Two WWU alums spend their summer researching whales at remote Alaskan lighthouse
A pair of recent WWU grads, Rachel Meade and Jack Mezzone, spent a month of their summer working to research humpback whale vocalizations at remote Five Finger Islands Lighthouse in Southeast Alaska. Below are their thoughts of how their summer research has helped them and how Western prepared them to take their next steps.
Rachel Meade
Having grown up in Colorado I had longed dreamed of the ocean and to become a marine biologist, so I headed straight for the coast and spent my first year of college at University of Hawai’i Hilo.
Missing the mountains, I found my perfect happy medium of ocean and mountains at Western. Pursuing my aspiration to be a marine biologist, specifically studying marine mammals, I applied to the Marine and Coastal Science program and was accepted to its third-ever cohort!
After my sophomore year of college, I was accepted to be a full-time intern at Sealife Response, Rehabilitation, and Research (SR3) in Des Moines, Washington. In this role, I provided care to pinnipeds rescued from the Salish Sea and Puget Sound in need of rehabilitation. I spent 40-hrs/week for three months handling harbor seal pups and administering subcutaneous fluids, tube feeding harbor seal formula and fish mash, giving IM injections and providing other hands-on care as directed by veterinary staff.
I took detailed weights and measurements of pinnipeds, drew blood, and affixed roto tags at release exams. I also assisted on emergency responses, going into the field to pick up malnourished or injured seals to bring them into the rehabilitation center.
Taking my work from SR3 the next summer I worked with the San Juan County’s Marine Mammal Stranding Network. Three days a week, I dedicated hours a day on the Network’s small vessel, navigating between islands to respond to stranding and entanglement calls. As a team, we conducted in-field health assessments requiring pinniped restraint, in-field hat and roto tagging, and in-field measurements.
Additionally, we photographed stranded and healthy animals for data analysis. Our work occurred under a wide spectrum of weather conditions, ranging from extreme heat to the first thunderstorms the San Juan Islands has witnessed in years. While on San Juan Island, I attended Large Whale Disentanglement Training in which I met Lisa Walker, a core member of the Whale-SETI Team; Lisa later introduced me to Fred Sharpe, famous humpback whale researcher for his work on humpback whale feeding techniques and communication methods as well as founder of the Alaska Whale Foundation.
The past year I spent working closely with Lisa and Fred on an Aerial Signals Project which I used as my senior capstone as well.
When rising to the surface to breathe, humpback whale’s semi-explosive exhalations can generate various sounds, yet these have not been as intensely studied. We are further analyzing five kinds of non-vocal aerial sounds: normal blows, wheezed blows, trumpets and two newly coined non-vocal expressions, the thrum and the pew. Non-vocal sounds are of great importance for a myriad of reasons.
They may be diagnostic of internal states, reminiscent of feline purrs or equine snorts. These sounds are far traveled and show promise for non-technical distance estimation and passive acoustic monitoring. Lastly, these sounds can help bridge the gap in human understanding of communication by stretching perceptual bounds of what communication is outside of the anthropogenic realm. The goal of our research is to better delineate blowhole sounds by categorizing them and coupling
them to their behavioral context.
Coupling this work of aerial sounds with underwater sounds and playback communication we’ve formed a nonprofit dedicated to better understanding humpback whale communication with a “whale first” attitude of listening to what the whale’s are saying and trying to communicate rather than trying to just speak at them therefore the name of our nonprofit, Whale Speak.
In order to further our research and understanding, we headed out to Five Finger Lighthouse in Fredrick Sound, Alaska. Five Finger Lighthouse is located on a 3-acre island in the remote South East. Here, we were surrounded by wildlife, including humpbacks. We are spending one whole month here in order to collect data.
We deployed two hydrophones, off the east and west sides of the island, and used these hydrophones to collect underwater sounds throughout the day and night. Additionally, we have a speaker located on the East side of the island to conduct occasional playbacks under protocol. I spent most of my days at the top of the lighthouse with my H4N Zoom Recorder and a theodolite.
I am working with fellow WWU graduate Jack Mezzone and we are collecting aerial sounds as well as angle measurements to calculate the distance away the whale was that made that particular aerial sound. We have gotten the pleasure as well to lecture to tourists who stop by the lighthouse as well as ones who have invited us onto their boat. We are excited for the next three-weeks on the island and hope to make strives in better understand our marine mammal counterparts.
