By: Maya Barillas Mohan, Staff Writer

Marine mammals rely on sound to communicate, navigate, and interact with their surroundings. The Peak also used sound to interact with Amanda Amalaha, a master’s student in SFU’s School of Environmental Science, through the phone to learn more about her fascination with wildlife conservation. Her curiosity to understand what marine mammal “vocalizations could tell us about their presence, behaviour, and response to human activities.” Her “passion for environmental protection” inspired her to pursue a master’s degree in environmental science. Having worked in the field, Amalaha has “seen the practical side of marine mammal protection.” Now, she wants “to contribute to the scientific knowledge that supports those efforts.” 

Amalaha studied Zoology at the University of Uyo in Nigeria, and has a professional background in marine mammal conservation. She was a marine mammal observer and passive acoustic monitoring operator. She described the work as meaningful because her “observations could help protect marine mammals during offshore operations.” The acoustic data collected is used to “investigate patterns in marine mammal acoustic occurrence, and the findings can inform environmental strategies.” This can look like the protection of critical habitat. Passive acoustic monitoring can also help as “an early warning system for environmental disasters, detecting changes indicating oil spills or emergencies, enabling swift responses and mitigating damage to marine ecosystems,” according to the Caribbean Protected Areas Gateway.

For me, environmental science is about understanding the world around us, how our activities affect it, and what we can do to protect it.

— Amanda Amalaha, master’s student in SFU’s School of Environmental Science

Amalaha sets a strong example for emerging scientists by being curiosity-driven and determined to make a meaningful impact through research. “For me, environmental science is about understanding the world around us, how our activities affect it, and what we can do to protect it. I believe research has an important role to play in helping us make better decisions about our environment and natural resources.”

“Ensuring that environmental requirements are properly followed while offshore operations are ongoing” can be a challenge — operations may be delayed or even shut down if marine animals are detected within mitigation zones, according to Amalaha. Amalaha stated, “the more we understand about marine mammals and their environments, the better informed our conservation and environmental management decisions can be.

“Studying environmental science is particularly important now,” Amalaha explained. “We’re facing so many environmental challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss to pollution and the increasing impact of human activities on natural habitats.” Amalaha said that environmental scientists have an important role to play in helping society understand environmental challenges and make informed decisions to address them. 

For Amalaha, “science isn’t just about finding answers. It’s also about asking the right questions, being open to new evidence, and recognizing that there’s always more to learn.” As she continues her education, Amalaha hopes to “contribute knowledge that makes a difference, however small, both in marine mammal conservation and environmental protection more broadly.”