Every project I worked on mixed technology with biology to come up with new ways to help the environment.
I graduated about 2.5 years ago but decided I wasn't done with school. I applied for a lot of grants and put my passions out there. With some luck, I found my place was at Cornell University in New York where I am now a Ph.D. candidate in Natural Resources and the Environment. My project that I will be studying over the course of 5 years is deep reef fish conservation and listening to the ways these fish make sounds to attract mates or defend territory. You may have heard a bird in the park, but I don't think you'll hear your goldfish chirping at you for food. Well, these creatures do make sounds to communicate with one another; and we use special underwater microphones (called hydrophones) to listen to them
I deploy hydrophones on reefs off Curaçao, as deep as 300 meters below the surface, using a submarine! We return to collect the data and listen to the fish to understand what they’re up to and how climate change and human activities might be changing their behavior. I now have some of the longest and only recordings of deep reefs, with some running for up to 2 years! Even better, we capture video of the fish making sounds, so we know exactly who's saying what and why! I often wonder if they know we are listening...
I can’t wait to take you all on this incredible journey. My longest expedition yet! Not only will you get to listen in and watch fish “talk,” but you'll also discover how this type of work helps us understand ecosystems that few people ever get to see. Along the way, I’ll introduce you to the island’s beauty, teach you a bit of the language, Papiamentu, and dive into the amazing culture, here!
