Lighthouse Lecture Series – Shari Goforth

Shari Goforth will present “Hungry, Hungry Giants: Gray Whale Survival Strategies in the Changing Ocean Conditions of the Pacific Northwest Coast.”

Gray whales, Eschrichtius robustus, were nearly forced into extinction by whaling. With the ban on whaling and marine mammal protections, Pacific Northwest Coast gray whales made a strong comeback. E. robustus’ numbers rose to nearly 27,000 individuals and they were, as their name suggests, robust. Since 2019, though, the number of dead gray whales washing up along the west coast has been elevated. Scientists at NOAA, the agency that monitors the gray whale population, declared an end to the Unusual Mortality Event, but the gray whales are still in troubled waters.

Come spend time with us at the beautiful Pt. Arena Lighthouse where we will try to unravel the mystery of the shrinking gray whale population and explore some of the unique strategies these charismatic gray whales are adopting to survive in these changing times.