Whale Pod Behavior Research
Sarah King
Short-Term Impact of Vessel Traffic on the Hawaiian Humpback Whale (PDF)
Sarah King debated a long time which course of study she should pursue in college. One of her passions, biology, led her to look at schools along Texas' Gulf Coast region, as well as in California. But fear of an unsecured marine biology job market brought her attention back to psychology, another academic interest.
Eventually, she chose Doane, opting for a music/psychology double major, emphasizing music therapy.
As the story goes, she discovered that while psychology was at the top of her academic interests, music was not. At the same time, her biology classes were quickly becoming favorites.
"I decided to drop the music major and pick up a biology minor, and focus on a mental health emphasis within the psychology major," the sophomore from Lincoln said.
But again, her path was about to change.
On a break from microbiology class in the Lied Science and Mathematics Building, King saw a posting for an internship dealing with Humpback Whale research through the Ocean Mammal Institute.
"I was ecstatic to find an internship that combined psychology (the animal behavior aspect) and marine biology," she said.
Psychology Professor Heather Lambert assisted King in the application process, helping her weed through the paperwork, learning as they went.
"My two biggest objectives were to ensure the internship would be a quality experience and that we could make it work with the Doane academic calendar," Lambert said.
Through conversations with the institute's founder and president, Dr. Marsha Green, Lambert got the satisfaction she needed. They proceeded with the paperwork and King received notification in November that she got the position.
King's internship, which lasted January 3-20, provided everything she wanted-the chance to meld her two academic interests, the opportunity to be involved with real-life research, and the icing on the cake...it would all take place in Hawaii.
"I am very proud of Sarah. She took the initiative to not only leave town but leave the state in order to make this happen," Lambert said. "I commend her for leaving her comfort zone. The payoffs ended up being tremendous."
The work was intense, though. Days were filled with hours of field research in 90-plus degree weather, followed by hours of calculating and sifting through each day's research; an extensive reading list which integrated topics like pollution, global warming, fish farming, sonar, and mercury levels in fish was assigned; and interns spent two hours in class each night, not to mention a lot of writing and yes, tests.
"During field research, my research team monitored the behavior of various pods of Humpback whales and how it changed based on the proximity of passing boats," she said. "It changed my outlook (which was fairly negative) on field research."
There was little time for sightseeing but King and her research team, which included college students from Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont, did find time to check out some volcanoes and other area attractions on Maui, including snorkeling.
"It was an awesome experience overall. I had the chance to see an area of the world I don't know if I would have seen. The work experience has given me confidence that I can combine the two things I love and still be successful," she said.
Following the internship, King solidified her academic plan.
"I plan to graduate in May 2008 with a double major in psychology and biology and a minor in environmental science. I would like to get my master's in marine biology and then a Ph.D. in behavioral psychology and eventually do research on Cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises, and whales) and other marine mammals."
According to Lambert, King left quite an impression on Green and the institute, opening the door for future internships for other Doane students.