project: Assessment of vessel disturbance to foraging gray whales on the Oregon Coast to promote sustainable ecotourism, and answered questions while leading folks through our ‘stay warm like a whale’ blubber glove activity. \u00a0It was a beautiful sunny day, but so windy that at times we joked that our tables looked more like geology presentations than marine biology due to all the rocks holding everyone’s papers, photos, and flyers down! Many of the folks who I will be collaborating with over the course of this project also had their own informational booths; South Coast Tours<\/a>, Redfish Rocks Community Team<\/a>, and the\u00a0Oregon Marine Reserves Program<\/a>. The Surfrider<\/a> Foundation and CoastWatch<\/a>\u00a0also had interesting activities and information to share about marine debris and conservation of our oceans. \u00a0My favorite moment of the day was when I was explaining to a little girl how gray whales need to eat a lot of mysid shrimp in order to maintain their\u00a0blubber to stay warm in the frigid ocean – and she intuitively made the jump from the blubber glove to the wetsuit she uses to go swimming! \u00a0It was wonderful to see her thinking critically about the different strategies for heat retention in water.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finally, yesterday, almost the entire lab gave presentations at the Northwest Student Society of Marine Mammals<\/a>\u00a0Annual Meeting. \u00a0The meeting was attended by ~80 interested students and researchers\u00a0from a number of outstanding\u00a0universities including; Western Washington University, University of Washington, Portland State, Stanford University and of course, Oregon State University. \u00a0The day began with an excellent introductory presentation by Dr. Ari Friedlander of our sister BTBEL<\/a> Lab, and then it was on to student presentations. \u00a0Courtney and I presented in the ‘Human Dimensions’ forum on the possibilities of citizen science in marine mammal research and gray whale foraging ecology respectively. \u00a0At lunch, our valiant leader, Leigh, took part in a\u00a0discussion panel and fielded questions from the audience concerning current\u00a0advances in technology and possible\u00a0applications to field work as well as giving professional development advice. \u00a0A few take away messages; Technology can provide wonderful insights, but one should not use a tool just to use a tool. \u00a0Rather, it is important to first ask your question, and then build your methodology and choose your\u00a0tools in a manner most precisely able to answer the questions at hand. \u00a0In regards to professional development, do not discount the benefit of getting international experience – A broad perspective on possible solutions, and strong international collaborations will be necessary to solve many of the management issues facing our oceans today. \u00a0During the\u00a0‘Bioacoustics’ session, Amanda presented her work concerning harbor porpoise spatial distribution. Finally, Sol\u00e8ne presented her work on Maui’s dolphins during the ‘Space and Time’ Session, and walked out having earned the ‘Best Presentation’ Award!! \u00a0Over the past few months that she has been visiting us, she has been a dedicated colleague and a wonderfully cheerful presence in the lab, and it was fantastic to see all her hard work being recognized in this public forum. \u00a0Overall, this NWSSMM conference was a great opportunity to see what other students in the Pacific Northwest region are working on, opened doors for future collaborations and gave us ideas for future projects.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hello Everyone, My name is Florence, and I’m here to update you on all the amazing outreach activities that the GEMM lab has participated in this past month! We started on April 11, with the HMSC-wide Marine Science Day celebrations. \u00a0This year was particularly exciting because the Hatfield Marine Science Center is turning 50 years … Continue reading Sharing the Science! 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