Semester By the Bay

In fall 2022 I worked as a Harbor porpoise researcher under NOAA. I helped document Harbor porpoise mating behavior and created an ID catalog for porpoises in the Kachemak Bay in Homer, Alaska. Click image to learn more!

During fall 2022, under the instruction of Lee Post and Dr. Debbie Tobin, we skeletally articulated an adult beluga skeleton. This skeleton is going on display at the Museum of the North in Fairbanks, AK. We also excavated a different beluga whale skeleton for the fall 2023 semester by the bay students to articulate.

This program monitors the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) population stock. I conducted photo ID, participated in Belugas Count!, and helped with public outreach/awareness. I attended and led AKBMP beluga monitoring sessions and filled out field data forms.

In fall 2022 I worked as a member of the marine mammal stranding program through the Sea Life Center in Alaska. I helped respond to live and dead stranded marine mammals such as sea otters, assisted in a sea otter necropsy, filled out level A forms, taking measurements+samples, and relocated the carcasses. 

During fall 2022, under the instruction of Dr. Debbie Tobin, we created a bone atlas for the Stejneger beaked whale (Mesoplodon stejnegeri) using still 2D imaging, Polycam 3D imaging, and Blender software. This work resulted in the publication: Stejneger’s Beaked Whale, Mesoplodon stejnegeri, Skeletal Atlas Project & 2D & 3D Bone Inventory Protocols  Click title to view.

For this research, I conduced surface and depth samples from the Kenai River to analyze the eDNA. I used a sampling stick for the surface samples, a Kemmerer for the depth samples, and a vacuum system for water filtering.