OSU Marine Mammal Institute Gray Whale Presentation

Over the past eight years, the GEMM Lab at the Marine Mammal Institute at OSU has studied the ecology and health of Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG) gray whales that forage in the coastal waters of Oregon. We use multiple tools to understand these whales’ health, behavior, and environment, including drones, poop collection, suction cup video tags, hydrophones, underwater GoPro videos, and prey collection. In this talk, Lisa Hildebrand will discuss recent findings made by the GEMM Lab, including the prey quality and estimated microplastic consumption rates of PCFG whales, contrasting body condition and morphology, unique foraging behaviors, and impacts of rapid habitat change on PCFG foraging rates. These findings highlight the unique life history strategy, threats, and culture of PCFG gray whales.

Lisa Hildebrand is a Ph.D. candidate at Oregon State University in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Leigh Torres in her Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna lab. She is an international student from Germany who very quickly after moving here in the fall of 2018 fell in love with Oregon and all it has to offer. Lisa has undertaken research on a handful of marine mammal species including bottlenose dolphins, harbor seals, humpback, blue, and now, gray whales, who have become the focus of her graduate research.