Our studies have revealed that beluga whales are capable of developing culture and have complex social systems that involve groupings that comprise both kin and non-kin. We are currently investigating, in partnership with indigenous communities, how social learning shapes culture and social ties and how beluga whale societies are adapting to a changing Arctic

We are using autonomous wave gliders equipped with acoustic and environmental sensors to investigate habitat selection in a number of dolphin species along Florida's Atlantic coast. The simultaneous collection of dolphin vocalizations and echolocation clicks with real-time environmental monitoring is providing a detailed picture of what drives dolphin activity in shelf waters

There have been very few ethological studies on narwhals to date, primarily due to their remote location, preference for deep waters offshore, and shy behavior. We are investigating many aspects of narwhal behavior and ecology in the Canadian High Arctic in partnership with local Inuit communities and Cortney Watt's team at Fisheries and Oceans, Canada

In endangered species when populations reach low numbers, concerns mount over effective population sizes (Ne), inbreeding, and loss of genetic diversity.  Mating systems and levels of gene flow among breeding units are central to understanding and mitigating such risks. We work with Tom Gelatt, Vladimir Burkanov, and their teams at NOAA Fisheries to measure reproductive success, outbreeding and inbreeding within and among metapopulations of endangered Steller sea lions experiencing differing trends in abundance