We study the acoustic behavior of marine mammals via collaboration with existing tagging programs and using standalone passive and digital acoustic monitors. This approach enables us to learn about the effects of anthropogenic noise on animal behavior, since sound propagates very efficiently through sea water.
The behavioral ecology of marine animals (e.g., foraging behavior, social behavior and communication) is important to understanding the long-term fitness of a species. Our studies involve tagging programs and observations in the field, as well as predictive modeling in the lab to better protect species of interest.
Oceanographic research relies heavily on data collection technology, especially in this era of increased capabilities of miniaturized electronics and unmanned vehicles. We develop new technologies for marine conservation research ranging from unmanned aerial systems, sensor development, to integrated acoustics.
Last spring, Duke undergraduates Ashley Blawas (Biomedical Engineering), Brandon Dalla Rosa (Electrical & Computer Engineering) and Sam Kelly (Mechanical Engineering) received a Follow-on Student Research Award to improve on the research methods employed by their Bass Connections team History and Future of Ocean Energy. Mentored by Douglas Nowacek, they aim to produce a digital
The Blue Devil Engineering team based out of Duke University is using drones, drop pods and machine learning to map the seafloor. Led by Professors Martin Brooke, Tyler Bletsch and Douglas Nowacek, the team is an enthusiastic group of high school, undergraduate and graduate students working together to develop their
Shooting air guns into the ocean could soon be fair game in the search for oil and gas along the North Carolina coast, even if the seismic blasts “harass marine mammals” such as whales. The National Marine Fisheries Service is considering allowing the practice by energy companies and wants the public
Animal behaviour can provide valuable information for wildlife management and conservation. We describe several methods developed by marine mammal scientists to study behaviour, primarily of cetaceans, focusing on technological advances: unmanned aerial systems (UAS), satellite-linked telemetry, passive acoustics and multisensor high-resolution acoustic recording tags. We then go on to explain how the data collected
For a half century a sound heard in the Southern Ocean and beyond has baffled acousticians. The noise – nicknamed “the bio-duck” – appears in the winter and spring. The repetitive, low frequency noise has been recorded many times in the waters around the Antarctic and western Australia. Our paper has
On February 16th the Duke Marine Lab crew, aboard the R/V RT Barber, spotted a NARW at 14:00, 40 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida. The UNC Wilmington aerial survey team (NOAA Scientific Permit 16473 Issued to UNCW) was also conducting surveys off-shore in the same area for the Navy. Efforts
Nowacek and colleagues publish paper on responsible practices for seismic surveys. The paper, published in the current issue of the journal Aquatic Mammals, was the result of a collaboration between scientists with the Switzerland-based International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel and the Russian consortium, Sakhalin
The Ph.D. program requires completion of a dissertation containing the results of original and substantive research. Typically, graduate students spend several years conducting field or laboratory work after completion of courses and successful defense of their preliminary examinations. All Ph.D. students are supported by an external fellowship, a Research Assistantship,
The Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP), which is convened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is charged with minimizing the risk of oil and gas development to Western Gray Whales. The shelf off Sakhalin Island, Russia is a critical feeding habitat for this population of
