Oceans Initiative

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Oceans Initiative

An independent, non-profit research organization founded by marine biologists, Erin Ashe & Dr Rob Williams. Like the whales we study, we are migratory.

Oceans Initiative is a non-profit team of scientists on a mission to protect marine wildlife, including whales and dolphins, in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Oceans Initiative studies whales, dolphins, sharks, salmon & seabirds in Canada & beyond. We divide our time between getting our feet wet in the field and sharing our results out in the world. Our main field site is in a little cabin on a little island, off the grid and off northeastern Vancouver Island.

02/15/2026

Hi friends! The wonderful people at Zylberschtein’s have started a community-building event called the "No Phones Supper Club." People come together over a meal, put down their phones, and get to know their neighbors. Each month, they choose a different local nonprofit to receive a portion of the proceeds, and this month, they chose Oceans Initiative as their community partner. So you're practically saving the whales by eating a great meal.

The event is on 28 Feb. Dinner starts at 6:30. There are meat and vegetarian options. Great food, live music, community connection, and a chance to give back? What's not to love?

Space is limited, so please buy your tickets (or pass on the link to a friend) here. Thank you, Zylberschtein’s, for being a great neighbor.

https://www.toasttab.com/catering/zylberschtein/menu/no%20phones%20supper%20club%20community%20dinner%20with%20oceans%20initiative/?utm_source=undefined&utm_content=the-no-phones-supper-club&utm_medium=toast_sites&utm_term=cards_section&mode=fulfillment

02/10/2026

This Valentine's Day, please show some love for the ocean!

The ocean shows its love for you every day by providing the air we breathe, the food we eat, the waters we use to transport goods and people, and by moderating the earth's temperature. Please consider a charitable donation to Oceans Initiative to allow us to continue the work we do to keep our oceans clean, quiet, and full of life.

https://oceansinitiative.org/get-involved/

01/13/2026

Thank you, SeaLegacy, WaterBear Network, and 100 for the Ocean for spreading the word about the work we do at Oceans Initiative! Science alone will not save critically endangered species like southern resident killer whales. We need gifted artists and storytellers to encourage policy-makers to turn knowledge into action. We are so grateful to our community of supporters who allow us to do the conservation work we do.

Want to help? Please watch the video. Through the "Watch for Impact" program, every minute you watch generates US$1 for ocean conservation. Please share widely! And thank you.

12/16/2025

Looking for a meaningful holiday gift? Symbolically adopt a Pacific white-sided dolphin for yourself or as a gift for someone special! 💙🎁🐬

Our team studies these beautiful dolphins in British Columbia, Canada by photographing unique markings on their dorsal fins. Over time, we are able to detect changes that may occur in the population’s health and in their environment. Each symbolic adoption makes a meaningful difference in our ability to protect the ocean and the animals that call it home. Visit the “Adopt a Dolphin” page on our website (link in bio!) to choose a named dolphin and customize the adoption kit.

Each packet includes:
🐬personalized adoption certificate
🐬Pacific white-sided dolphin factsheet
🐬photo of your dolphin

Thank you for supporting our efforts to keep whale and dolphin habitats clean, quiet, and full of life!

12/02/2025

On , and every day, we thank you for supporting our ocean conservation mission. Your support has never been more needed.

Please check out the link in our bio to make a tax-deductible gift—and to make a difference in the health of our oceans and wildlife. Thank you.

11/25/2025

Want to help us name three of the recognizable harbor seals from one of our field sites? We’re collecting your best name ideas for these pinnipeds and we’ll put your suggestions to a public vote next week (keep an eye on our stories)!

How to submit your names:
1. Comment on this post using the seal emoji 🦭 & let us know why you love seals
2. You’ll receive a message from us with a link to our name suggestion form
3. Submit your best ideas!

Your suggestions will help us put names to the faces of individual seals we track through imagery. This technique, called photo ID, is a non-invasive method that allows us to recognize individuals by their markings (fur patterns, scars, etc.) in pictures. The differences can be subtle but distinct. These three seals are part of our ongoing work in Olympia, Washington where we study harbor seal foraging behavior and monitor the journey of Chinook salmon smolt from the hatchery to saltwater. Understanding how many individual harbor seals use the area—and how they behave—helps us build a clearer picture of this urban ecosystem.

We can’t wait to see what names you come up with!

Photo credits: Ryan Tidman

10/27/2025

Check out our latest study on , which explores how monitoring the health of wild Pacific white-sided dolphins can help us understand more about the linkages and shared health of wild and farmed salmon, killer whales, the natural marine environment, and ourselves. Led by our co-founder, Dr Erin Ashe, this new study was published with wildlife veterinarians and pathologists from SeaDoc Society and BC's Ministry of Agriculture and Food.

These photos, taken by Erin Ashe and Ryan Tidman Photography (under Oceans Initiative's Fisheries and Oceans Canada Marine Mammal License XMM-03 in the Broughton Archipelago, BC, Canada) give a hint at how logistically challenging it can be to catch the exhaled breath of a wild dolphin on petri dishes attached to a pool net pole. Erin has a knack for it!

The peer-reviewed, open-access study was published today in the prestigious journal, BioScience, published by the American Institute of Biological Sciences.

https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/advance-article/doi/10.1093/biosci/biaf154/8303626

PS Although our dolphin health study was kickstarted by a grant from Lush Cosmetics North America, our long-running, noninvasive dolphin study is funded largely by all of you who have been purchasing symbolic adoptions of Pacific white-sided dolphins for yourselves, or as gifts, or simply making charitable donations. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support. Like this work? Your support is needed now more than ever: https://oceansinitiative.org/adopt-a-dolphin/

10/23/2025

It’s a joy to see the Statsraad Lehmkuhl twice in just a few months. This 3-masted steel barque was an important venue in Nice, France, at UNOC3. Today, it’s in Seattle for .blue’s inspiring events. The ship has a fascinating history, but it’s also a striking visual reminder of the progress we’ve made over the last few months. The agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (the high seas treaty) has been ratified by more than 60 nations and will now come into law. The Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies uses financial policy to improve sustainability of global fisheries. Inspired by initiatives by and , ships are slowing down and improving acoustic habitat and salmon hunting opportunities for endangered orcas. There are major stressors on the world ocean. There are also reasons for hope. Locally led conservation efforts, embedded in global movements to protect the ocean. All captured in two images taken a few months and a few thousand miles apart.

09/19/2025

Important news out of the United Nations today! The Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction ( ) has been ratified by 61 nations, bringing this monumental agreement into force. This will strengthen conservation and management of 40% of the earth's surface, and 64% of the world ocean, namely the waters that lie beyond the jurisdiction of any one nation state. This has wide-reaching implications for the way we manage on the high seas, , and the creation and management of .

https://lnkd.in/gE476xMN

07/14/2025

Happy World Orca Day! Thank you all for supporting our nonprofit mission to keep killer whales habitats clean, quiet, and full of life, in the Pacific Northwest and around the world.

Address

117 E Louisa Street 135
Seattle, WA
98102

Website

http://oceansinitiative.org/get-involved/

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