Naomi Mathew is a graduate student in the Master of Professional Science program at the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, focusing on Marine Mammal Science.

The MIMMP is proudly hosting Naomi for her 3-month stay in Pretoria, where she is collaborating with Professor P.J. Nico de Bruyn and Mr. Peter Retief to understand what the Marion Island killer whales get up to at night.

Using Forward-Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) footage of the Marion Island killer whales, Naomi’s research aims to develop a killer whale image recognition algorithm. This will ultimately aid in answering questions regarding the nocturnal behaviour of Marion Island’s killer whales, which has largely remained a mystery.

We look forward to some exciting results!