‘Octopus Guy’ surfaces in California

Dr. Kirt Onthank presents a “deep-see” talk on the cephalopod

In February, Dr. Kirt Onthank, professor of biology and director of the Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory, presented exciting cephalopod research in his talk, “The Octopus Secret: Why this nine-brained wonder knows the key to your future,” at the Crosswalk Church in Redlands, California.

Onthank is a leading cephalopod researcher, with peer-reviewed research published in key scientific journals, such as Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and Biology. Stories on his work have appeared in Popular Science and ScienceAlert. Onthank is very interested in science communication and making research accessible to curious minds of all ages. He was featured as an octopus expert for NBC National News in April 2024 and posts educational videos to his TikTok account, @theoctopusguy.

Onthank received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology from Walla Walla University, and earned a doctorate from Washington State University.

Learn more about WWU’s biology department, including its new marine biology program, at wallawalla.edu/biology.