Whales
Cetaceans include whales, dolphins and porpoises. Check out the episodes here to learn more.
Welcome to the tenth episode of Below the Tide! Jennifer Wladichuk has just completed her postdoc studying Southern Resident Killer Whale echolocation, and using it to assess the impacts of underwater noise on this at-risk species. In this episode Jennifer explains the basics of echolocation and how sound travels underwater, as well as the way it is recorded. We also chat about the journey Jennifer took to get to where she is as a marine biologist now. She is currently working at JASCO Applied Sciences as an acoustician, where she monitors killer whale vocalizations.
Episode 11 is all about underwater acoustics, and the impacts of noise pollution on Southern Resident Killer Whales. This is a continuation from episode 10, so if you haven't listened to that one - head on back to get an intro to Jennifer Wladichuk! Jen tells us about the motivation behind acoustic research, and where it is leading into the future.
Episode 12 is all about Jennifer's fieldwork through her different research projects! She shares the real stories behind what science looks like in remote locations, and the amazing things you get to sea as a marine scientist. From kayaking with her gear in British Columbia, to petting whales in California, Jen has definitely had a unique experience in the field! If you haven't listened to her last two episodes, I would recommend going back to episode 10 and 11 so that you can get the full run-down of her research!
Welcome to episode 18! This week is the third and final episode with Héloïse Frouin-Mouy, where we hear about the Acoustic Drone Project she works on. She also gives us an idea of what a day in her life looks like doing research at NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). If you haven’t listened to episodes 16 and 17, definitely go back and catch up. Those episodes will give you an intro To Héloïse’s work and her background.
Welcome to Episode 24 - Humpback Whale Foraging with Ellen Chenoweth! Ellen is based in Sitka, at University of Alaska Southeast. She is a whale foraging ecologist - and specifically studied how humpback whales use salmon hatcheries as a food source.
Check out episode 25 to hear about what fieldwork looks like for Ellen! Most whale biologists spend long hours searching for whales, but Ellen’s work involves waiting them out. Waiting. And waiting. Waiting for them to come to the hatcheries. Make sure to listen to episode 24 for an intro to humpback whale foraging!
This episode is touching on a really important area of science: science education. Science isn't always in a lab or on a boat, it is often in the community. Public outreach and education programs are extremely important for our society. Ellen gives us insight into the program that she runs called Rural Alaska Students in One-Health Research (RASOR) within indigenous communities in rural Alaska. You can check out more about RASOR here! If you want to hear more from Ellen regarding her research, check out episodes 24 and 25 as well.
A whole new episode about a whole new marine species: the beluga whale! Alexandra Mayette studied belugas in the Canadian Arctic, tracking them and studying their social behaviours. Alexandra gives us insight into her journey to become a marine biologist, and a great overview of the Eastern Beaufort Sea Beluga Whales. From migration to communication, learn more about beluga whales now!
Episode 28 is all about Alexandra's fieldwork in remote communities. Beluga fieldwork brought Alexandra to Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada. The community and surrounding communities are important in this work, sharing their own knowledge of the population and their observations. Alexandra sheds light on an important area of science: collaboration with Indigenous communities who live in the areas all year round. They hold immense amount of knowledge and passion for common topics. The truth is that scientists can learn a lot from Indigenous peoples on the land that they study.
Did somebody say NARWHALS?? Check out this episode to learn all about the Narwhals of the Canadian arctic, from the basics up to the challenges they face from humans. Alexandra gives us the inside scoop on these amazing creatures (which I do admit, I thought were made up for a long portion of my life). Fun fact I learned: belugas and narwhals are cousins! So head on over to episodes 27 and 28 to learn about belugas.
