About OSU's Hatfield Marine Science Center: The center is a research and teaching facility located in Newport, Ore., on the Yaquina Bay estuary, about one mile from the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. It plays an integral role in programs of marine and estuarine research and instruction, as a laboratory serving resident scientists, as a base for far-ranging oceanographic studies and as a classroom for students. In addition to Oregon State researchers and students, its campus includes research activities and facilities from five different state and federal agencies.

Modeling predicts blue whales’ foraging behavior, aiding population management efforts

Scientists can predict where and when blue whales are most likely to be foraging for food in the California Current Ecosystem, providing new insight that could aid in the management of the endangered population in light of climate change and blue whale mortality due to ship strikes, a new study shows.

The Sounds of Science: Acoustic tags reveal Dungeness crab range – and some interesting visitors

Oregon State University marine ecologist Sarah Henkel glued acoustic tags onto several legal-sized Dungeness crabs near the mouth of the Columbia River and off Cape Falcon, then deployed acoustic receivers north and south of the two locations to learn more about their movements.

OSU names NOAA director of marine mammal science as head of its Marine Mammal Institute

Lisa Ballance, an ecologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California, has been named director of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University.

PNAS Study: Migrating blue whales rely on memory more than environmental cues to find prey

Blue whales reach their massive size by relying on their exceptional memories to find historically productive feeding sites rather than responding in real time to emerging prey patches, a new study concludes.

Study finds Oregon’s unique “resident” gray whales actually move around quite a bit

A new study found that Oregon's population of "resident" gray whales actually travels quite a bit, though they have strong preferences for certain locations.

New Oregon license plate featuring gray whales available beginning Feb. 1

A new Oregon license plate, with the image of a gray whale mother and her calf, will be available at Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles offices throughout the state beginning on Feb. 1.

Sidebar: Floating glass, plastic reveal new red algal genera and species, possibly from tsunami

An Oregon State University researcher analyzing debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami has discovered two new species of red algae – one that attaches to plastic debris, the other is found only on glass.

Algae from Japanese tsunami debris hasn’t taken a foothold, though many were “global invaders”

Researchers have identified 84 species of marine algae and cyanobacteria that arrived in the Northwest via debris from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and, to date, none have gained a foothold in U.S. coastal waters.

Researchers discover deepest known underwater volcanic eruption

A team of researchers has documented a recent volcanic eruption on the Mariana back-arc in the western Pacific Ocean that is about 2.8 miles below the ocean surface, making it the deepest known eruption on Earth.

Study: Unmanned “drones” give scientists new insights into gray whale behavior

Scientists using drones have discovered new behaviors by gray whales off the West Coast, including headstands and swimming upside down.

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