In the Field: 2021 Gulf LISTEN Cruise
Meet the Team
The Gulf LISTEN expedition is bringing together students and professionals that are dedicating their careers to the exploration of the ocean through the use of acoustic tools. This project would not be possible with their dedication and commitment to science.
Our science crew ranges from researchers whose veins flow with tons of salty water, to new students dipping their toes in for the first time.
We asked our eight scientists what they are most excited about for this cruise and what item in their bag they wouldn’t sail without. Meet the scientists and learn more about the team that is making Gulf LISTEN 2021 possible!
Dr. Kait Frasier | Co-Chief Scientist
Dr. Kait Frasier is the Co-Chief Scientist for this expedition and an Associate Researcher at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Kait is very excited about getting to share all the technical aspects of deploying acoustic equipment with the team, especially with some of the early-career, women scientists who will be retrieving and deploying acoustic equipment for the first time!
Research ships are loud, so Kait made sure to bring earplugs in her suitcase to get the good sleep that she deserves after ensuring every day of this mission is a success!
Bruce Thayre | Marine Technician
Bruce Thayre is a Marine Technician for the Marine Bioacoustics Research Collaborative, and the Co-Chief Scientist for this expedition with numerous successful operations under his belt. Bruce is really looking forward to calling this research mission another win, by recovering all of the moorings that have been recording the underwater soundscape of the Gulf of Mexico for the last year. He is also excited for the incredible sunsets to come.
Bruce made sure to bring a harddrive full of movies so he can disconnect on the rare occasion there is a short break between operations. An extra pair of sunglasses is another item you will always find in his backpack, as working on ships often means breaking sunglasses or watching them slowly sink into the ocean!
John Hurwitz | Marine Technician
John is a marine technician for the Marine Bioacoustics Research Collaborative. John is looking forward to the very first deployment of a new type of listening device in the Gulf of Mexico. The new solid state recording systems can collect more data with less battery power. It’s a more versatile mooring that can be deployed in a variety of places without the need of a giant research vessel like the one we’re on.
John is serious about sun safety and did not leave without packing plenty of sunscreen to protect his skin from the harsh rays of the Gulf of Mexico. He also brought his light-up Poi to put on a show for the rest of the team on the back deck. John has been spinning Poi for over 10 years now and enjoys their calming benefits while out at sea.
Natalie Posdaljian | Ph.D. Candidate
Natalie Posdaljian is a Ph.d. Candidate with the Scripps Acoustic Ecology Lab. She has analyzed some of the data gathered from this very cruise and is looking forward to being in the same waters as the sperm whales she has studied. Especially after being land-locked for 2 ½ years with a pandemic in between, visiting and being part of this region of the ocean that she studied but has never sailed on will be a dream come true!
As a scientist with an always enquiring mind, she made sure to bring her 300 page sudoku-puzzle book to keep her entertained during this multiple week expedition, especially with the limited wifi bandwidth you’ll find on most research vessels.
Kieran Lenssen | Engineering Assistant
Kieran Lenssen is an Engineering Assistant in Dr. Kait Frasier’s lab, as part of the Marine Bioacoustics Research Collaborative. As his first time at sea with a research team, Kieran is very excited about spending quality time with the team onboard and on the ocean, especially after having known some of them for months, but only through a screen!
As part of his excitement of creating memories onboard, he brought his special cribbage board that he cannot travel without, to share some fun times with everyone when there is downtime!
Gania Figueroa | Graduate Student
Gania is an incoming graduate student with Dr. Kait Frasier, who is very much looking forward to learning about the operations and being as helpful as she can, while getting acquainted with the lab that she is now a part of.
A windbreaker jacket with a special design that Gania loves, is a must-have for this expedition. Despite the extremely warm weather of the Gulf of Mexico during this time of the year, Gania’s jacket will keep her warm while the air conditioning blasts inside the research vessel that she will be calling home for the next few weeks! These types of ships tend to be very cold inside despite outside weather conditions, to ensure that the equipment continues to function correctly regardless of the melting temperatures outside.
Itzel Perez Carballo | Graduate Student
Itzel is a graduate student with the University of Veracruz, México. This trip is very special for her since it will be the first time that she will be learning about moorings and acoustic devices at sea in the ocean that she gets to call home!
She is also very passionate about outreach and science communication, and made sure to bring her computer. This is her main tool for communicating and sharing her research experience with the world!
Eva Hidalgo Pla | Graduate Student
Eva is a graduate student in the Scripps Whale Acoustics Lab, and has over a decade of exciting seagoing experience from her work with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an international non-profit dedicated to marine mammal protection. She is looking forward to learning from everyone’s expertise on all of the technical aspects of deploying and retrieving acoustic devices while having tons of fun with the team onboard.
She made sure to pack plenty of camera equipment to capture any encounters or rare sightings of marine mammals. Eva has experience sailing all over the world and knows how amazing life on a vessel can be. She hopes to capture these moments on camera to share with the world!
