Claudia Tersigni
Why do we value cetacean conservation and what does it look like today?
Mentor: Dr. Marjorie Wonham
| Why do we value cetacean conservation and what does it look like today? During the 70 years that cetacean conservation has been a prominent ecological cause, humans have shifted from characterizing whales as scary monsters to considering them charismatic zoo animals, and, finally, to valuing them as a group of ecologically important species. How we conceive of cetaceans profoundly informs our definition of conservation, which determines the types of ecological work we pursue. I explore how the individualization of whales has been the key factor in defining both our cetacean archetypes and how we conserve these animals today. |
