Sao Tome

Sao Tome is a small island in the Gulf of Guinea. In late Summer every year it is home to Humpback whales. They have travelled from Antarctica to their annual breeding grounds, (others travel to Hawaii and yet others to north eastern Brazil, off the coast of Recife) . First, the males come practising communally their love song with which they will endeavour to attract a female. These love songs are thought to contain the cultural memory of the particular Humpback Whale community and the song itself will evolve over the course of the Summer.

The females arrive two weeks later at which point the males are no longer singing together but, rather, have their own space and sing their hearts out to attract a female. The females will go for the male with the best voice. As an economist by training, that is not a scientist,  I like to think this is because they are attracted by an individual’s voice as opposed to the ‘experts’ who argue the choice is determined by the healthiness (strong genes)a strong voice suggests to discerning females!!
 

No one has studied this community of Humpback whales and we are particularly interested in it because we know about 10% of the population will carry on travelling west to further breeding grounds off the coast of Sierra Leone (our base there is by a bay known locally as Whale Bay so named because that is where the whales came every year. Now they stay somewhat away from the coast but we know they still arrive in August!  They leave tantalisingly close to when the Arctic populations travel down to their breeding grounds just a few miles further west in the Cape Verde Islands! Do they interbreed? Do they return to the Gulf of Guinea? Or do they meander across to join the population off of Brazil before heading south to their feeding grounds in Antarctica?

This project will put a team of young scientists in the field late Summer 2109 for period of three to four months. They will carry out photo identification work and critically acoustics work and possibly tracking. Apart from studying the population, they will also develop an eco-tourism development strategy for the island which is very beautiful but lacks in precious few employment opportunities for young people.

Funding is required to rent suitable boats, acquire dedicated acoustics equipment and photographic cameras, possibly tracking devices, accommodation, transport and sustenance.  A team of 6-7 is anticipated. A project for an Angel!?

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Project Plastic

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