Marine Science Center Lecture - The Secret Lives of Harbor Porpoises

Dr. Elliser's talk will showcase Pacific Mammal Research's findings to lecture attendees

The Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC) is pleased to welcome Dr. Cindy R. Elliser, local marine mammal researcher, author, and Associate Director at the Salish Sea Institute at Western Washington University to its “Future of Oceans” lecture series on Sunday, October 19, 3 p.m., at the Chapel in Fort Worden Historical State Park.

Harbor porpoises are one of the most abundant marine mammal species in the Salish Sea, however there is much we don’t know about this often elusive species. Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) has spent over 10 years conducting behavioral and photo-identification research on harbor porpoises to learn more about their behavior, ecology, movement patterns and more. Did you know that individuals can remain resident to an area, that they sometimes eat salmon, or that they wake surf? Come learn what else PacMam has discovered about these amazing animals and the exciting new research that is happening!

Dr. Cindy R. Elliser received her B.S. (2000) and M.S. (2003) in Biological Sciences from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and received her Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from FAU in 2010. For 10 years she worked with Dr. Herzing and the Wild Dolphin Project studying Atlantic spotted and bottlenose dolphins in the Bahamas.

In 2014 Dr. Elliser moved to the Pacific Northwest and founded Pacific Mammal Research to study marine mammals in the Salish Sea, particularly harbor porpoises and harbor seals. Her work focuses on long-term monitoring of marine mammals and understanding their social and community structure and behavioral and foraging ecology.

Dr. Elliser is the author of numerous papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has presented at international scientific conferences. Dr. Elliser is also the Associate Director at the Salish Sea Institute, part of Western Washington University.

All events are free. Donations are welcomed and appreciated.

Since its inception in 2014, the PTMSC Future of Oceans lecture series has explored the frontiers of ocean research and emerging technologies while confronting the human capacity to understand and sustain healthy oceans. Each year attendees are challenged and informed with thought-provoking presentations. The series is made possible by the generous support of the Darrow family.

For more information about the lecture series, visit https://ptmsc.org/lectures/