Whale scientists to reach out to!
Posted by oxtrus@reddit | whales | View on Reddit | 12 comments
We are a group of students trying to prevent sperm whale poaching by creating a biotech solution using bacteria. For our outreach, we are required to meet up with scientists that revolve around this topic to gain more insight. It'd be awesome if you could recommend some people we can reach out to!
ARookBird@reddit
It's is mostly for younger students, but surely reaching out to some of the people through Skype a Scientist would be worth it? They're likely to know who to go to if they can't help you themselves. https://confirm.skypeascientist.com/search
Dismandibled@reddit
Nick Pyenson at the Smithsonian.
oxtrus@reddit (OP)
Appreciate it!
Equality_Executor@reddit
Hal Whitehead and Luke Rendell authored this study, which your question reminded me of. If not maybe they would at least be able to point you in the right direction.
oxtrus@reddit (OP)
Thanks!
tea_and_biology@reddit
Sperm whale poaching? Apart from occasional traditional hunts by a couple of indigenous peoples in Indonesia, no sperm whales are hunted today, and I've found no evidence to suggest they're being 'poached' anywhere - what's your source?
ZakA77ack@reddit
They're students (likely in grade school). Don't be too harsh in questioning their sources, this is what they're interested in right now and it's our job to foster that interest.
tea_and_biology@reddit
Ah, no, they're a postgraduate student at VIT university in India.
ChubbyGreyCat@reddit
I found this article: https://theprint.in/india/maha-multiple-cases-of-ambergris-seizure-by-police-raise-fear-of-sperm-whale-poaching/1052747/?amp
So maybe this is an issue of local concern that hasn’t made it into international headlines? Hard to say.
tea_and_biology@reddit
Ahhhh, it all makes sense now. So there is an illegal trade in ambergris - which is basically really stinky, albeit pleasantly so, hardened whale vomit - but it's not something you can exactly get unless a whale, y'know, spews (or dies with a blocked colon, we still don't really understand where it comes from). You can't slaughter whales and take it out of them or anything, so they've never been hunted for it; I think this might be a misunderstanding on OPs part.
u/oxtrus, if synthetic ambergris is the plan, then you it might be an idea to look up ambroxide - which already is a synthetic version used widely in the perfume industry.
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overdriveandreverb@reddit
Who still hunts sperm whales for spermaceti? Biotech solution for what? I'd argue there is more pressing matters both in biotech and when it comes to whale hunting.