Stranded Gray Whale Calf Provides HSWRI Singular Opportunities for Scientific Discovery

On January 11, 1997, a days-old California gray whale calf - emaciated, dehydrated, and semi-comatose - was rescued near Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, and transported to SeaWorld San Diego for treatment. Though she was severely infested with whale lice, had numerous cuts and ulcers over her body and the prognosis for survival was poor, SeaWorld veterinarians & animal care specialists and Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI) scientists were committed to her rehabilitation and return. As the calf's condition steadily improved, she gained the name J.J. in memory of Judy Jones, a longtime and generous devotee of marine mammal rehabilitation. She also gained 50 pounds a day - two pounds an hour!

As J.J.'s health continued to flourish, local marine mammal scientists, animal care staff and veterinarians, and government representatives met to discuss objectives for J.J.'s future. The outcome was a general consensus that J.J. should be reintroduced to the Pacific Ocean near San Diego in spring 1998 to coincide with the northward migration of gray whales and that she should be monitored electronically. Just prior to her return (15 years ago this spring) J.J. measured nearly 9 meters (30 feet) and weighed about 9,000 kilograms (20,000 pounds)!

Space-Ocean Links: HSWRI has long been a leader in integrating ocean- and space-based sensing technologies to document the use of marine habitats by large marine vertebrates. Using these space-ocean links, they simultaneously collect data on the physical characteristics of the marine habitats that the animals are foraging in and migrating through. Capitalizing on this experience, they designed a program to track J.J.'s movements during the critical first days following her return to the sea.

During J.J.'s rehabilitation, opportunities for substantial advances in baleen whale husbandry and medicine presented themselves to Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute's scientists and their colleagues. J.J. presented a unique opportunity for scientific inquiry and learning.

Research projects involving J.J. included:

• Senior Research Scientist Dr. Ann Bowles and students studied J.J.'s vocal behavior.
• Senior scientist Dr. Pamela Yochem, and SeaWorld veterinarians Dr. Jim McBain and Dr. Tom Reidarson, studied gray whale blood chemistry, nutrition and growth.
• HSWRI senior scientists Dr. Brent Stewart and Dr. Pam Yochem, along with Moss Landing Marine Laboratory's Dr. Jim Harvey, developed housings and attachment mechanisms for satellite-linked radio transmitters to track J.J.'s movements and diving behavior.
• Other colleagues studied J.J.'s resting behavior, thermoregulation, respiratory mechanics and hearing.

Space-Ocean Links in Marine Research

The extension of human senses into space and the application of remote Earth-sensing technologies have been key developments in the exploration of the oceans during the past century. The application of space-based technologies has become key in documenting, interpreting, understanding and predicting the coupled physical effects of ocean and atmospheric climate on the vitality and well-being of human populations and cultures. These same technologies have also been used routinely to locate and facilitate extraction of physical, chemical and biological resources important for sustaining human societies and economies. Development of technologies for determining the habits, habitats and abundance of living marine resources has, however, generally lagged behind.

Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute is taking advantage of emerging opportunities to use space technologies, remote sensing instruments, and Earth observation platforms to transform the way marine animals are observed in the wild. Current HSWRI programs to outfit sea turtles, pinnipeds, whale sharks, and other fishes with data recording instruments that document their movements and sample the characteristics of the habitats they swim in are among the largest and most productive collaborative programs of their kind in the world. These programs are providing important information on the biogeography of these species and are allowing HSWRI scientists to evaluate the relative impact of factors such as environmental variability, prey availability and coastal development on marine vertebrates and the habitats they depend on.
These projects provide input to marine resource managers about key variables that affect the distribution and abundance of protected marine animal species, facilitating sustainable use and conservation of marine ecosystems.

Program summary 

Conservation impact