California humpback whales are seasonal migrants between here and mostly Mexico and Central America, a simple general pattern, but when we look deeper the patterns are complex and persistent across huge population changes. Join us for an exploration of new technology enabling a deep dive into the lives of leviathans, and the understanding recently revealed. We are delighted to have Ted Cheeseman, founder of Happywhale share insights from his unique vantage point and knowledge.

Bio:

Ted is the co-founder and director of Happywhale, a research collaboration and citizen science web platform that is transforming data science for tracking individual whales. Ted recently completed a PhD studying North Pacific humpback whale populations, a broad collaborative study that leveraged AI technology to identify and track almost every living whale in the North Pacific. The study revealed a previously under-appreciated major mortality event where 1/3 of Hawaii’s humpback population was lost to the impacts of a three-year marine heatwave. Ted is particularly inspired to develop technology that fosters research collaboration, access to previously inaccessible learning, and building community around ocean ecosystems.