Dear MARMAM community, My co-author and I are pleased to announce а new paper on Stejneger’s beaked whale: Ryazanov, S., Efimova, K. First records of Stejneger’s beaked whales (Mesoplodon stejnegeri) in the Russian part of the Sea of Japan revealed through citizen science: new insights into the species’ ecology and evolution. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 33, 37 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-026-09830-6 Brief summary: Stejneger’s beaked whale is one of the least known toothed whales, with most information derived from strandings. Using citizen science and our own data, we documented the first records of this species in the Russian part of the Sea of Japan and combined genetic, morphological, and oceanographic evidence to interpret them. Our results indicate that the species’ distribution is associated with warm currents and that its occurrence in unusual areas may be linked to warm-water intrusions and ongoing ocean warming. This study highlights the importance of citizen science for advancing knowledge of rare and cryptic marine mammals. If you do not have access to the full text, please feel free to email me at sdryazanov@gmail.com Best regards, Sergey Ryazanov Sergey D. Ryazanov, PhD V.I.Il’ichev Pacific Oceanological Institute <https://www.poi.dvo.ru/> Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences 43, Baltiyskaya St., Vladivostok,690041, Russia Member of the Board of Governors of IPO Marine Mammal Council <https://marmam.ru/>.