15th Annual Whalefest Monterey: Two-Day Symposium on April 12-13, 2025 brings Marine Science Research Findings to the Public

The 15th Annual Whalefest Monterey is set for Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13, 2025. It will again feature a compelling symposium from 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM both days at the Monterey History & Art Stanton Center, 5 Custom House Plaza adjacent to Old Fisherman’s Wharf. This highly anticipated free event brings together renowned marine experts to share their knowledge, insights, and the latest research on marine ecosystems and conservation.

Symposium Speaker and Topics: 

Saturday, April 12, 2:45 – 3:30

Sammy Andrzejaczek ,  Ph.D., Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University “The science of sharks: meeting the predator next door”

In the fall and winter months, sub-adult and adult white sharks reliably aggregate around pinniped colonies along the Central California coast. These consistent aggregations have enabled researchers to establish valuable long-term study sites, collecting crucial data as sharks patrol coastal waters. More recently, dedicated seasonal surveys of juvenile white sharks within Monterey Bay have expanded our understanding to include this younger life stage. This presentation will showcase our survey methods and highlight key findings about white shark movement patterns, migration behaviors, population dynamics, and ecological interactions throughout California's marine ecosystems.

Dr Samantha Andrzejaczek is a research scientist in the Block Lab at Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University. She specializes in the movement ecology and behavioral patterns of sharks and other large predatory fishes in coastal and pelagic ecosystems. Dr. Andrzejaczek joined the Block lab in 2018 after completing her PhD at the University of Western Australia.

Saturday, April 12, 11:00 – 11:45

Ted Cheeseman, Ph.D., Co-founder, Happy Whale: "Surprising stories about our humpback whales: where do Monterey Bay whales go when they wander onward?"

We know California humpback whales migrate seasonally to the warm waters of Mexico and Central America during the winter season. But there is so much more to their story! Some California whales have been found in Russia, Alaska and Hawaii; what is the story with these whales? Ted Cheeseman will explore what we have learned through one of the world’s largest ever collaborative whale research projects, where almost every living whale has been identified. 

Dr. Ted Cheeseman is the co-founder and director of Happywhale, a research collaboration and citizen science web platform that is transforming data science for tracking individual whales. Ted recently completed a PhD studying North Pacific humpback whale populations, a broad collaborative study that leveraged AI technology to identify and track almost every living whale in the North Pacific. The study revealed a previously under-appreciated major mortality event where one third of Hawaii’s humpback population was lost to the impacts of a three-year marine heatwave. Ted is particularly inspired to develop technology that fosters research collaboration, access to previously inaccessible learning, and building community around ocean ecosystems. When not studying whales, Ted is happiest anywhere wild, especially in surf, rocks or snow.

Sunday, April 13, 2:00 – 2:45

Andrew DeVogelaere, Ph.D., MBNMS, Lindsey Peavey Reeves Ph.D, NOAA/NMS (co-author): ”TBD”

TBD

 Dr. Andrew DeVogelaere oversees Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s research program and has published scientific papers on habitats ranging from estuaries to the deep sea. He enjoys developing collaborations among the many central California research institutions to address wildlife management issues.  In general, he is interested in using science to inform conservation of marine ecosystems, natural biodiversity, and ecosystem services. He has participated in development of award-winning nature films with the BBC, Netflix and independent producers.  Andrew is also an Adjunct Research Faculty at California State University Monterey Bay and a Research Affiliate at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories.

Dr. Lindsey Peavey Reeves is a senior scientist at the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. She coordinates NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' soundscape monitoring program along the west coast and supports a large and dynamic team of agency and academic partners to study underwater soundscapes in and around marine protected areas. Originally from upstate New York, Lindsey migrated to California in 2002. She graduated with a master's from Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment in 2010, and with a PhD from UC Santa Barbara's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management in 2016. She is currently based in Santa Barbara, CA.

