We recognize the inequity in the fields of marine mammal and conservation sciences. Students need to pay their way, volunteer their time, and be given opportunities to progress their careers. This is a huge barrier in diversifying the field, which limits the science produced. We founded Sound Science to push the culture of science in the direction we want to see it go. We believe that the first step in doing so is making it a more inclusive place for scientists from underrepresented communities. As a young organization, while we may not have the track record to show our commitment to equity and inclusion in marine mammal science, we are working to center equity in every decision we make: from who we bring into the field, who we choose to mentor, and how we communicate our research.
As we grow, we are committed to:
Providing fair, living wages and compensation to those we work with, including interns;
Targeting students from under-privileged and non-traditional backgrounds to work with us and to mentor long-term;
Providing students the training and support they need to move forward in conservation science;
Making our research accessible: both through publishing in open access journals and by distributing our findings in other media (podcasts, blog posts, etc.).
