Why Whales

Date & Time: Thursday, February 27, 2025
6-7:15 pm

Location: Kilachand Hall, Common Rm (101)
91 Bay State Rd, Boston, MA 02215

Event Description: Join Dr. Iain Kerr CEO of Ocean Alliance (OA) and dive deep into the daily lives of whales and see the latest technologies that are being used to better understand human impacts on whales. Based in Gloucester MA, OA is best known for discovering in the 1970’s that whales sing songs, and their whale recordings are part of the payload aboard the Voyager I and II spacecraft. Iain believes that current technologies alone will not solve the environmental crisis that we face so he has spent the last two decades as an advocate for thinking outside of the box, not just to develop new tools but also in how we communicate our discoveries. One of the best known examples of this philosophy is a drone called SnotBot®

Attendance: (For Kilachand Honors College Students) At the end of the event, a QR will be posted for you to check-in. This QR will expire so please complete the check-in form immediately. You must check-in to earn co-curricular attendance credit for this event.

Learn more about Iain Kerr

Dr. Iain Kerr is the CEO of Ocean Alliance (OA), an organization recognized as an international leader in whale research and ocean conservation since its founding in 1971 by Dr. Roger Payne.

Iain believe’s that current tools alone will not save the wild world so he has been a storng advocate for innovation and thinking outside the box. Under his leadership, OA has maintained a reputation for developing innovative benign research tools and techniques that engage scientists, conservationists and story tellers alike.

Born in Scotland, Iain received his Bachelor’s Degree in Education, with honors, from the University of London. His passion for “conservation science” has driven him to run more than 75 expeditions around the globe and to author or co-author more than 80 scientific papers. In 2014 as part of their 25th anniversary the Annenberg Foundation listed Iain as one of 25 global visionary leaders.

Iain’s work has been featured in numerous documentaries including the National Geographic production “Earth Live” and “One Strange Rock,” BBC, Blue Planet Live, Billy Connolly’s Great American Trail and BBC 2’s The Equator from the Air.

Learn more about Ocean Alliance

Ocean Alliance is a 501©3 non-profit organization, and one of the world’s first organizations dedicated to the protection of whales and their environment.

Our research programs have helped shape humanity’s understanding of whales; our education and outreach efforts have introduced millions of people worldwide to the world of whales – and why it is so important that we protect them.

Listen to The Moth episode with Iain Kerr about SnotBot (run time 16:05)