My time at Western was invaluable in preparing me for the position I am in now. Not only academically in aiding in my understanding of general concepts like math and physics in understanding how sound travels differently through different medium (water vs air) but more importantly in how to create opportunities, work with a diverse group of people, and be moldable to different ideas and skill sets.
Through my time at Western I learned how to create opportunities by building a competent CV and being taught proficient writing skills both in a professional and scientific manner. I also learned how to clearly communicate my ideas and findings. I would like to specifically shout out MACs faculty Nina Whitney and Sam Kaster, who helped me in my skills of effectively
communicating and discussing marine science.
I would also like to thank Brady Olson and Dan van Hees for their constant encouragement and support, helping me grow into an enthusiastic researcher. I was extremely grateful to join Western’s Marine Mammal Ecology Lab in Spring of 2023, which helped me connect with like-minded students passionate about marine mammals and ecology as well as get in-field experience photographing and collecting data on the local harbor seal population. I learned valuable data collection, collaboration, and presentation skills as well as felt welcome having a community of one of the largest research labs on campus.
Through my time at Western I also worked with students from a variety of backgrounds that brought a variety of ideas to situations. Due to this, I am very well equipped to be open-minded going into the workforce and to take all ideas into consideration as well as never feeling shy to share my own. Lastly, my time at Western taught me a wide variety of skills but also how to adapt to new situations and problem solve efficiently. Due to this, I have been a valuable team member in making home-made hydrophone stands as well as raising funds and brainstorming in other ways.
I am very, very grateful for my time at Western Washington University and how the community shaped me not only as a scientist but as a person. I will forever cherish my time and am excited to give back to the community when I am able.
If you are in a place to give back please consider donating to our new nonprofit, Whale Speak. Any donations will be highly beneficial to the rest of our field season and beyond as we try to decode whale communication to see what we can learn from them in an effort to expand conservation efforts.
Donate today at whalespeak.org or directly to our donor box at:
https://donorbox.org/whale-speak-fundraising
If you have any questions feel free to email Whale Speak at info@whalespeak.org OR I would love to speak with any students interested in marine mammology or fellow alumni! Email me at rachel.l.meade@gmail.org.
Thank you!
Jack Mezzone
My name is Jack Mezzone and I am a recent WWU graduate and a researcher with the Whale Speak team. I am currently out at Five Finger Islands Lighthouse with the rest of the team helping Rachel Meade conduct research on humpback whale aerial sounds.
I originally learned about this team and got involved while accompanying Rachel to the Ways of Whales Conference in which I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Fred Sharpe speak on humpback whales. I was fascinated by these mammals and the research being conducted and wanted to get involved. I later learned about the summer field season in Alaska and jumped on the opportunity to partake in the research.
My time at WWU put me in a position to do this research as I was an undergraduate research assistant and later a manager of WWU Professor of Biology Acevedo Gutierrez’s Marine Mammal Ecology Lab. My time in the lab allowed me to learn more about marine mammals, which mostly consisted of harbor seals, but also about the general ecology of the Puget Sound. Apart from knowledge of marine mammals, I added to my research skills from my biology degree by learning firsthand about protocols and what fieldwork looked like in the real world.
This research was conducted at public areas in Bellingham which meant that interactions and teaching the public about our research and knowledge was a common occurrence. I loved being in the field, contributing to scientific knowledge, and interacting with the public and wanted to get involved as much as possible. I later became manager and had the opportunity to lead the lab with my co-managers and collaborate with a graduated member on a project in which I led a group of 30+ researchers. This project has continued and is in the manuscript drafting process.
Managing the lab allowed me to further develop leadership, communication, and research skills which I have found to be priceless as I have joined the Whale Speak team and continued in my research journey.
I have a strong passion for ecological conservation and feel that furthering the scientific knowledge of our marine life is necessary for more informed management decisions. Even with this passion for ecological conservation, I am working towards my calling in medicine and working with rural and underserved populations. I hope to use my research background to provide quality care and further the research and knowledge in this sector. I recently took the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and am planning to send in my medical school application while at Five Finger Lighthouse.
My time on the island has been amazing as I have had the opportunity to work with brilliant and passionate humpback whale experts and have continued learning and being a lifelong student.
If interested in learning more, you can find our website at whalespeak.org!