About Us

In 2006, Marine Life Studies (MLS) in Monterey, California was developed with Peggy Stap as the Principal Investigator.

Ms. Stap has worked with the Hawaii Whale Research Foundation (HWRF) since 1999 in the capacity of data recorder, photographer, and videographer. In 2004, she became a Co-Investigator for HWRF under a NOAA Fisheries Endangered Species research permit. She coordinated data reporting for HWRF's role in the SPLASH program. The SPLASH program is the most comprehensive study ever attempted of the endangered North Pacific humpback whale population.

The effort is a partnership of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program and NOAA Fisheries.

Peggy Stap has also worked with Cascadia Research Collective (Olympia, WA), and she received training on working with marine mammal identification projects at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory (Seattle, WA).

Photo from Whale Quest 2007 taken by Connie Sutherland.
Left to right is Dr. Dan R. Salden, President and founder of HWRF,
Peggy Stap, and Dr. Adam A. Pack, Vice President of The Dolphin Institute.

Co-investigators for the MLS project in Monterey Bay include:

Sarah Graham who has researched marine mammals since 2001.

Jeff Kalbach who has researched marine mammals since 1993.

Dr. Dan R. Salden the President and Research Director of the HWRF. Dr. Salden has researched marine mammals for over 25 years and has published his findings in numerous refereed professional journals.