{"id":6272,"date":"2026-07-25T11:43:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T18:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/gemmlab\/?p=6272"},"modified":"2026-07-25T11:54:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T18:54:41","slug":"scanning-for-whales-with-sharp-eyes-and-smooth-riffs-meet-team-quick-with-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/gemmlab\/2026\/07\/25\/scanning-for-whales-with-sharp-eyes-and-smooth-riffs-meet-team-quick-with-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Scanning for whales with Sharp Eyes and Smooth Riffs: Meet Team Quick-with-it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Celest Sorrentino, GEMM Lab MSc Student, OSU Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Lab<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

July has rolled around just as quickly as the coastal winds sweep across the south coast of Oregon, bringing in a new team for the 2026 TOPAZ\/JASPER field season, the projects\u2019 12th<\/sup> year in the running. This season also marks my third summer as part of the long-standing TOPAZ\/JASPER legacy: first learning the ropes alongside Team Protein and master\u2019s student Allison Dawn in 2024, then growing into my role as the on-site lead for Team Dabwich in 2025 with both Leigh and Lisa\u2019s invaluable guidance from Newport, and now returning once again to guide the 2026 team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With each season, I have gained a deeper appreciation for the collaboration and genuine passion required to sustain a long-term project like ours. I am especially grateful for the foundation created by previous master’s students Florence Sullivan, Lisa Hildebrand, and Allison Dawn, and for Leigh\u2019s unwavering dedication and effort for TOPAZ\/JASPER to continue year after year. Now a week and a half into the field season, the team has completed their first 10-day stretch of training, and morale remains just as high as it was on day one. Each year unites an entirely new and exciting mix of undergraduate and high school interns, and the 2026 team is no exception.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adrian Ruiz <\/strong>got a head start by joining the GEMM lab in June as our NSF REU intern for this summer. Originally from Santa Rosa, Adrian just completed his second year at CSU Monterey Bay studying Marine Science. Using a microscope to identify tiny bits in the water is no new feat, since at CSUMB he interned along Dr. Matt Scott Savoca and Chad King identifying microplastics from water samples taken in the Monterey Bay area, as part of a larger project investigating the potential health risk for marine mammals. As the oldest brother of three, Adrian naturally acts as a gentle instructive team member for the younger interns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(left) Adrian reviewing drone footage of pygmy blue whale mother-calf pairs using BORIS for his REU project.<\/em> (middle) Celest and Adrian out on the kayak in PO. (right) Adrian and fellow TOPAZ\/JASPER HS intern Gavin C working together as cliff team<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gavin Vierra <\/strong>is one of our high school interns residing in Lakeside, OR. Gavin was one of our first applicants for the TOPAZ\/JASPER project this year, where his curious spirit shined through. Having spent most of his life fishing and kayaking, spending a few hours on the water is nothing new. However, Gavin is truly in his element when cooking, as his love for making others feel at home manifests in delicious pasta meals for post-fieldwork dinner, such as chicken alfredo and three-cheese penne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(left) Gavin V with his grandmother and nephew in California. (middle) Gavin V. whipping up some French Toast for the team. (right) Gavin V and Adrian learning how to ocean kayak in sync during our kayak training with Southcoast Tours.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Owen Fewell<\/strong> is an upcoming senior at OSU studying Fisheries and Wildlife. Originally from Marin County, CA, his earliest memories begin in the outdoors, ocean kayaking along the dynamic coastline of Point Reyes with his parents. Also, an older brother like Adrian, Owen’s personality as a natural jester helps keep morale high even after spending 5 hours navigating to our stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(left) Throwback picture of Owen ocean kayaking with his parents in Point Reyes. (middle) Celest, Owen, and Gavin V out on the kayak in Tichenor Cove after completing all of Mill Rocks stations.<\/em> (right) Owen and Adrian practicing some stability at Natural Bridges.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gavin Cada <\/strong>is our second high school intern from Brookings-Harbor High School. Having moved to the south coast from Las Vegas, NV, just this past year, the coastal system is an entirely new world. In Nevada, Gavin became fascinated with wildlife, taking photographs of birds and reptiles. Now, as part of the TOPAZ\/JASPER project, he spends each day on the cliff, eager for a gray whale visitor to finally put his photography skills to the test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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(left) Gavin C. learning how to use a microscope and processing a zooplankton sample. (right) Gavin C. creating a “start fix” to start out cliff team’s observation effort. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although whales haven\u2019t been observed quite yet, morale remains high both out on the cliff and on the water. Reports of whale sightings prior to the team\u2019s arrival, and the hope of witnessing a gray whale surface alongside while on the kayak, continue to inspire each morning\u2019s 6:30 AM wake up. Through challenging waves and long hours scanning the horizon, this team has found the best way to stay sharp is through riffing off one another and testing each other with some of the best riddles Reddit has to offer. The team has also enjoyed gearing up for the next day by watching the Transformers<\/em> movies, and carrying that same action-movie intensity onto the water by dramatically narrating our paddles: \u201cIn a world where light meets darkness, two men. One kayak. One dream. Twelve stations. Countless zooplankton. Missing whales. Their mission: brave the insurmountable waves and descend into the unforgiving depths to retrieve the samples that could save the planet. This summer\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n