Describe your current job
I am studying the behavior and ecology of endangered baleen whales, in particular fin whales and North Pacific right whales, in Alaskan waters. The goals of my project are to improve our understanding of the timing of migration, habitat use, and behavior of these whales. This kind of information will aid in conservation efforts.
My job involves analyzing underwater recordings of the sounds made by these whales. We use two types of instruments, including long-term recording packages that sit on the seafloor and record for up to a year at a time. These are deployed and recovered from a ship. The short-term recording devices are deployed during ship-based whale surveys and send a real-time radio signal to the ship. I usually go to sea for a total of at least six weeks per year on mooring cruises or whale surveys.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
The thing I enjoy most is going to sea and working as a team with other scientists and crew, and getting the chance to see the animals I’m studying. I also enjoy opening up a newly recorded data set and exploring it to find whale calls—it’s exciting!
What do you enjoy the least about your job?
It is difficult for me sometimes to manage my time, with classes, teaching, meetings, seminars, going to sea, and outside interests.
What key events in your childhood most influenced your current career?
From age three to age ten, I lived in southern California and often went to the beach with my family. I was fascinated by the ocean itself and by all the life in the water and on the beach. I remember once my parents took me on a grunion run—when hundreds of fish called grunion swim up onto the beach to spawn in the middle of the night--and people were catching grunion in buckets to show off (and then releasing them) and sitting around a fire having a good time.
Do you have any funny stories about lab experiences or adventures in the field?
Once I was at sea in the Arctic, and a walrus began to follow our ship. The ship would steam along for several miles, then stop to conduct some measurements, and within a few minutes the walrus would show up and swim circles around the ship, checking us out. This kept happening for several hours. One of the scientists, a very sweet, burly guy who by this time had grown a bit grizzly (for some reason men often decide to stop shaving at sea; maybe it’s too tricky with the boat rocking and rolling) began speaking "walrus" to our friend—snorting, huffing, and whooping, and the walrus would talk back to him, and they had long conversations with each other at every stop. It was pretty amusing; I wonder if they understood each other.
Do you play any sports or have any favorite hobbies/special interests?
My favorite hobby is scuba diving. I try to go every weekend.
What contribution would you most like to make to science in the next five years?
I would like to feel that I have done something valuable to help protect North Pacific right whales and improve their chances of recovering from near-extinction.
Do you have any advice for an aspiring high school student who might want to pursue your career?
Ask lots of questions, get involved in extracurricular activities, and take a broad variety of science, math, and humanities classes. Try to find work or volunteer as a research assistant in science projects going on around your community and at universities.
What is the approximate salary range for your profession?
As a graduate student, I don’t make a whole lot. But, as a professional scientist, I think I will do a bit better.
