Current Research Blogs
Tallis' Blog
Tallis Kent, undergraduate student
1 August 2026
Hello! My name is Tallis Kent. I have recently taken over as Log Pond manager and can't wait to share my experience along the way! I am currently back in my hometown this summer, so I have not been doing much Log Pond logistics. However, my fellow managers, Rachel and Mallory, have been doing a wonderful job at overseeing the log pond project, including training and scheduling observations. They are rock stars! Unfortunately, I haven't been up too much regarding marine mammals, as I am in a very landlocked state. Still, Fall quarter is right around the corner, and I am looking forward to getting started on my personal project. More on that to come soon. Until next time!
Tallis
Rachel's Blog
Rachel Ager, undergraduate student
1 August 2026
Hi! I’m Rachel, this is my first post for the MMEL blog. I joined the lab in spring of 2025, and it has been super interesting working with other members and learning about the projects occurring. This year I will be co-managing the Whatcom Creek project with Mallory Stonier, who is a very knowledgeable person and easy to work with.
The end of spring quarter was complicated with classes and transition materials, but I am thankful for Chloe and Sienna’s guidance and help with organization. Mallory and I have started managing the summer observations at the creek, I have been helping remotely.
I am spending this summer at home in Colorado, where I am completing an internship with Colorado Parks and Wildlife. It has been interesting to learn about the management side of biology/ecology, and how a management agency works with the government and public. I have had opportunities to learn about several different terrestrial and aquatic species, and will be working to provide education on living with wildlife to my community. This is different from the marine focus of the lab, but there are similarities especially with the interactions between environmental factors and human activity. I have always been interested in scientific understanding of systems, and it has been valuable to see different perspectives of individuals who apply these ideas.
This will be my third year at Western, majoring in environmental science with a marine concentration. I look forward to diving into my major over the next quarters with more specific classes, as well as working in the lab! This has been a great opportunity to learn about data collection and research, and I am excited to be more involved and continue working in the lab.
Best,
Rachel
Mallory's Blog
Mallory Stonier, undergraduate student
1 August 2026
Happy August everyone,
The sunsets here in Bellingham have been stunning, and the warm weather has made it easy to be outside enjoying the area. On my days off, I have been going to the bay and seeing the harbor seals and river otters enjoying the warmth as well.
his month has been very hectic but rewarding. The Marine Mammal Stranding Network has responded to multiple harbor seal pups in need, one of which I helped in transporting down to Sealife Response Rehabilitation and Research (SR3) in Des Moines, Washington. The pup unfortunately did not make it due to a bullet wound on the top of his head. It has been a terrible trend where, blaming the harbor seals for the declining Pacific Salmon populations, people feel justified in harming wildlife. This comes at a time when the Marine Mammal Protection Act is under revision, with culling efforts on Sea Lions and Harbor Seals to be implemented. While it is always hard to process and deal with the consequences of human actions on marine mammals, particularly this summer when strandings are only increasing, it has left me more motivated to continue working on the Smolt research. Implications will include Harbor Seal predation on Pacific Salmon, specifically juveniles, which may help to inform this kind of legislation.
On a more positive note, I am still interning for the Whatcom Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center most of each week. I am starting to feel more well-rounded in my animal handling and husbandry skills, and of course baby animals make it easy to stay motivated. The personnel make it easy as well, as folks who devote so much time and effort to wildlife are both amazing to work with and informative to learn from. On my days or evenings off, I have picked back up in baking and bringing the spoils to work since a shift is always made easier by a sweet treat.
Whatcom Creek and Log Pond observations have continued as well, so when available, I have been training researchers in helping both projects run over the summer. During the pupping season, Log Pond is particularly fun as we get to see mothers and pups swimming together on occasion. I have also continued volunteering with Wild EcoHealth under Victoria Vinecke, where we work with Harbor Seal and Sea Lion scat.
Between volunteering and interning, I typically come home with bleach, cleaner, animal food or feces on my clothes, so I have been doing quite a bit of laundry. This month, I was even sprayed by skunks for the first time, and that has been a weeks-long effort to get rid of the stench. If anyone is wondering, hydrogen peroxide and Skout's Honor cleaner do the trick.
This month, I am looking forward to visiting my grandmother at home in Vancouver, Washington, hopefully getting out to see the bioluminescence, and continuing to work hard until courses start again in September.
Sin-seal-ly,
Mallory
Dawsons's Blog
Dawson Little, graduate student
1 August 2026
Hi y'all,
July was a month of both personal and professional transitions. After four years with the Makah Tribe's Fisheries Management Green Crab Program, I wrapped up my position and am returning home to Virginia to help care for my father. While leaving a team and project that have been such a significant part of my life was certainly bittersweet, I'm incredibly grateful for everything I learned during my time with the Makah Tribe. Although my day-to-day work has changed, I'll continue working on my thesis remotely as I move into the final stages of the project.
From a research perspective, July was largely a waiting game. With all project materials and sample information now in the hands of our sequencing contractor, there is very little left to do on the molecular side until the metabarcoding results are returned, which we expect within the next month. While I wait, I've continued analyzing the morphological hard-part dataset and incorporating the completed molecular sex identification results whenever possible. It's been exciting to begin exploring some of these patterns while knowing that the sequencing data will soon provide another layer of information to compare against the traditional diet analyses.
Once the metabarcoding results are received, I'll be able to integrate them with the morphological, sex identification, and environmental datasets to complete the remaining analyses. Those sequencing results represent the final major dataset needed to answer the primary research questions and begin bringing together the final pieces of my thesis.
Although July involved saying goodbye to an organization that has played a huge role in both my professional and personal growth, it also marked another important step toward the finish line for my graduate research. I'm looking forward to receiving the sequencing results and seeing how they compare with the patterns that have already begun to emerge from the hard-part analyses.
Best,
Dawson