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OARRA's New Year Report: 2025
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An adult male California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) snoozes on a dock in Dana Point Harbor. Credit: OARRA
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Whalecome, 2025!
Read on for a recap of the final animals and anecdotes of 2024, review everything our crew accomplished in the last quarter, and stick around for a look at what we have planned for the new year.
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Your support makes OARRA's conservation missions possible.
Our conservation and research work is kept afloat by the compassion, curiosity, and enthusiasm of dedicated volunteers, donors, collaborators, and citizen scientists.
Please consider contributing to OARRA this month to help give the marine animals of Southern California a voice through OARRA's research and response programs. 100% of your generous donation will directly benefit our:
Donating to OARRA's programs is now available through Aplos and Venmo.
Every donation makes an incredible difference. We are thankful down to the oceanic depths for your support! Donations are 100% tax-deductible.
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Want to volunteer with OARRA?
Are you interested in hands-on marine science fieldwork in Los Angeles and Orange County? Do you want to gain experience in the stranding field or contribute to marine wildlife research, response, and education efforts? Volunteering with OARRA is an incredibly accessible and immersive way to participate in marine animal science at any level of experience. Apply at the link below or forward along to an ocean lover in your life before our next round of orientations.
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OARRA volunteer Mia L. reviews data on a Survey & Monitoring trip along Catalina Island. Credit: OARRA
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What does volunteering in Southern California marine science mean to our volunteers? We asked some of our newest recruits!
"Volunteering with OARRA has given me the opportunity to hone in a plethora of interdisciplinary skills that would normally be derived from multiple separate internships. From public outreach and education, necropsy and histopathology procedures, aging and sexing both sexually dimorphic and monomorphic species, and fundamental survey skills —OARRA provides a safe and fun learning environment for both early career researchers, students, and other volunteers looking to help out their local wildlife."
"Surveying and necropsies to me mean telling the story of different marine species who have been forced to adapt and evolve alongside anthropomorphic stressors. Both alive and post-mortem, they are able to provide vital information to ensure their conservation and safety, as well as allow us to raise awareness concerning the importance of protecting our marine ecosystems."
OARRA's programs are always in need of all hands on deck. Literally. Come aboard!
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An adult male California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) glides through the water and breaks the surface, a wave rippling along at his muzzle. Credit: OARRA
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Survey & Monitoring Program Recap:
In 2024, OARRA embarked on 42 Survey and Monitoring trips. Our sightings included:
- 5,745 Pinnipeds
- 5,266 California Sea Lions
- 467 Harbor Seals
- 12 Northern Elephant Seals
- 12,268 Cetaceans
- 11,903 Common Dolphins
- 327 Bottlenose Dolphins
- 20 Pacific White-Sided Dolphins
- 2 Humpback Whales
- 9 Gray Whales
- 6 Fin Whales
- 1 Blue Whale
- 116 Flipper Tag Sightings Reported
- 23 Pelican Band Sightings Reported
- 31 Entanglements Reported
- 51 Injuries/Shark Bites Reported
Explore sighting details, photos, and data maps online on OARRA's website.
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Unadulterated loathing? Two California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) eyeball each other during a confrontation on the dock. Credit: OARRA
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Have you spotted a flipper-tagged marine mammal? Citizen scientists like you can help OARRA and our alliances by reporting a tag sighting! These identifiers indicate animals that have been treated and released by rehabilitation facilities or marked for study by research teams. Monitoring tagged animals in the wild is critical to marine mammal science, management, and conservation.
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Reporting bird leg band sightings is also a crucial way you can help researchers and responders monitor individual animals' continued health and movement long after they've left a rehabilitation facility.
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The morning sun backlights the carcass of a coastal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) at the beginning of a field necropsy. Her delicate vascular network of superficial veins is revealed at the dorsal fin tip where skin has sloughed away from stranding and decomposition. Credit: OARRA
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Mortality Response & Research Program Recap:
In 2024, OARRA responded to 104 marine animal mortalities in Los Angeles County, across a broad array of species:
- 72+ Pinnipeds
- 66 California Sea Lions
- 3 Harbor Seals
- 1 Northern Elephant Seal
- 2 Northern Fur Seals
- 16+ Cetaceans
- 1 Gray Whale
- 2 Fin Whales
- 6 Common Dolphins
- 4 Bottlenose Dolphins
- 1 Risso's Dolphin
- 1 Northern Right Whale Dolphin
- 1 Pacific White-Sided Dolphin
- 6+ Sea Turtle
- 1 Loggerhead Turtle
- 5 Green Sea Turtle
- 1 Southern Sea Otter
- 9 Unidentified Species
Explore case details, photos, and data maps online on OARRA's website.
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OARRA staff biologists discover a net scar on the peduncle of a bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). It is critical to document the many varieties of human interaction that can be detected on a carcass, even if the injury -- healed, in this case -- likely did not contribute to the animal's stranding and death. Credit: OARRA
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As always, we are grateful to work with these animals in life and death; caretaking the gift of their bodies and giving voice to their stories through comprehensive examination, sampling, and analysis is a critical part of understanding the health of their populations and the threats they face in our oceans.
Please report marine mammal and sea turtle mortalities in Los Angeles County to OARRA's Marine Animal Mortality Response Hotline: ☎️ (949)-276-2237. Your reports ensure that every animal's story gets told.
