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The Intersea Foundation
Scientific Accomplishments |
- Acquired first scientific evidence of cooperation among baleen whales.
- Pioneered reliable techniques for identifying, and thereby tracking,
individual whales through the creation of a computer program which
uses categorized images to correlate sightings over seasons and years.
- Discovered, contrary to the literature, that humpbacks sing a summer
feeding song.
- Determined that humpbacks feed throughout the night.
- Detected that calves of the year are active feeders of prey.
- Analyzed the effect of commercial industry and private vessel traffic
on humpback whales.
- Assessed the impact of oil-drilling activities upon the migratory
patterns of gray whales.
- Evaluated the effects of oil exploration upon humpback whales in
their Southeast Alaskan feeding grounds.
- Performed research contracts for the Mineral Management Service,
National Marine Fisheries Service, National Park Service, University
of Hawaii, University of Alaska, The Center for Long Term Research,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and many others.
- Presented scientific findings at numerous National Marine Mammal
conferences.
- Contributed images to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration's photo-identification file in a cooperative effort
to better understand migratory patterns.
Chronology of Field Work
- 1976-79 Samoa - Research on the "crown of thorns" starfish
Acanthaster and its effects on the coral reefs and program of eradication.
VARUA.
- 1980 Kingman Reef, South Pacific - Amateur radio expedition.
VARUA.
- 1980 Hawaiian Islands - Photo identification & acoustic recording
of humpback whales with the University of Alaska and Earthwatch.
VARUA.
- 1981 Tahiti, Tuamotus & Marquesas Islands - Marine mammal
surveys. VARUA.
- 1981 Southeast Alaska - Impact of vessel traffic on humpback
whales (National Marine Fisheries contract). VARUA.
- 1981 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics, distribution and census
of humpback whales. VARUA.
- 1981 Monterey Bay, CA - Educational programs, survey and
behavioral studies of the California gray whale. VARUA.
- 1982 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics, distribution and census
of humpback whales. VARUA.
- 1982 Southeast Alaska - Impact of vessel traffic on humpback
whales (National Marine Fisheries Service contract).
VARUA.
- 1982 Monterey Bay, CA - Educational programs, survey and
behavioral studies of the California gray whale. VARUA.
- 1983 Pacific Ocean off CA central coast - Effect of acoustic
stimuli on migrating whales for Environmental Impact Statement (Mineral
Management Service). VARUA.
- 1983 Channel Islands, CA - Marine mammal surveys.
VARUA.
- 1983 Monterey Bay - Impact of oil exploration and drilling
on migrating humpback whales. VARUA.
- 1983 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics, distribution and census
of humpback whales. DISCOVERED COOPERATIVE FEEDING. VARUA.
- 1983 Southeast Alaska - National Marine Fisheries Service
contract studying humpback whales. VARUA.
- 1983 Southeast Alaska - Contracted for National Geographic
article on feeding behaviors of humpback whales. VARUA.
- 1983 Farallon Islands, CA - Contracted for BBC filming of
great white sharks with Dr. McKosker of the Steinhart Aquarium.
- 1983 Monterey Bay, CA - Educational programs, survey and
behavioral studies of the California gray whale. VARUA.
- 1984 Pacific Ocean off CA central coast - Effect of acoustic
stimuli on migrating gray whales for Environmental Impact Statement
(Mineral Management Service). VARUA.
- 1984 Monterey Bay, CA - Gray whale research and education.
VARUA.
- 1984 Channel Islands, CA - Marine mammal survey and educational
programs. VARUA.
- 1984 Southeast Alaska - Contracted for filming of NBC television
special "Ocean Quest".
- 1984 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. VARUA.
- 1984 Southeast Alaska - Effect of acoustic stimuli on feeding
humpback whales (Minerals Management Service contract).
VARUA.
- 1984-85 Pacific Ocean off central California coast - Gray
whales census (National Marine Fisheries Service contract).
VARUA.
