Michael Weiss is the Research Director for the Center for Whale Research. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Reed College in 2016, with undergraduate work centered on the Southern Resident killer whales’ social structure. He completed his PhD in Animal Behaviour at the UK’s University of Exeter in 2020, focusing on the evolutionary and conservation consequences of killer whale social structure.

Jeremy joined Oceana as a Field Rep for the state of Washington in November 2024. He holds a master’s degree in environmental studies and has over 15 years of mapping, GIS, habitat restoration, and grassroots coalition experience. His work includes habitat mapping for “southern resident” killer whales, leading Audubon Climate Watch surveys and mapping results, organizing large fundraising activities, and partnering with other nonprofits to expand reach. Jeremy also spends a lot of time managing and implementing habitat restoration projects. Jeremy is passionate about the natural environment. He spends time hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and skimboarding. As an avid birder, he enjoys spending time along coastal areas looking for sea and shore birds. His Zen moment was finding a pair of Marbled Murrelets swimming in Puget Sound. He is excited to bring his passion for the marine environment to Oceana.

Abby has bounced around the Pacific Northwest her entire life which has instilled in her a deep appreciation and love for the cohabitants of the region.

She graduated from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and had the opportunity to research the effects of anthropogenic stressors on freshwater ecosystems. Studying the effects of climate change and microplastics on amphibians was eye-opening and has propelled Abby to take action to protect the ecosystems that she loves so dearly.

She currently lives in Portland where she enjoys trail running with her pup, fly fishing, and cooking with friends.

Tara was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee as the state's orca recovery coordinator in May 2021. Before that she worked in salmon recovery at RCO and led the Salmon Section. Before that, she worked on aquatic planning and science at the Washington Departments of Ecology and Natural Resources. Tara received her bachelor of science degree in environmental science, policy, and management from the University of California at Berkeley and her master’s degree from The Evergreen State College in Olympia. She lived, taught, traveled, and worked overseas for several years, in Asia and Central and South America. Tara lives in Olympia with her partner and two daughters. She loves soccer, ultimate Frisbee, horseback riding, backpacking, traveling, and spending time with her family.