Jim Burke is the Director of Animal Care at the Oregon Coast Aquarium and also oversees their scientific dive program. We sat down with Jim and asked him a few questions about his background and involvement in Oregon’s marine reserves research. Read More
From lingcod life histories and juvenile Dungeness crab genetics, to coralline algae signaling and sea star wasting disease – student research provides invaluable contributions to nearshore ocean and marine reserves science. Read More
Like a doctor diagnosing a disease, learn how we identify the signs of Sea Star Wasting Syndrome. Read More
This week we’re diving into the creatures that call rocky intertidal areas home and highlighting how our research is helping us better understand the biodiversity of this unique ecosystem. Read More
Mollusks have evolved a stunningly effective feeding structure called a radula: a ribbon-like tongue covered with rows of rock-hard, razor-sharp teeth. Read More
Our volunteer anglers have been very busy, helping catch and sample fish during our spring hook and line surveys. So far we’ve completed 5 days of surveys at Cascade Head and 2 days at Cape Perpetua. Read More
A few years ago Oregon’s intertidal zone was stacked with sea stars. Their brilliant bodies splashing red, orange, and purple color across rock surfaces when the tide receded. Now, fewer tidepools are brightened by these critters since the outbreak of sea star wasting syndrome occurred along the West Coast.
In collaboration with the Oregon Coast Aquarium we held our annual re-fresher training course for our volunteer scientific SCUBA divers. This year we will be conducting SCUBA surveys at the Cascade Head Marine Reserve. We have selected our two local fishing vessels to help with this year’s hook-and-line surveys. The surveys will be conducted Read More
In winter and spring, Oregon’s beaches can turn a vivid hue of purplish blue thanks to the invertebrate Velella velella. Also known as “By-the-Wind Sailor,” they are a living blue boat at the mercy of the winds. Storms blow these odd creatures with melodious names ashore, stranding them in uncountable numbers. Read More
Crabs add drama to the intertidal zone. They scurry in and out of rocky crevices in tidepools, and along sandy bottoms beneath the surface of the waves. Read More