Sunday, April 13, 11:45 – 12:30

Joelle De Weerdt, Ph.D., UCSC/Association ELI-S Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB): “From Nicaragua to Monterey: understand humpback whales' migratory patterns and feeding behaviours”

Current knowledge on Central American humpback whales’ migratory destinations remained unclear, especially for whales breeding off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Joelle will tell you the story of Nicaraguan whales’ migration to their feeding grounds. Here is a hint: you are near their feeding location!

Dr. Joelle De Weerdt is the founder and project director of the non-profit organization Association ELI-S’ cetacean conservation project of Nicaragua. Joelle recently completed her PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) on the Ecology of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) off the Pacific coast of Nicaragua: population characteristics, migratory patterns and feeding behaviors. The study revealed the presence of a rather small population that presented interesting migratory patterns. Joelle enjoys international collaborations, which brought her at the University of Santa Cruz (UCSC) where she is currently performing a Fulbright research project on migratory corridors and feeding behaviours with Prof. Dr. Ari Friedlaender.

Sunday, April 13, 11:00 – 11:45

James Fahlbusch, Ph.D., Cascadia Research Collective, Hopkins Marine Station: "A day in the life of a whale biologist"

My talk will be about a day in the life of a cetacean field biologist, and I will be talking about what we do, and how we do it (some of the tools we use, etc.)

Dr. James Fahlbusch is a marine biologist and bio-logging specialist with over a decade of field

experience in some of the most remote ocean environments. Since 2012, he has been an

integral part of Cascadia Research Collective’s West Coast team, where he conducts surveys

and develops, deploys and analyzes multi-sensor tags for large whales. He recently earned his

Ph.D. from Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station under Dr. Jeremy Goldbogen, where

he combined cutting-edge biologging technology with remote sensing to uncover how whales

navigate dynamic ocean environments in search of food. His research bridges behavior,

movement ecology, and oceanography to inform conservation efforts for these ecologically vital

species.

Saturday, April 12, 3:30 – 4:15

Aliya Khan, Graduate Student, Paytan Biogeochemistry Lab, University of California, Santa Cruz: “Wetlands as Nature Based Carbon Solution”

Wetlands provide numerous environmental benefits, including acting as a natural sink for carbon dioxide. However, they have been widely degraded, converted to alternate land use types, and are threatened by sea level rise. Understanding the full scope of the carbon transport and sequestration mechanisms is crucial for evaluating them as a viable nature based solution for combating climate change, and for promoting wetland protection and restoration. 

Aliya Khan is a second year PhD student and UC Santa Cruz, studying surface water carbon dynamics in the Elkhorn Slough. Presenting on behalf of Adina Paytan and the Paytan Biogeochemistry Lab

Sunday, April 13, 3:30 – 4:15

Jane King Silberstein, Cabrillo College Associate faculty/CSUMB, Associate Faculty: "The five most important reasons why Plankton are critical to our planet and to the incredibly rich, diverse wildlife we enjoy here in Monterey Bay!"

Their beauty, diversity and importance is a source of great inspiration.

Over the past 45 years Jane has been fortunate to get her undergraduate degree in Biology (Marine Science concentration) from UCSC and my master's degree from Moss Landing Marine Labs studying invertebrate ecology. She started teaching at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in their first year of operation, and returned there after grad school, to work with the fabulous volunteer guides for the next 30 years. She now teaches a plankton class at Cabrillo College each Friday and teaches several classes in Environmental Science and Interpretation at CSUMB

Saturday, April 12, 2:00 – 2:45

Peggy Stap, Executive Director, Marine Life Studies: “The Trials and Tribulations of Whale Disentanglement Response”

Explore the operations of the Whale Entanglement Team (WET)^®, including the detailed process of a whale rescue, the challenges faced, and technological advancements in the field. This work is conducted under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, through a permit issued to the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program.

