Daniela Huson on listening as science, access & action.
Humpback Beneath the Golden Gate Bridge © Rhys Watkin
Before we speak for the ocean, we listen. At Ocean Conservation Research, listening guides how we learn—and how we lead. This Earth Day, we are challenged to pay closer attention—to the signals beneath the surface, and to the choices that shape our shared future.
Beneath the waves, life thrives in sound. Reef fishes remember the sounds of their home reefs and return to them. Minke whales communicate with rhythmic pulses in low and infrasonic frequencies, synchronizing their calls with one another in coordinated choruses. Weddell seals produce intricate sweeps and chirps—complex vocalizations likely tied to breeding and territorial behavior. It’s a world that operates with remarkable continuity—an acoustic environment evolved over millions of years to guide, communicate, navigate, and connect life beneath the surface.
This is the world we invite underserved youth into—where science is felt firsthand and listening leads to discovery.
This Earth Day, especially during Citizen Science Month, we’re choosing optimism through action. By bringing underserved youth out onto the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean, we empower them not just to hear marine life, but to engage with it—like the moment a student hears the hum of a midshipman fish—an unexpected sound that shifts their understanding of the sea. At a time when access to science and nature is not equally shared—and when the future can feel uncertain—these experiences offer something vital: a sense of agency and belonging that lasts far beyond the day.
Help us continue this work by supporting our Earth Month campaign and watching our Earth Day Video! Your contribution directly enables transformative ocean experiences for youth, helping build a future guided by science, compassion, and resilience.
Together, we are moving forward in solidarity—anchored in awareness, guided by understanding, and united in collective care for our planet.
Let this be the year we listen—and respond. Thank you for standing with us, and with the ocean.
Happy Earth Day from Ocean Conservation Research!