Whale Pod

5 posts

This series features podcasts produced by students in the summer session of the marine mammal course, based at the Duke University Marine Laboratory. During this six week course, student’s work in teams to produce a podcast describing a current conservation issue or challenge for a marine mammal species or stock of their choice. This podcast serves as the student’s final project and aims to: a) increase the student’s understanding of a current issue in marine mammal science and conservation; b) teach them how to critically read scientific papers and summarize their findings’; c) give them exposure to and allow them to interview and talk one-on-one with an expert in the field of marine mammalogy; and d) stress the importance of and provide guidance in articulating marine mammal science to the general public.

Over the course of just six weeks, the students have to select a species and topic of interest, conduct background research, identify suitable interview subjects, draft interview questions, conduct interviews with leading experts in marine mammal science, and produce the final podcast. It’s a whirlwind, but the results speak for themselves. We hope you enjoy listening!