History
& Legacy
Ocean Alliance is a 501©3 non-profit organization, founded in 1971 as one of the world’s first organizations dedicated to the protection of whales and their marine environment. Ever since we have been a mainstay in whale science and conservation. Our research programs have helped to shape humanity’s understanding of whales, while our education and outreach efforts have introduced millions of people worldwide to the world of whales – and why it is so important that we protect them.
We have helped establish marine protected areas around the world, discovered previously unknown whale populations, and helped to write and advocate for the Marine Mammal Protection Act – the primary law protecting whales in the United States. Notably, the organization has been instrumental in developing non-invasive research techniques that are now standard in marine mammal science such as photo-identification, bio-acoustics, and innovative drone technologies like SnotBot.
Dr. Roger Payne
Dr. Roger Payne, the founder of Ocean Alliance, is renowned as a foundational figure in modern whale biology. National Geographic once dubbed him the ‘archdeacon of whale biology’ for his groundbreaking work, particularly his discovery, alongside Katy Payne and Scott McVay, that humpback whales sing songs.
Dr. Payne also initiated the Southern Right Whale program, the longest continuous study of a great whale species. Since his passing in 2023, Ocean Alliance remains committed to upholding his extraordinary legacy, recognizing his unparalleled contributions to whale conservation.
Southern Right
Whale Program
Ocean Alliance’s Southern Right Whale Program has been running since 1970, making it the longest-running study of a great whale anywhere on the planet. Since 1996, the program has been led in collaboration with the Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas in Argentina. The purpose of this program is to study and protect the southern right whale and its habitat. This program’s long-term nature has led to many advances in our understanding of how whale populations change over time in response to broader environmental and human-made changes. These insights are proving increasingly crucial at a time when our oceans are changing faster than ever before in human history.
— Key Programs & Initiatives
Voyage of
the Odyssey
In the late 1990s, Ocean Alliance became increasingly concerned about pollution in our oceans and how little was being done to study this pollution and bring it to light. In response, we started planning and preparations for a major global expedition. In 2000, the Voyage of the Odyssey was launched. This was the first-ever global study of pollution using a single species — the sperm whale — as an indicator. The five-year expedition shed light on the alarming pollution levels in the world’s oceans.
— Key Programs & Initiatives
Documentaries
In the 1980s and 1990s, with the idea that people would only protect what they loved, Ocean Alliance set about trying to make people fall in love with whales by showing them their beauty, and became involved in the production of over 40 documentaries, including In the Company of Whales and the IMAX film Whales.
Ocean Alliance and its research vessel, Odyssey, were involved in producing many of the early documentaries on whales. Ocean Alliance also focused on educating the world about whales through interviews and stories with the media, a series of educational school programs, and a public outreach drive partnering with groups such as the Discovery Channel and Pacific Life.
— Inspiring Whale Awareness
Our mission
& impact
Ocean Alliance helps foster an emotional connection between the public and whales through film, videos, photography, and acoustic recordings; it inspires the public to be more aware of the threats facing whales and better understand what they can do about them.
We work at the intersection of science, technology, and education, conducting scientific research to inform the public, policymakers, wildlife managers, educators, and a wide array of stakeholders on the plight of whales and what we can all do to protect them.
— Tarr & Wonson Paint Factory
Our headquarters
Ocean Alliance is headquartered at the former Tarr & Wonson Paint Factory site on Gloucester Harbor. The Tarr & Wonson Paint Factory manufactured the first copper anti-fouling paint in 1863 until the factory closed in the 1980s. Ocean Alliance purchased the site in 2008 to preserve this historic icon on the Gloucester waterfront and develop an ocean innovation center.
Timeline
— 1967
Roger Payne, Katy Payne, and Scott McVay discover that humpback whales sing songs.
— 1970
Dr. Payne initiates the Southern right whale program, which to this day is the longest running study on a great whale worldwide. Within this program Roger develops the first ever whale photo identification program.
— 1971
Ocean Alliance is founded as The Long Term Research Institute. Vicky Rowntree joins OA and runs the Southern Right Whale Program for the next 50 years.
— 1973
— 1977
— 1986
— 1988
— 1990
— 1991
The IMAX film ‘WHALES’ is released, co-directed by Roger Payne and Ocean Alliance. Much of the documentary is filmed and set on the RV Odyssey.
— 1996
Our partner organization, Instituto de Conservacion de Ballenas (ICB) is founded in Argentina to facilitate the ongoing Southern Right Whale Program.
— 2000-2005
Ocean Alliance purchases the iconic Tarr & Wonson Paint Factory on Gloucester Harbor, for restoration and adaptive reuse as an ocean research and innovation center.
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, releasing enormous quantities of oil. In response, Ocean Alliance spends five summers in the Gulf of Mexico in an attempt to determine the long-term toxicological impacts of the oil spill and the ensuing use of chemical dispersants on whales and their environment.
— 2015
— 2016-2024
SnotBot is featured in several documentary specials including BBC’s ‘Blue Planet Live’ and the ‘Equator from the Air’, National Geographic’s ‘Earth Live’ and ‘One Strange Rock’, and SKY’s ‘WHALE with Steve Backshall’.
Data collected by SnotBot is published in a number of peer-reviewed journals.
— 2020
— 2021
Ocean Alliance develops a novel method to attach bio-logging tags to whales using drones. This method is labeled a ‘game-changer’, independently, by a number of individuals and organizations.