Our Team
Dr. Fred Sharpe Co-Founder/Director/Researcher
Lisa Walker Co-Founder/Director/Researcher
Lisa Walker Co-Founder/Director/Researcher
Fred Sharpe has been studying the foraging ecology of humpback whales in SE Alaska since 1987. He received his Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University, founded the Alaska Whale Foundation, and is currently a Co-Investigator with the Whale-SETI Study Team. Fred’s interest in conservation biology has led him to follow the whales south to their
Fred Sharpe has been studying the foraging ecology of humpback whales in SE Alaska since 1987. He received his Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University, founded the Alaska Whale Foundation, and is currently a Co-Investigator with the Whale-SETI Study Team. Fred’s interest in conservation biology has led him to follow the whales south to their Hawaiian wintering to study their historical ecology and impacts from commercial whaling. He has been awarded the Fairfield Award for Innovative Marine Mammal Research and the Society for Marine Mammology’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Communication. Fred volunteers with NOAA as a large whale disentangler. He is a naturalist in the classical tradition and enjoys botanizing and conserving native grasslands. During his botany undergraduate days (University of Washington) he co-authored and illustrated Wild Plants of the San Juan Islands. After graduation, he continued his work in the archipelago and co-authored and illustrated Birding in the San Juan Islands.
Lisa Walker Co-Founder/Director/Researcher
Lisa Walker Co-Founder/Director/Researcher
Lisa Walker Co-Founder/Director/Researcher
Lisa is a Whale Song Theorist focusing her investigations on the complex song of the humpback whale. Following in Roger Payne's footsteps, Walker is exploring the possibility a shared evolutionary path underlying the foundation of humpback and human system of songs. Her research incorporates novel methodologies and data visualization
Lisa is a Whale Song Theorist focusing her investigations on the complex song of the humpback whale. Following in Roger Payne's footsteps, Walker is exploring the possibility a shared evolutionary path underlying the foundation of humpback and human system of songs. Her research incorporates novel methodologies and data visualization techniques including adapting Ai-based approaches designed for human music generation to the multi-dimensional analysis of whale song. A composer and musician, her award-winning album "Grooved Whale," delves into the intersection of human and whale song logic and is based on Walker's field research in Hawaii and Alaska. Fascinated by Astrobiology, Walker is exploring how foundational structures of human music and humpback song might form the basis of METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) signals.
Rachel Meade Co-Founder/Director/Researcher
Lisa Walker Co-Founder/Director/Researcher
Rachel Meade Co-Founder/Director/Researcher
Rachel graduated this past spring with a BS in Marine and Coastal Science from Western Washington University. Rachel has multiple years of field experience working with pinnipeds and small phocoenids. However, her passion has always lied in large cetaceans, specifically the humpback whale. Rachel's main focus as a part of the Whale Speak
Rachel graduated this past spring with a BS in Marine and Coastal Science from Western Washington University. Rachel has multiple years of field experience working with pinnipeds and small phocoenids. However, her passion has always lied in large cetaceans, specifically the humpback whale. Rachel's main focus as a part of the Whale Speak team is to categorize and begin analysis on Aerial Sounds produced when humpback whales surface to resperiate.
Excited to be a part of the Whale Speak Team Rachel will continue conversing our research through conferences, publications, and community outreach.