Personal profile
Research overview
I am interested in the evolution of vocal learning in mammals and what effects this has on social behavior, especially mediating indvidual-specific relationships. My lab primarily studies cetaceans in the field, and we have developed new methods to sample behavior continuously from individuals. I am also concerned about the effects of anthropogenic sound on wildlife, and have studied effects of sounds such as naval sonar and airguns used for seismic survey on cetaceans.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 15 Life on Land
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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An experimental approach to assess the combined effects of multiple stressors on a large vertebrate species
Pirotta, E., Harris, C., Schwacke, L. H., Thomas, L., Allen, J. B., Barleycorn, A., Casoli, M., Crossman, J., Dias, L. A., Engleby, L., LaBrecque, E., Litz, J. A., McHugh, K. A., Miller, P. J. O., Moore, M. J., Photopoulou, T., Quigley, B., Smith, C. R., Southall, B. L. & Speakman, T. R. & 5 others, , 9 Feb 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Conservation Biology. Early View, p. 1-14 14 p., e70224.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
A synthesis of the effects of multiple stressors on a long-lived vertebrate population to inform effective conservation efforts
Pirotta, E., Thomas, L., Tyack, P. L., Harris, C. M., Smith, C. R., Wells, R. S., Allen, J. B., Allen, R. F., Barratclough, A., Gomez, F. M., Lovewell, G. N., Martinson, R., Ross, K., Speakman, T. R., Takeshita, R., Zolman, E. S. & Schwacke, L. H., 1 Mar 2026, In: Royal Society Open Science. 13, 3, 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Cetacean social structure and identity signaling
Oswald, J. N., Janik, V. M., Matei, M., Deecke, V. B. & Tyack, P. L., 12 Jan 2026, The evolution of cetacean societies: uncovering the social complexity of whales and dolphins. Croft, D. P., Foote, A. D., Garland, E. C. & King, S. L. (eds.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, p. 173-200 28 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter
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Methods for analysing wildlife DNA methylation data
Photopoulou, T., Durbach, I., Pirotta, E., Barratclough, A., Schwacke, L. H., Takeshita, R., Himes Boor, G. K., Harris, C. M., Tyack, P. & Thomas, L., 25 Feb 2026, In: Conservation Physiology. 14, 1, 26 p., coaf091.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
A comparison of diving behavior of goose-beaked and dense-beaked whales from tagging studies in multiple ocean basins
Barlow, J., Baird, R. W., Badger, J., Schorr, G. S., Falcone, E. A., Coates, S. N., Tyack, P. L., Read, A. J., Hickmott, L. S., Durban, J. W., Claridge, D., de Soto, N. A., Gonzalez, D. M., Visser, F., Oudejans, M. G., DeRuiter, S., Sweeney, D. A., Rone, B. K. & Watwood, S. L., 17 Sept 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Marine Mammal Science. Early View, p. 1-17 17 p., e70070.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
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Data from: Discrimination of fast click series produced by tagged Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus) for echolocation or communication
Arranz Alonso, P. (Creator), De Ruiter, S. L. (Creator), Stimpert, A. K. (Creator), Neves, S. (Creator), Friedlaender, A. S. (Creator), Goldbogen, J. A. (Creator), Visser, F. (Creator), Calambokidis, J. (Creator), Southall, B. L. (Creator) & Tyack, P. L. (Creator), Dryad, 27 Aug 2016
DOI: 10.5061/dryad.m0763
Dataset
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The combined effects of multiple stressors in an endangered, long-lived species: lessons learnt and ways forward
Pirotta, E. (Creator), Tyack, P. (Creator), Adams, J. (Creator), Asaro, M. (Creator), Bouchet, P. (Creator), Crocker, D. (Creator), Durban, J. (Creator), Hall, A. (Creator), Harris, C. (Creator) & Knowlton, A. (Creator), OSF, 2025
Dataset
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Bottlenose dolphin mothers modify signature whistles in the presence of their own calves
Sayigh, L. S. (Creator), El Haddad, N. (Creator), Tyack, P. L. (Creator), Janik, V. M. (Creator), Wells, R. S. (Creator) & Jensen, F. H. (Creator), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 2023
DOI: 10.26025/1912/66193
Dataset
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Decreasing body size is associated with reduced calving probability in critically endangered North Atlantic right whales
Pirotta, E. (Creator), Tyack, P. L. (Creator), Harris, C. M. (Creator), Photopoulou, T. (Creator) & Thomas, L. (Creator), OSF, 2024
Dataset
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porpoise_spheroid
Tyack, P. (Creator), GitHub, 2025
https://github.com/leewujung/porpoise_spheroid
Dataset: Software
Projects
- 7 Finished
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Off-range beaked whale studies (ORBS): Received level-versus-range pilot study with off-ranged beaked whales (ORBS) near Jan Mayen, Norway
Miller, P. (PI), Hooker, S. (CoI) & Tyack, P. (CoI)
1/09/16 → 31/08/17
Project: Standard
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Patrick Miller: 3S3: Behavioural response studies of acoustically-sensitive species in Norway
Miller, P. (PI), Hooker, S. (CoI) & Tyack, P. (CoI)
1/07/15 → 31/03/16
Project: Standard
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Peter Tyack: Comparing the foraging efficiency of beaked whales on and off naval ranges.
Tyack, P. (PI)
1/05/15 → 31/12/18
Project: Standard
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Effect of Boradband Nature of Marine: Effect of broadband nature of marine mammal echolocation clicks on click-based population density estimates
Thomas, L. (PI) & Tyack, P. (CoI)
4/04/14 → 1/04/15
Project: Standard
Activities
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Enhancing Marine Mammal surveys: Integrating acoustic and movement tags (DTAGs) for improved acoustic monitoring. Talk at the IMarEST Defra mNCEA Marine Mammal Monitoring Innovation Stakeholder Workshop
Gkikopoulou, K. C. (Speaker), Macaulay, J. D. J. (Speaker), Gillespie, D. M. (Speaker) & Tyack, P. L. (Speaker)
25 Feb 2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Presentation
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Marine Mammal Retrospective - Linking Behavioral Responses to Population-Level Effects
Tyack, P. L. (Participant)
29 Nov 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in or organising a workshop, seminar, course
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Signature whistles in bottlenose dolphins facilitate reunions and may advertise identity
Tyack, P. L. (Speaker)
24 Oct 2018 → 26 Oct 2018Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Approaches to understanding the cumulative effects of stressors on marine mammals
Tyack, P. L. (Speaker)
20 Sept 2018Activity: Talk or presentation types › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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How Marine Animals Hear Affects Selection of Acoustic Parameters Relevant To Understand Effects of Underwater Sound
Tyack, P. L. (Speaker)
6 Aug 2018Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
Prizes
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Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Tyack, P. L. (Recipient), Mar 2016
Prize: Election to learned society