International Programs

Selling whale meat in the United States is illegal, but someone forgot to tell that to trendy California restaurant The Hump. OSU Marine Mammal Institute associate director Scott Baker played a primary role in the investigation of the restaurant when he conducted a genetic analysis of meat sold at The Hump and positively identified it as Sei whale, an endangered species.

Scientists are still researching what keeps lionfish in check back home in their native range even as they’re going gangbusters in the Atlantic and Caribbean, mostly untouched by the local sharks, moray eels and grouper. “If they do try a lionfish, they quickly spit it out, probably because of the venomous spines,” said Mark Hixon, an Oregon State University marine ecologist who has conducted feeding trials in tanks.

Nobel laureate Jody Williams sat on the stage, wearing a T-shirt, jeans and black cowboy boots with teal stitching. She dangled one leg over the edge, swinging her foot as she spoke to an audience that packed the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Oregon State University students will bring a taste of the islands to Corvallis this Saturday, April 24, when OSU holds its 55th annual luau.