Penguins!
October 15, 2016
As fall arrives on Long Island, spring is warming up in the Southern Hemisphere and penguins from Africa to Antarctica are getting into high gear for the breeding season. Learn all about penguins, their behavior and diet and life cycle, and meet local scientists working in Antarctica to better understand and protect these amazing creatures.
Gentoo penguins standing about – Photo credit: Catie Foleyhttps://lynchlab.com/gallery-multimedia/2013-14-field-season/#jp-carousel-428
Interviewing Heather
Where did you go to school?
I did my undergraduate degree at Princeton University and my Ph.D. at Harvard University.
What is your area of research?
I study Antarctic penguin biogeography, which means I try and understand where penguins live and why and how their populations might be changing through time.
Who or what inspired you to become involved in marine science?
My background is in physics and applied math, so I fell in love with my current research because it provides some terrific opportunities for using math and statistics to study the natural world.
What qualities do you think are important in order to become a scientist?
Persistence, persistence, persistence. Most things you try as a scientist don’t work (that’s part of the job!) so you can’t get discouraged when experiments fail or expeditions go awry.
Why is your research topic important?
Penguins are sensitive to climate change, human disturbance, water pollution, and habitat loss, to name just a few of the threats they face. Because they are relatively easy to study (compared to other marine species), they give us a window into the threats faced by the marine ecosystems in which they live.
What will you be bringing with you to the “meet with an Oceanographer” day?
I’ll be bringing some of the tools we use in the field to study penguins, including a sample of the clothes we wear, the camera and audio equipment we use, and I can bring recordings of Antarctic penguin calls and videos of penguin behavior.
What is the best advice you have for people interested in becoming involved in your field of research or in marine sciences?
Many people get into marine science because they love animals, but marine science also desperately needs people interested in math, engineering, and computer science. These skills are in such high demand, students who want to jump into the action would do well to hone their skills in these areas.
What is your favorite ocean organism?
The gentoo penguin.
Want to learn more about Heather’s research? Visit her web page