welcome to the Marine Mammal Institute

The OSU Marine Mammal Institute integrates research, graduate education, and public outreach to advance knowledge of marine mammals, train the next generation of professionals, and engage with stakeholders to ensure that these animals and their ecosystems are always healthy.

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The Seasonality of Strandings

To everything there is a season. This old adage certainly applies to the strandings of marine mammals. Spring is generally the busiest time of year for the Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network, because it is a period of great transition in the California Current System.

This is the time of year for the birthing and rearing of harbor seal pups, which live year-round along the Oregon coast. Spring is the season for elephant seals to come ashore to endure their annual “catastrophic molt.” Strandings of Guadalupe fur seals are common, as these small, pelagic pinnipeds often succumb to malnutrition as they explore northern areas of their range. Gray whales are also prone to stranding this time of year from the burden of sustained periods of fasting and migration as they make their way northward to return to their foraging areas.

If you find a distressed or dead marine mammal in Oregon, stay far away from the animal, and call the NOAA West Coast Region Stranding Hotline at 1-866-767-6114.

OSU Marine Mammal Institute Highlights.

Cetacean Conservation and Genomics Laboratory

The Cetacean Conservation and Genomics Laboratory explores the genomes of whales and dolphins to understand the past, assess the present, and conserve the future.

Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Laboratory

The Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Laboratory focuses on the ecology, behavior, and conservation of marine megafauna including cetaceans, pinnipeds, seabirds, and sharks.

Laboratory for Animal Behavioral Interaction Research in the Ocean

The Laboratory for Animal Behavioral Interaction Research in the Ocean integrates animal behavior, ecology, and human dimensions.

Marine Mammal Bioacoustics and Ecology Laboratory

The Marine Mammal Bioacoustics and Ecology Laboratory uses passive acoustic monitoring to study the underwater soundscape around the globe.

Ocean Ecology Laboratory

The Ocean Ecology Laboratory studies animal movement, foraging ecology, health, and population dynamics to support the science-based management of threatened species.

Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network

The Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network documents occurrences and investigates the causes of marine mammal strandings in Oregon. Learn what to do if you find a marine mammal ashore.

Whale Habitat, Ecology, & Telemetry Laboratory

The Whale Habitat, Ecology, and Telemetry Laboratory develops tag technology, advances ecology, and informs conservation of the largest animals on earth.

Marine Offshore Species Assessments to Inform Clean Energy

A federally funded institute-wide project to survey cetaceans and seabirds off the US West Coast to inform the responsible development of offshore wind energy.