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OARRA volunteer Lauren Y. displays a California sea lion skull and discusses its prominent sagittal crest and other osteological intrigues at the 9th Annual Girl Scouts of Orange County STEM Expo. Credit: OARRA
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OARRA's S.E.A. State:
We are excited to continue ever growing our Service, Education, & Alliance work in 2025, but we certainly made a big splash with our collaborators in the last quarter of 2024!
In addition to several rounds of Survey & Monitoring Program and Mortality Response Program orientations and many training days in the lab and field, OARRA spent significant time with our alliances in marine animal science this quarter at workshops that fostered connection, strategization, and collaboration.
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Scenes from OARRA's booth at the 9th Annual Girl Scouts of Orange County STEM Expo, including a demonstration of our 'safety seal' of approval. Credit: OARRA
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We were privileged to be a part of the 9th Annual Girl Scouts of Orange County STEM Expo held at Orange Coast College for a day of hands-on education with our team, introducing over 300 Scouts ranging from fourth to eighth grade to new and developing STEM concepts in our field, marine mammal and sea turtle science, and career and community science opportunities! Our booth included anatomical specimens and demonstrations, mock Level A examinations on our stuffed seal and sea turtle 'volunteers,' discussions of what a day in the life of a marine biologist looks like in the stranding network, and the fascinating science of marine mortalities. We thank GSOC and hope to return next Expo!
In November, OARRA attended the 2024 West Coast Sea Turtle Symposium at the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista to shellabrate all things SoCal sea turtle and foster "Community Connections in Conservation" with researchers, responders, rehabilitators, educators, and turtley dedicated community scientists. Sea turtles are sometimes a surprising discovery in our local ocean and estuarine environment to even lifelong residents in Southern California. Continuing the work of studying and promoting safe and sustainable turtle cohabitation within our coastal communities and characterizing their health and the threats they face in our nearshore environment is the foundation of OARRA's sea turtle mortality response efforts in Los Angeles County.
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A large whale skeleton is suspended overhead in the halls of the California Academy of Sciences, where OARRA attended the 2024 Large Whale Necropsy Workshop. Credit: OARRA
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In early December, OARRA representatives attended Black In Marine Science (BIMS) Week in San Diego for sessions brimming with groundbreaking science, solidarity, and community care. As OARRA continues to grow, our commitment to removing historic and systemic barriers to participation in marine science grows with us, and we continue to seek every opportunity to support and collaborate with underrepresented demographics in STEM.
We finished the year off strong with a trip out of our Southern California jurisdiction to meet with other stranding network alliances at the 2024 West Coast Region Large Whale Necropsy Workshop at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. A veritable who's who of large cetacean response in the NOAA West Coast Region Stranding Network, this compact workshop helped us strengthen our local whale mortality protocols alongside the many other organizations we partner with in Los Angeles County to maintain and develop our ability to work as a "whale-oiled machine."
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As always, we are also incredibly grateful to our NOAA West Coast Stranding Network partners and the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches & Harbors for their continued collaboration and support throughout a year of over one hundred recorded marine animal mortalities.
If you are interested in outreach, education, collaboration, and press opportunities with OARRA, please contact us at info@oarra.org. We can't wait to hear from you!
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Seaworthy Sponsorships:
The Ocean Animal Response and Research Alliance (OARRA) collaborates with various state, national, and international researchers and organizations to enhance understanding of the marine environment and its inhabitants. These alliances facilitate data consolidation, enabling a multidisciplinary perspective on marine ecosystems, their utilization, and associated threats. Through these partnerships, OARRA engages and educates stakeholders about marine environmental health, promoting positive changes for conservation and sustainability.
Sponsorships are vital in supporting these collaborations and extending OARRA's impact. By funding programs such as marine wildlife surveys, educational outreach, and response efforts, our sponsors empower us to advance marine science, foster conservation, and inspire the next generation of scientists and environmental advocates. The "Sponsor Spotlight" recognizes these invaluable contributions and celebrates the shared commitment to protecting our oceans.
Sponsor Spotlight
We are thrilled to acknowledge our newest sponsor, the Port of Long Beach, for their generous contribution of $5,000 to support OARRA's mission. Their partnership helps us continue our vital work in marine animal response and research, driving conservation efforts and fostering education.
Sponsor's Impact:
- Supports expanded field surveys and monitoring programs in the Port of Long Beach.
- Funds workforce training for underrepresented marine science students.
- Enhances public outreach and education efforts.
Thank you, Port of Long Beach, for your commitment to marine conservation!
Sponsor Spotlight
We are thrilled to announce that the Rotary Club of Laguna Beach has generously awarded OARRA a 2024 Community Grant to support our Marine Wildlife Survey & Monitoring Program. This partnership will help us expand our research and educational outreach, fostering conservation and awareness of marine wildlife in Southern California.
Grant Impact:
- Funds at least two survey and monitoring trips covering the coastline from San Clemente to Crystal Cove, including Laguna Beach.
- Supports educational outreach efforts with the LB Interact Club, involving students in real-world marine research.
- Enhances public awareness of marine conservation through interactive learning opportunities.
Thank you, Rotary Club of Laguna Beach, for your incredible support and dedication to ocean conservation!
Why Partner with OARRA?
Our sponsors make a profound difference by supporting marine ecosystem response, research, and educational programs. By partnering with OARRA, sponsors like the Rotary Club and the Port of Long Beach play a pivotal role in protecting marine ecosystems, supporting cutting-edge research, and inspiring the next generation of marine scientists and conservationists. Join us in making a difference by becoming a sponsor today. Contact us at info@oarra.org to learn more.
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Thank you for your support!
"Sea" you soon!
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