Terra + Spring 2016

Mother Whales Meet Seafloor Drilling
Pygmy blues face industrial hazards in a New Zealand gulf

In New Zealand there shines a gulf the color of indigo where whales live. Geographically, it glistens at the nexus of two islands and two seas. Politically, it sits at a different nexus, the classic clash of nature and commerce. Read More

Exclusive video
Aerial drone may show blue whale calf nursing.

Gorgeous new footage may shed light on one of the mysteries of the largest animal that ever lived: How do blue whales nurse? Read More

The Internet of Things
OSU is part of a coalition of more than 200 companies and technical supporters that develop standard interfaces for “Internet of Things” projects. Read More

A West Coast Wake-Up Call
The West Coast is a hotspot for acidification because of coastal upwelling, which brings nutrient-rich, low-oxygen and high carbon dioxide water from deep in the water column to the surface near the coast. Read More

Writing Instructor Wins Oregon Book Award
David Biespiel, an OSU instructor of English and creative writing, won an Oregon Book Award for a collection of essays from his long-running poetry column in The Oregonian. Read More

Every day, breaking news from OSU researchers makes headlines around the world. Here’s a handful of recent examples:

Picking grapes for perfect pinot means hitting the sweet spot for aroma. Biochemists Michael Qian and Fang Yuan of OSU found four aromatic compounds that hold the key to great pinot noir. Read about it in The Economist.

Hatchery and wild steelhead have stark genetic differences, a new study by Michael Blouin of OSU confirms. Get the details in Newsweek.

Fear of large predators keeps smaller animals in check. OSU forest ecologist Bill Ripple is cited in a story in The Washington Post.

Visit the Terra Website

Watch for the next issue of Terra magazine, which will give you a sweeping look inside the university’s extensive marine research program. You’ll visit a Corvallis lab where massive ocean-sensing equipment is designed and built. You’ll journey with us to the Pibilof Islands in the Bering Sea where vast colonies of seabirds and fur seals raise their young. You’ll learn about research underway in Oregon’s five marine reserves and hear from the fishermen who are impacted. Another story takes you to the iciest places on the planet, where scientists are collecting clues about climate change. You’ll read about the “blue economy” in Oregon and beyond and get an introduction to OSU’s fledgling Marine Studies Initiative. All of this is packaged with stunning photos and creative design to enhance your reading experience.

If you’re not yet receiving the print version of Terra magazine, email us at terra.magazine@oregonstate.edu to request a free subscription. These stories also will be available online at www.blogs.oregonstate.edu/terra in late-May.

Oregon State University is Oregon’s leading public research university, receiving $308.9 million in research funding for fiscal year 2015. Here we highlight a few of our most recent grant-funded projects:

Dunes and Coastal Ecosystems
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: PETER RUGGIERO, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS, COLLEGE OF EARTH, OCEAN, AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
The National Science Foundation has awarded $385,000 to Oregon State University for a study on the influence of intertidal sandbar welding on dune growth. Coastal dunes play an important role in coastal communities and ecosystems by helping to conserve native species, defend against flooding and boost local economies by attracting tourists.

Ambitious Math and Science
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: THOMAS DICK, PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS AND DEPARTMENT CHAIR, COLLEGE OF SCIENCE
The National Science Foundation has awarded nearly $1.4 million for a project called Ambitious Math and Science Teaching Fellows. The goal of the project is to support every student across racial, ethnic, gender and linguistic boundary to learn key ideas within a discipline that will in turn enable authentic problem solving.

Metals Manufacturing
PRINCIPAL INVETIGATOR: JULIE TUCKER, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, MATERIALS SCIENCE PROGRAM, COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
The Oregon Metals Initiative has awarded $27,500 to Oregon State University for a study on corrosion and strength optimization of multi-tool alloys.