A study is pointing to the issue of microplastics contamination in the food chain. Specifically, according to a study recently published in Frontiers in Toxicology, microplastics are widely present in commonly eaten Oregon seafood.
Scientists know our bodies are full of microplastics. What are they doing to us?
(December 18, 2024)
Op-ed: A stalled global plastic treaty threatens our future fertility
(December 10, 2024)
A major sticking point in negotiations remains the regulation of plastic chemicals, many of which impact our hormones and ability to reproduce.
Spearfisherman comes face to face with great white shark off Oregon Coast
(December 4, 2024)
“It’s more often than not a shark is going to see you than you are going to see the shark. I’m sure this fisherman has had a shark around them before,” said Oregon State University professor Taylor Chapple.
Meet the 2025 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Finalists
(October 3, 2024)
Mee-ya Monneedy was announced as a Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Finalist.
Understanding Microplastics: Insights from Experts on Environmental and Human Health
(September 24, 2024)
A team of scientists from Arizona, Oregon and Rhode Island had been tracking a pregnant, porbeagle shark for hundreds of miles from New England to Bermuda when it was killed.
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“Historically they were called salmon sharks because they were seen at the river mouths up in Alaska eating salmon," Alexandra McInturf, a researcher with Oregon State University, said.
Oregon State University researchers have made the first scientific confirmation in Puget Sound of two distinct shark species, one of them critically endangered.
Hours after tagging an endangered basking shark off the coast of Ireland in April, researchers captured what they believe is the first ever video of a shark or any large marine animal being struck by a boat.
President Biden Announces Key Nominees
(July 23, 2024)
President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Lisa T. Ballance to serve as a key leader in his administration. Lisa T. Ballance is the nominee to be Chair and Member of the Marine Mammal Commission.
Researchers discover new shark species in Puget Sound
(July 12, 2024)
A team made up of researchers from Oregon State, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and NOAA are scanning the waters of South Puget Sound trying to uncover the mysteries of these newly discovered species in our waters.
Gray whales that spend their summers feeding in the shallow waters off the Pacific Northwest coast have undergone a significant decline in body length since around the year 2000, a new Oregon State University study found.
Roberto Ponce Velez, an OSU junior in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences has been named a 2024 Udall Scholar in the Environment category.
Researchers developed a machine learning algorithm known as a convolutional neural network to mine the recordings for murrelet calls.
Hatfield Marine Science Day April 13
(April 11, 2024)
Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport will host its annual science fair and open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 13.
Study shows short pesticide exposure harms fish
(March 11, 2024)
Although pesticides can rid your home of cockroaches or farm fields of unwanted insects, they also can harm fish and potentially even people, according to a new study from Oregon State University.
Experts urge federal action to keep microplastics out of drinking water
(February 27, 2024)
American drinking water has some of the highest concentrations of microscopic plastic waste of anywhere in the world, a group of environmental experts told the Senate.
Marine heat waves appear to trigger earlier reproduction, high mortality in early life stages and fewer surviving juvenile Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska, a new study from Oregon State University shows.
Oceanic Cacophony
(December 21, 2023)
The ocean is a pretty loud place, and anthropogenic noise is adding another layer to the soundscape.
Researchers look to fill gaps in understanding tufted puffins
(November 24, 2023)
Rachael Orben, an assistant professor and researcher at Oregon State University, has been leading efforts to document what puffins eat by taking high quality photographs of the seabirds as they land at burrows on Haystack Rock.
Blue whales: Ocean giants return to 'safe' tropical haven
(November 22, 2023)
Blue whales - the largest animals on Earth - are making their home in a part of the Indian Ocean where they were wiped out by whaling decades ago.
OSU-Cascades to host science pub talk on sharks
(November 2, 2023)
Oregon State University-Cascades will host a science pub talk Nov. 14 on sharks and research at the Chapple Big Fish Lab at the university's Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport.
Commercial whaling in the 20th century decimated populations of large whales but also appears to have had a lasting impact on the genetic diversity of today’s surviving whales, new research from Oregon State University shows.
Science Pub talk on sharks set for October in Corvallis
(September 19, 2023)
Oregon State University’s Science Pub event return in October to Corvallis focused on the secret lives of sharks. The talk will take place at 6 p.m. Oct. 4 at the Old World Deli. It can be attended in person or viewed online and is free.
Marie Tosa explores the intricate relationship between social behavior, disease transmission, and survival rules among bighorn sheep.
In Search of the Baby Sharks
(July 21, 2023)
Scientists are helping bring back shark populations that were overfished in the 1980s and studying baby sharks in an effort to better understand how better to share the oceans. NBC’s Anne Thompson reports for TODAY.
Studying what the whales eat, and what they poop, shows just how ubiquitous microparticle pollution has become.
How Far Will Salmon Swim for a Craft Beer?
(July 6, 2023)
In Oregon, researchers hope a surprising aroma will lure stray salmon back to their home hatcheries.
Oregon State University researchers are now visiting nearly two dozen coastal sites to find out what visitors know about Oregon’s Marine Reserves and whether their visits will help foster change in habits to curb climate change.
It’s tick season in Oregon. Here’s what you need to know
(April 4, 2023)
From cleaning up your yard to wearing light-colored clothes, there are things you can do to protect yourself from ticks.
How do emerging pollutants such as microplastics and pesticides affect aquatic ecosystems? Ecotoxicologist Susanne M. Brander joins the podcast today to discuss her work on this poignant topic of research…
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Congratulations to Dr. Dana Sanchez for receiving the 2023 Frances Dancy Hooks Award!
OSU researcher revisits dead orca saga through genetic analysis
(January 2, 2023)
Earlier this year, KLCC reported on a killer whale carcass spotted off the Oregon Coast. While the carcass was never recovered, an Oregon State University researcher has made some determinations from its genetic residue.
Get to know 10 of Oregon’s most famous gray whales
(December 20, 2022)
You may have seen some gray whales off the Oregon coast, but how familiar are you with them, really?
Satellite-Linked Tag Improves Long-Term Whale Tracking
(December 13, 2022)
Researchers can monitor whales more effectively with the new RDW tag developed by Oregon State University.
Northwest scientists study source of pervasive plastic pollution
(December 1, 2022)
Plastic doesn’t decompose but degrades into smaller pieces that will remain in the environment for thousands of years
"Older than dinosaurs," lamprey back at Miller Lake
(November 27, 2022)
Jordan Ortega caught the six brown trout as an Oregon State University graduate student who's part of a team working to get lamprey back into Miller Lake.
Global plastic treaty should address chemicals
(November 24, 2022)
In March, the global community agreed to establish a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution. To deliver on this goal, the treaty needs to cover all issues of plastics chemicals as an inseparable part of the problem.