During this spectacular event, we heard from acclaimed cetacean expert Marc Webber, cetacean field research associate at the Marine Mammal Center, and member of the Board of Directors of our ACS Chapter. In this presentation, Marc will reported on the sex lives of Harbor Porpoises. We were treated to a sneak preview of his chapter in an upcoming book, “Sex in Cetaceans: Morphology, Behavior, and the Evolution of Sexual Strategies.” Marc will focus on the unique lateralized mating behavior of the species and cover the anatomy and the evolutionary processes behind it. He reviewed what we know about mating behavior and anatomy in all other members of the porpoise family, aka Phocoenidae, and contrasted it to harbor porpoises. Finally, Marc enlightened us on how understanding mating behavior and reproduction in a species can help us in conservation efforts to protect their essential habitat.
Every ACS SF Bay Chapter is a free event and open to the public. Registration is required. A suggested donation of $10 per participant is encouraged and greatly appreciated. Donations help cover webinar costs and support our education and cetacean research grant programs.
ABOUT MARC WEBBER
Marc Webber is currently a cetacean field research associate at the Marine Mammal Center, an organization he has worked with extensively with stranded marine mammals going back to 1976. His current research is on the cetaceans of the San Francisco Bay Area: harbor porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, gray whales, and humpback whales, even as he continues his lifelong fascination with pinnipeds through several ongoing projects.
Marc spent 30 years with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in the National Wildlife Refuge and Marine Mammals Management programs. His last assignment was as Deputy Manager of the 4-million-acre Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to more than 60 percent of North America’s breeding seabirds and provides habitat for numerous pinniped species. He is a contributing author on anthologies of marine mammals, their behavior, and habitats. His fieldwork has taken him around the world from the Antarctic to the Arctic, and the Pacific coast whale migration paths are regular expeditions.
