Dr. Michelle Fournet is an acoustic ecologist who uses sound to investigate the interactions between marine organisms and human activities. This includes:
- Investigating how marine organisms use sound to facilitate vital life functions (animal communication);
- Investigating the potential impact of anthropogenic noise and climate change on marine species and environments (anthropogenic impacts), and
- investigating how sound can be used as an indicator of ecosystem health (acoustic indicators).
The overarching goal of the Marine Bioacoustics and Behavior Lab (Sea BABEL) is to use bioacoustics as a tool to further conservation and to assess species’ resilience to changing oceans. Much of Dr. Fournet’s work focuses on Arctic and sub-Arctic marine mammals including cetaceans and pinnipeds; she also studies the acoustics of sub-tropical fishes.
Students that are interested in joining Sea BABEL are encouraged to look through Dr. Fournet’s lab website before reaching out to her directly by email.