- 1985 Hawaiian Islands - Comparative study of summer and winter
humpback behaviors and distribution analysis. VARUA.
- 1985 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. VARUA.
- 1985-86 CA coast - Gray whale census off California coast.
National Marine Fisheries contract. Land-based.
- 1986 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. VARUA.
- 1987 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. ACANIA and
VARUA.
- 1988 Southeast Alaska - Contracted by Miramar Productions
for feature film on our vessel and work "Third Stone from the Sun"
ACANIA and VARUA.
- 1988 Southeast Alaska - Filming of humpback whale studies
for ABC's "Spirit of Adventure" with Jim Fowler for Mutual of Omaha.
Contracted by American Adventure Productions. ACANIA.
- 1988 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. VARUA.
- 1989 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. Chartered
vessels.
- 1989 Bering, Beaufort and Chuckchi Sea - Geophysical survey
contracted by Ocean Engineering. ACANIA.
- 1990 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. ACANIA.
- 1991 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. Chartered
vessels.
- 1991 Kenai Coast, Prince William Sound, Aleutian Islands
- Marine mammal research and survey contracted by University of Alaska.
ACANIA.
- 1991 Gulf of Alaska to Hawaiian Islands - Drift net entrapment
study contracted by National Marine Fisheries Service.
ACANIA.
- 1991 Hawaiian Islands to Nikumaroro Island in Southern Hemisphere
- Expedition to locate and recover Amelia Earhart's aircraft, contracted
by The International Group for the Recovery of Ancient Aircraft, LIFE
Magazine and NBC. ACANIA.
- 1992 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. ACANIA.
- 1993 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. Chartered
vessels.
- 1994 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpbacks whales. ACANIA.
- 1994 Southeast Alaska - Humpback whale studies filmed by
Cinema Direct for the Discovery Channel. ACANIA.
- 1995 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on cooperative groups, feeding ecology, behavioral characteristics,
distribution and census of humpback whales. ACANIA.
- 1995 Southeast Alaska - Contracted by Graphic Films for feature
IMAX film "The Triumph of Life". ACANIA.
- 1996 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on feeding ecology of humpback whales. ACANIA.
- 1996-97 California Coast - Census and behavioral studies
of migrating gray whales along California coast. National Marine Fisheries
Service contract. Land based.
- 1997 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on feeding ecology of humpback whales. Research filmed for three film
productions: Discovery, Tesche Dokumentarfilm-Produktion, and as pilot
test for mini-series for National Geographic.
- 1997-98 California Coast - Census and behavioral studies
of migrating gray whales along California coast. National Marine Fisheries
Service contract. Land and air based.
- 1998 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on feeding ecology of humpback whales. Image recognition computer
programming development.
- 1998 Monterey Bay, CA - Educational programs, survey and
behavioral studies of the California gray whale.
- 1999 California Coast - Maritime study programs for youth
in Monterey, CA.
- 2000 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on feeding ecology of humpback whales.
- 2000-2001 California Coast - Census and behavioral studies
of migrating gray whales. National Marine Fisheries Service.
Land-based.
- 2001 Brazilian Rainforests - Amphibian research in the Mata
Atlantica, Pantanal and Amazon River Basin. Land and
sea based.
- 2001-2002 California Coast - Census and behavioral studies
of migrating gray whales. National Marine Fisheries Service/NOAA.
Land-based.
- 2002 Bahia Brazil - Rainforest/humpback whale research. Land
and Sea based.
- 2003 Amazon Brazil - Rainforest research. Land and Sea based.
- 2004 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on feeding ecology of humpback whales.
- 2005 Southeast Alaska - Educational programs and research
on feeding ecology of humpback whales.
- 2006-2007 California Coast - Census and behavioral studies
of migrating gray whales. National Marine Fisheries Service. Land-based.
- 2007 Argentina - Tropical rainforest research of Jaguars,
Capuchin & Howler Primates. Land-based.
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Scientific Achievements