Guest Speakers to Discuss Whales, Dolphins
The Ocean Institute is pleased participate in the City of Dana Point’s annual Festival of Whales celebration (see www.dpfestivalofwhales.com) the weekends of March 5 & 6 and 12 & 13, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day. The event celebrates the annual migration of the gray whale off our coast.
On both weekends, the Ocean Institute will welcome five respected ocean scientists who will introduce visitors to the fascinating world of whales and dolphins.
Featured speakers include:
Saturday, March 5, 12:30 p.m.: Dr. Gwen Goodmanlowe, Cal State Long Beach. Whale Physiology, Adaptations and Behaviors. She is a full-time lecturer for CSULB’s Department of Biology, and advises students working on degrees in marine biology. She received her doctoral degree in zoology from the University of Hawaii-Honolulu.
Sunday, March 6, 12:30 p.m.: Matt Leslie, Ph.D. candidate, Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Leslie has studied the humpback whale off the coast of Australia and dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as visiting the backwoods of the Ouachita Mountains to trap and track black bears. Some of his current research projects include population structure analysis of fin whales using mitochondrial genomics, performance testing of F-statistic analogues for population structure analysis and developing guidelines for treatment of marine mammal subspecies.
Saturday, March 12, 12:30 p.m.: Karlina Merkens, Ph.D. candidate, Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Merkens will present her current research on how sound can be used as a means to identify characteristics of sperm whales and indicate how they interact with their environment. She uses passive acoustics to learn about cetacean ecology, with a special focus on sperm whales.
Saturday, March 12, 2 p.m.: Robert L. Pitman, The Family that Preys Together: Killer Whale Studies in Antarctic Waters. Pitman is a marine ecologist working for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service within the Protected Resources Division at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla. He began his career 35 years ago studying seabirds and cetaceans, and spends much of the year at sea on research vessels at locations all over the world. His main interest is the Antarctic killer whale ecology and systematics.
Sunday, March 13, 12:30 p.m.: Dr. Simone Baumann-Pickering, Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Baumann-Pickering will discuss the general acoustics of whales and dolphins.
The Institute will also offer learning labs which focus on new discoveries in marine mammal research and allow visitors to explore a variety of fascinating phenomena unique to the whale. Visitors will have the opportunity to listen to underwater whale sounds, enjoy hands-on activities, and create fun children’s crafts. Guests tour the tall ship Pilgrim each day.
Cost: $6.50 adults, $4.50 children (ages 4-12), Ocean Institute members free. No additional charge for participating in a lecture.
For an additional charge, visitors can take a Whale’s Tale Sailing Adventure on the Institute’s tall ship Spirit of Dana Point or enjoy a Marine Mammal Cruise onboard the Institute’s R/V Sea Explorer. For schedules and costs of the cruises, please visit www.ocean-institute.org or call (949) 496-2274.
Founded in 1977, the Ocean Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to ocean preservation through education, setting the standard for educational excellence and serving as a leading resource for universities, museums, teachers and all others seeking to increase their knowledge of the ocean.
The Ocean Institute is open to the general public on weekends, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Unique maritime and ocean-themed items are available in the Chambers Gallery everyday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Institute address: 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr., Dana Point. Website: www.ocean-institute.org. Phone number: (949) 496-2274.
Submitted By;
Jim Graves
