The Lighthouse Lecture Series welcomes Scott and Theresa Mercer presenting "How and Where are the Gray Whales? The Current Status of the Eastern North Pacific Gray Whale Population" on Saturday, October 18 at 4 p.m.
A great deal of concern surrounds the overall number, distribution, and health of one of the most iconic species often seen along the Pacific Coast, the beloved gray whale. This concern is shared by marine biologists, whale researchers, and citizens alike. The Mercer's presentation will explore the reasons why the gray whale population has declined by over 50% in the past nine years. The critical link between this disturbing trend in population and the rapidly changing Arctic and sub-Arctic environment in which they feed will be explained. We will share our own observations as well as southbound and northbound counts of migrating gray whales that we have collected over the past 12 years from various locations along the Mendonoma Coast.
Biographies
Scott and Tree Mercer are familiar landmarks on the Lighthouse peninsula outside the Light Station gates year round, but particularly from around December through June each year when the gray whale migration occurs. In 2014 they founded the Mendonoma Whale and Seal Study to document the occurrence, diversity, and behavior of marine mammals along the coast from Northern Sonoma County to Southern Mendocino County. They present their data and findings at many local and international conferences. In 2021, the Mercers were featured in an extensive article in the Los Angeles Times about the Unusual Mortality Event of gray whales. In 2022 they were included in a documentary film about gray whale research created by the UC Berkeley Department of Graduate Journalism.
Scott Mercer
Scott began studying marine mammals in 1974 in Monterey Bay with an extended study of the feeding ecology of sea otters. After relocating to his native New England, in 1978 Scott founded New England Whale Watch, Inc. as an opportunity to offer firsthand ocean life education to the public, and for him to collect data on the whales being observed. Scott was recently interviewed, for his role as a pioneer in Atlantic Coast whale watching, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as part of a history of the whale watching industry in New England. He is also cofounder of the Brier Island Ocean Study, a research station in Nova Scotia, Canada. He has led offshore and overnight excursions to the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf, in the Caribbean, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Canada. In 1982 Scott coauthored The Great Whale Book. For 14 years he taught a marine mammal class for the University of New Hampshire’s Continuing Education, as well as science classes for the Southern Maine Community College.
Theresa Mercer
Theresa (Tree) has a Masters Degree in Science Education, and taught Biology, Life Science, and Physics in Long Island, New York for 38 years, as well as coaching three varsity level sports for as many years. Tree coordinates and organizes the data she and Scott collect. She designs their PowerPoint lectures for in-person and ZOOM lectures, as well as their research presentations at conferences.
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