Hi! I’m Charlene Pérez Santos, a master’s student at the  Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, working under the Ocean Ecology Lab!

My Background:  I’m originally from Puerto Rico, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology with a second concentration in Wildlife Management at the University of Puerto Rico, Humacao. My passion for marine mammals began during my undergraduate studies, despite the limited research resources in Puerto Rico for this field. To overcome this challenge, I actively sought out volunteer and research opportunities, including volunteering at the Manatee Conservation Center, participating in coral monitoring and light pollution projects, and contributing to aquaponic research. 

My journey to where I am today:
I’ve always wanted to expand my knowledge of marine mammals, which led me to pursue a NOAA IN-FISH internship. During this experience, I worked on a seafood marketing survey in relation to North-Atlantic right whales and lobster fishing. The connections I made through NOAA helped guide me toward further opportunities, like the NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) Fellowship, which currently supports my master's research. 

My thesis focuses on the interactions between humpback whales and vessel traffic in Pacific Mexico, where I aim to assess the risk of ship strikes and study the effects of human activities on whale populations. I’ve also had the opportunity to conduct research as part of my Experiential Research and Training Opportunities (NERTO) at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, California, where I participated in the California Current Cetacean & Ecosystem Assessment Survey 2024, as well as environmental eDNA sampling, filtering, and Photo-ID. Additionally, I had the privilege of conducting fieldwork for my thesis in Bahia de Banderas, Mexico. 

My Goal: Return to my island to do Science! 
My long-term dream is to return to Puerto Rico and establish a marine mammal research program on the island. I believe there is so much science to be done there, but the resources are limited. I want to change that and bring more opportunities for research in marine conservation to Puerto Rico. Additionally, I plan to continue my path toward a PhD, conducting research from Puerto Rico.