Why did we create Opsanus Fund?

The personal why

The world is changing and these changes are very often occurring at the expense of nature. Deforestation, climate change, pollution, overfishing...the list could go on and one. When faced with the near constant threats to the world's ecosystems, it is easy to give in to a sense of pessimism and helplessness.

This spring, I decided that I wanted to do something. As a scientist, I have studied soundscapes and I decided this is where I can help.

The conservation why

Sound is a vital environmental cue for nearly all animals. Sound tells animals when there is danger or where they may find prey. It allows animals to communicate with each other and navigate. For these reasons, studying sound can provide us an enormous amount of information about these animals - for example, by helping to study native birds in Hawaii or protect critically endangered whales from vessel collisions.

And yet, human generated sound has encroached on natural environments across the globe - from deep oceans to tropical rain forests. Think about time you've spent in nature and how routine it is to hear cars or airplanes. This presence of this noise isn't a mere annoyance but can have significant impacts to the animals that live there. Studies have shown noise can reduce the ability of fish to care for their offspring and can reduce bird populations.

What is Opsanus Doing about it?

We created Opsanus Fund to provide grants to researchers and educators.

As a young researcher in grad school, I once received a small grant - just enough money so that I could afford to purchase some rope and buoys and other supplies. This funding allowed me to complete a study which showed that toadfish in the Chesapeake Bay call less often when chronic vessel noise is present.

These are the types of grants we are looking forward to providing. Small but impactful.

Wish us luck!