UMSS19 Emma Newcomb

Project: Anthropogenic effects on marine mammal strandings and call reports in the Gulf of Maine from 2010 to 2015

Transcript
I’m researching how humans in the state of Maine interact with seals through boat strikes, entanglement, approach. Why is it common in certain areas? There’s a higher population density? More beach goers? More accessible beaches?

This project is really cool to me because I get to see why do certain seals strand. They weren’t necessarily injured or they were fine to go back into the water but then a human interacts with them just trying to help and it makes things worse. And as someone who loves to help animals I can’t imagine doing something that could cause harm. And so I know that there are people out there who are trying to help and I want to help them help the seals.

I joined a lab September of my freshman year and I’ve loved it. I’ve met so many new people I’ve done so many things. And I never thought I would do, like visual observations. I saw my first whale.

So I’ve had this fantastic time and it made me realize that I love so many different aspects of research and science that I didn’t already think were there.