Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2015 - (Page 18)

Four Ways of Studying the Sea although sCIentIsts have been makIng dIsCoverIes about the oCeans for mIllennIa, the blue part of our planet remaIns a vast frontIer for sCIentIsts rangIng from ChemIsts and physICIsts to geologIsts and bIologIsts. we asked four graduate students ConduCtIng marIne researCh today to share what they're learnIng. theIr researCh topICs are dIverse, but they all emphasIze that the best way to understand the oCean Is to take to the water. In the Whales' Wake by Julia Burrows Understanding whales' feeding behavior can help us protect them-and the ocean ecosystem. I was on a backpacking trip around Australia after college when I saw humpback whales for the first time. I was intrigued by their sheer size, yet gentleness, and by the inquisitive intelligence I saw in their eyes. It was a profound experience that shaped my life and career choices for the next 10 years. After working as a naturalist on whalewatching boats and assisting scientists with their research, I entered graduate school and began my own research project in marine mammal ecology. Near the top of the food web, marine mammals such as whales and dolphins feed on a variety of squid and fishes-many of the same species that humans consume. Our increasing demand for seafood and our efficient fishing practices have led to overfishing, which means less food for both people and marine mammals. Our oceans are growing noisier from increased shipping traffic and oil and gas development, so it's become harder for marine mammals to communicate and hunt using sound. In addition, large whales are often struck and killed by ships, and many marine mammals become entangled and drown in fishing gear. Add biotoxins from run-off pollution, and you can see 18 imagine that these animals face a huge array of threats. I wanted to help find solutions to these problems. My research focuses on the feeding behavior of humpback whales in southeast Alaska-a topic I became interested in while working on whale-watching boats. As I explained whale feeding behavior as we watched it firsthand, I realized how little we really knew. We do know that humpbacks, like most baleen whales (those without teeth), feed for only about half of the year, and then spend the other half in warmer waters where they mate and give birth (Alaskan Jan/Feb 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2015

Big Picture
In My Own Words
Land & Sea
Going Full Circle with Ocean Conservation
At Home in the Water
Diving into Marine Science
Ocean Views
Becoming a Steward of the Seas
Engineering for Ocean Health
Selected Opportunities and Resources
The Wonderful World of MOOCs
Super
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review: UC San Diego
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2015