When she’s not in the lab studying, you can find her diving into a good book, hiking along the coast, in the dance studio, or wishing she was out in the field!

Female sperm whales live in societies comprised of social units, groups, and clans. Clan identity is assumed to be vital to an individual and remains the same for life. Madi’s honours project investigates these clan assignments and the social biology of sperm whales in the Galápagos region.

Next up for our lab member introduction is Madison Sliwa! www.linkedin.com/in/madison-s... Madi is a fifth-year undergraduate honours student completing her degree in Marine Biology. Madi is studying sperm whales in the Galápagos Islands.

Outside of the lab and school, Katija loves to explore outdoors, rock climb, and discover new crafts to make (typically all while listening to podcasts).

She is especially interested animal sociality and behaviour, so is super excited to continue working with the Whitehead lab for her honours project analyzing a “head-butt” behaviour observed in northern bottlenose whales.

Our next lab member introduction is Katija Newton!! Katja is a fourth year undergraduate student majoring in Marine Biology. As a co-op student last semester, Katija identified and catalogued 2025 field photos for the northern bottlenose whale project. www.linkedin.com/in/katija-ne...

When she’s not studying or in the field, you’ll find her outdoors – hiking, snorkelling, surfing, or running – always looking for an excuse to dive into the ocean and explore the biodiversity beneath the surface!

Sperm whales moult their skin primarily as a natural
and healthy process to shed old cells, parasites, and bacteria that may have accumulated on
their bodies. Charlotte is excited to be continuing her research this semester as well!

Her research inspected male sperm whales and their moulting skin – exploring how this process may
influence their long-distance movements.

Next up for lab member introductions is: Charlotte Powell www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte...

Charlotte is a fifth year undergraduate student studying Marine Biology and Ocean Sciences.Last semester, she completed an Independent Study with the Whitehead Lab.

More coverage of ‪Éadin's paper: oceanographicmagazine.com/news/immigra... 🐳🦑

New paper!🚨 Social dynamics of group bubble net feeding in humpbacks. Congratulations Éadin for such an awesome first PhD paper!! 🐳🧪🦑

David is an outdoor enthusiast, who has a deep love for oceans, water, and mountains.

David is passionate about addressing data gaps through research and using science to enhance species conservation. To pursue this passion, he has co-founded an NGO dedicated to research and conservation: Whale Research Collective. www.linkedin.com/company/whal...

These efforts aim to establish the health status of northern bottlenose whale populations in Atlantic Canada and evaluate anthropogenic threats.

Body condition is an indicator of individual health. He will also be examining the severity of anthropogenic markings (scars from entanglements and vessel strikes).

Next up for our lab member introductions is: David Gaspard
www.linkedin.com/in/david-gas...

David is a M.Sc. student in the Whitehead Lab using drone imagery to measure northern bottlenose whales' body condition in the Scotian Shelf, offshore Newfoundland, and the Arctic.

Dear Emma, thank you so much for setting this up! Would you mind adding us too?

When she’s not on a boat looking for whales or crunching code, you can find her gardening, bird watching, and always learning cool new things about nature — sometimes with her niece and nephew in tow.

After seven years as a biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, she’s back for another round in the Whitehead Lab. Christine completed her MSc in 2017 on the family dynamics of the well known — and well loved — Dominican sperm whales (swipe right for a flashback to those days).

Congratulations to Christine @cmk-clarke.bsky.social on completing her ATC exam!🎉

Christine is a PhD candidate researching the mysterious movement and behaviour of male sperm whales, in collaboration with researchers around the globe.