We are so pleased to have marine biology doctoral student, Josie Slaathaug, present her timely master’s thesis research. Amidst a shocking population decline and a declared Unusual Mortality Event throughout their range, gray whales began seasonally occurring in San Francisco Bay in 2018. As their occurrence continued, concerning numbers of individuals were dying in the San Francisco Bay Area. The difference between the mortality here and across the range was the primary cause of death - in the Bay Area it has been found to be trauma related to vessel strikes. Please join us as Josie shares what her examination of these whales has revealed.
This free event is 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. To donate, please visit our website https://www.acs-sfbay.org/donate. We are grateful for your support!
PHOTO CREDIT: MARC WEBBER TMMC
Bio: Josie Slaathaug is a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow, whose work on gray whale mortality in San Francisco Bay is widely recognized by media outlets such as The New York Times, BBC, The Guardian, PBS, Science News, and others. Josie grew up on a cattle ranch in South Dakota where she inherited her deep love of nature and conservation work from her Father and Granddad- true stewards of the land. She received her Masters of Science from Sonoma State University and is now continuing her education as a PhD student at Oregon State University co-advised by Dr. Leigh Torres and Dr. Kathleen Hunt. Through both her media outreach, creation of tools such as the Marine Mammal Center's "Meet the Whales" webpage, and direct collaboration with community scientists, Josie has centered public involvement and education throughout her research. Josie remains affiliated with The California Academy of Sciences and continues to collaborate on health-focused gray whale research for her PhD, utilizing biomarkers and methodologies from both alive and dead whales.
