SF Natural History Series

The Marine Mammal Center has been rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals in northern California for 40 years. In addition to rescue and rehabilitation, The Marine Mammal Center conducts cutting edge science research through collaborations all over the world. The Center was the first to discover domoic acid in California sea lions and continues to research why cancer is so prevalent in this sentinel species. Lauren Rust, a research biologist with the Center, will go more in-depth about the extensive research projects at the Center and how this research is being applied to the current sea lion crisis.

Lauren Rust has been in the marine mammal field for over 12 years on both coasts. She’s currently a research biologist at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. Lauren manages the research department which involves conducting necropsies (animal autopsies) on patients that die at the center as well as large whales on the beach, collaborating with researchers nationwide and helping the veterinary staff care for the sick and injured animals waiting for release. She hails from South Carolina but moved to the Bay area with her family 5 years ago.