Peggy Stap, a Michigan native, saw her first whales on a whale watch in Maui, Hawaii, which was a life- changing experience. In 2006, she founded Marine Life Studies dedicated to research, education, and whale rescue in Moss Landing, California. Peggy, a volunteer herself, has served as Executive Director ever since. She is Co-founder of the Whale Entanglement Team (WET)®, co-investigator Level 3 Responder under NOAA MMHSRP permit for whale rescue, and the principle investigator under a NOAA Endangered Species permit to conduct research on whales and dolphins in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Sunday, April 13, 2:45 – 3:30

Jonathan Warrick, Ph.D., Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, USGS: “Our Ever-changing Shores”

The shoreline is one of the most dynamic settings on Earth, where waves and tides are continually moving water and sand.  These changes are especially prevalent along the California shoreline, where large winter storms and an eroding coast add to these dynamics.  Using new technologies and remote sensing, I will focus on new understanding we are gaining about coastal changes along California, including some recent surprises such as how upland wildfire influences shoreline change, irregular seasonality patterns in shorelines, and the footprint of humans on these coastal systems.

Dr. Jonathan Warrick is a Research Geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Santa Cruz, California. His research focuses on coastal change and the movement of sediment from rivers to the sea. Jon has led efforts to characterize the outcomes of the massive dam removal project on the Elwha River of Washington in collaboration with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, federal agencies, and several universities. Recently, Dr. Warrick has led the USGS Remote Sensing Coastal Change project, which has collected and interpreted remote sensing data to better understand changes to U.S. coasts from wildfires, floods, landslides, hurricanes, and other storm events. Jon received a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Saturday, April 12, 11:45 – 12:30

Lisa Wooninck, Ph.D., Superintendent, MBNMS "The Value of National Marine Sanctuaries"

Monterey Bay is the heart of recreation and tourism in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, a federally protected marine area.  Within the sanctuary we welcome local and global visitors.  People flock here to whale watch, scuba dive, fish, boating, beach play and so much more.  After the COVID years, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties saw in 2023 a strong rebound in tourism dollars with visitors spending $4.3 billion dollars.  The sanctuary is committed to strengthening sanctuary resilience to ocean stressors. To conserve the whale species that visit our sanctuary to feed, we protect the feeding grounds and implement innovative voluntary slow speed zones to reduce mortality from large ship strikes.  In working with industry and our partners, we are dedicated to ensuring long-term ecological health that supports regenerative economic growth for our community that depends on it.

Dr. Lisa Wooninck is the superintendent for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.  Dr. Wooninck has worked for NOAA for over 20 years, her first seven years with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the past 15 years in various roles for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Prior to coming to NOAA, Dr. Wooninck served as a Knauss SeaGrant fellow for Congressman Sam Farr.  Dr. Wooninck completed her PhD at the University of California, Santa Barbara in Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology; she has a MS degree and a BA degree in Biology from California State University, Northridge.  She has been author or co-author on nearly a dozen papers about marine protected area science and management, the science of deep sea coral and sponge habitats, and the reproductive fitness of tropical reef fish. Dr. Wooninck brings a sound appreciation and understanding of the importance of science in resource management decision-making, a passion for the value of education and outreach in connecting people to the ocean and fostering coastal stewardship, and a commitment to protecting national marine sanctuary resources. She is a proven collaborator within and beyond the agency, and provides positive energy to her work and relationships.  She and her family live in Aptos, CA

In addition to the Symposium, Whalefest Monterey will feature many engaging activities for all ages, including dozens of interactive marine exhibits, live music, hands-on crafts including Gyotaku, Origami, and Scrimshaw, a calamari cooking demo by Celebrity Chef/Realtor Tene Shake and Plein Air painters. Visitors will also have the chance to tour research and rescue boats and enjoy the popular Abalone Races.

“Whalefest Monterey is an exceptional platform for marine education and awareness,” said Mary Alice Cerrito Fettis, Chair, Whalefest Monterey. “This year’s Symposium will provide a deeper dive into the critical work being done to protect our oceans and their incredible biodiversity.”

Whalefest Monterey is a free event held at Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the Custom House Plaza – Monterey State Historic Park both days from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and supports local and national organizations dedicated to marine conservation and education.

For updates on speakers, exhibits, schedules, and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.whalefest.org or contact [email protected].