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Whales in San Francisco Bay

Roughly 30 gray whales have been spotted in the Bay this season, many more than is typical. Sadly, there have also been at least 14 deaths this year, which is more than in all of 2024. 

We are investigating to help determine the cause of these deaths. By gaining insights into what is causing these tragedies, we can better understand how to help prevent them.

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gray whale fluke
  • Research Partnerships

Partner With Us on Research

Thank you for your interest in a research partnership with The Marine Mammal Center!

The Center is committed to fostering a sustainable research program and partnerships. Research requests are considered based on alignment with our overarching research strategy. All requests are reviewed by our Research Committee, and not all requests are approved. We prioritize partnerships where each party contributes to and benefits from the work proposed. 

Key criteria that we use to evaluate research requests are:

Alignment With Mission

The project must have significance to marine mammal science and conservation and alignment with the mission and goals of the Center.

Resource Allocation

A substantial amount of the Center’s resources is spent annually on the collection and curation of scientific data/samples, only some of which is subsidized by donors. Partners are requested to contribute to associated costs (consumables, equipment, personnel, etc.) whenever possible.

Please make clear resources available within your request. Approval is not fully dependent upon available resources, but cost-benefit is considered within the evaluation process.

Acknowledgement

The Center is a non-profit research organization that relies upon both scientific outputs (e.g., scientific papers, communications, etc.) and outcomes (impact of work) as the currency of our research mission. Thus, this value must be established as a part of the partnership up front.

The following resources are available to request from the Center:

  • Stranded Animal Data: data collected during authorized rescue and rehabilitation activities (e.g., California sea lion stranding trends)
  • Free-Ranging Animal Data: data collected during authorized field activities (e.g., data on free-ranging cetaceans)
  • Biomaterials: biological specimens from stranded animals admitted to the Center
  • Hard-Parts: “hard-parts” specimens (e.g., skulls, pelts, baleen) for education, outreach, or curation

Please reach out to researchrequests@tmmc.org if you are interested in requesting any of the above resources and we will provide you with the necessary forms to be completed. 

Please anticipate a turnaround time of 3 to 6 weeks after we receive your request. Note that final approval may take longer if evaluation by our Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or an Institutional Review Board (IRB) is needed.

For research requests involving the collection or use of biomaterials:

The appropriate permits must be obtained by the requesting PI from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to retain marine mammal specimens. Please visit the NMFS website for more information on permitting requirements.

Proof of permit application must be provided before sample collection will be undertaken by the Center. Please note that the permitting process specifically for requesting hard-parts specimens will occur in the reverse: the Level A data will be provided to the requester in advance to apply for a Letter of Authorization to retain the parts. A copy of the LOA allowing retention of the requested specimens must be provided to the Center before samples will be shipped.

No requested activities will be undertaken by the Center until all appropriate paperwork has been completed, necessary permits received, and the request has been approved by the Center’s Research Committee. If your request is approved, a final agreement must be signed by all applicable parties. Please note that even if approved in concept, it may not be possible to provide all specimens or data as requested.

Please direct questions related to the submission process to researchrequests@tmmc.org.