The Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve and surrounding area has attracted additional research that is helping us learn more about the nearshore ecosystem. Seabirds are an important component of that ecosystem. Read more to learn about seabird research. Read More
A team of wetsuit-clad divers sit on the edge of a boat adjusting their masks before splashing into the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. These divers belong to a specialized scientific research team–and the marine reserves are their living laboratories. Read More
With the help of our many partners in academia, the fishing industry, coastal communities and non-government organizations 2015 proved to be a busy year. Check out some of the Program highlights over the past year! Read More
Catching two tagged fish doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it is actually rare to occur in wild populations. Why? The odds of catching a previously tagged fish are extremely small as there are literally, many fish in the sea. Read More
Barotrauma is caused by gasses expanding in a fish’s swim bladder. When the fish is reeled to the surface from deep ocean depths, the swim bladder begins to expand as the surrounding water pressure decreases. Fish that have experienced barotrauma aren’t always able to swim back down on their own, causing them to ‘float’ on the surface. Here’s what you can do to help… Read More
Check out ODFW’s newly released Ecological Monitoring Plan. Learn about how long-term monitoring is helping us learn more about marine reserve protections and about Oregon’s nearshore ocean. Read More
As ODFW Marine Reserves Program researchers pulled up their latest collection of juvenile fish samples at Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve last Thursday, they received a huge surprise — a record breaking pulse of juvenile splitnose rockfish. Read More
How do you discover a new species after millions of people, including fishermen and researchers, have seen these fish off of Oregon for many years? Blue Rockfish, common to Oregon’s rocky reefs and regularly observed in Oregon’s marine reserves, are actually two entirely distinct species. Read More
Sea star wasting syndrome is a mysterious disease that has had a large effect on many sea star species along the west coast of the United States. This disease causes lesions and decaying of the sea star body, ultimately resulting in death. Read more to hear research the Marine Reserves program is doing to better understand disease. Read More
What is a SMURF? We are not talking about the cartoon characters. Rather, SMURF stands for: Standard Monitoring Units for the Recruitment of Fishes. Learn more about how we sample juvenile fish. Read More