Jessica Farrer

Jessica has spent 20 years working in marine mammal research and conservation across a wide range of ecosystems, including the Bering Sea, Hawaii, Washington State, the Galápagos and Antarctica. Her experience ranges from fisheries observing aboard commercial fishing vessels to Weddell seal fieldwork with the U.S. Antarctic Program and marine mammal research in both remote and urban environments. These varied settings have shaped her understanding of how marine species interact with changing ecosystems and human activity.

She currently serves as Research Director for The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, Washington, where she oversees research and conservation programs throughout the Salish Sea. Her work there has increasingly expanded beyond individual species to questions about ecosystem resilience, recovery and how conservation strategies can respond to ecological change. She also works to connect scientific research with practical conservation efforts, helping translate findings into a broader understanding of marine ecosystems and the challenges they face.

Jessica’s research interests include marine predator ecology, non-invasive sampling, eDNA and genomic approaches to understanding biodiversity and ecosystem health. She is especially interested in understanding the conditions that support recovery and how science can inform conservation strategies that restore ecological function rather than simply prevent further loss. Her work brings together field research, emerging scientific methods and long-term conservation perspectives to better understand the interconnected processes that shape healthy marine environments.