Peter Sugarman, Independent Researcher

For more than 40 years, I have pursued a deep passion to establish two-way communication with dolphins. This has included many years of dolphin research, study, and technology development, and many hours spent with dolphins. I believe that dolphins want to hear from us – but in a language that we co-create together. In this collaborative project informed by multiple disciplines, I am joined by a team of equally passionate colleagues, friends, and social innovators from my wide array of lifelong connections. Together we have developed a mission, vision and values for Humans & Dolphins Talking, which we launched in 2012.

Why do we want to talk with dolphins? I believe we can have mutual exchanges of information with dolphins and we can learn from each other. We don’t want to just observe dolphins, we want to know their story, learn from their wisdom, and acknowledge their intelligence. They are highly social beings. With today’s focus on social-emotional learning, the opportunities are endless for our engagement with dolphins. We also want to make it possible for humans to recognize that we are not alone in the universe, which is why we will base our work on scientifically verifiable, credible processes. I bring a unique set of specialties to achieve this: experience in marine behavioral ecology and animal behavior; computer science, artificial intelligence and software development; experimental cognitive psychology; integral ecology, and underwater acoustics.

My early career experience includes training in underwater acoustics as a sonar technician with the US Navy (1971). In 1980, I worked with the Human/Dolphin Foundation at Marine World/Africa USA in Redwood City, CA on the JANUS project in their attempt to communicate with two captive adolescent dolphins. In the mid 80’s, I produced a field guide to the Orca Whales of Puget Sound, working with the Whale Museum, Friday Harbor, WA.

In the early 90s I led several test teams through successful software application development projects at Microsoft. While I retired from Microsoft in 1998 to continue pursuing my passion for dolphin communication research, my expertise in developing and testing processes remains a foundational skill enabling me to develop and direct the creation of a two-way acoustic protocol for talking with dolphins. After my time at Microsoft, I was the first research coordinator at the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys (2000), working on marine mammal research.

My education includes three master’s degrees: in marine behavioral ecology, from Florida State University, (1977); computer science, from Western Washington University, (1988), and in experimental cognitive psychology, from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in 2010. At USM I designed a project to assess a dolphin’s acoustic discrimination and cognitive abilities, working with two adult dolphins at Dolphin Encounters in Nassau, Bahamas. Though highly trained to follow human directions, the 30-year-old dolphins (near the end of an average dolphin’s lifespan) were past their critical period of learning plasticity and failed to learn the new discrimination task. From this I determined that working with young dolphins in the wild may hold the key for establishing a two-way inter-species communication link.

My philosophy: I have faith in the interconnectedness of all things. When we pursue our deeply held beliefs, the energy we create connects us to all living things and can draw us together for the greater good. Learning is a lifelong way of being for me. I value learning and hearing from others – living on earth for the awareness that comes. My own sense of wonder and optimism about the world’s future inspires me to learn how to speak with dolphins. In that process, our perceptions of them will be transformed.  A door into their interior world will open before us. We will gain new perspectives about dolphins by knowing more about their intelligence and their emotions. This expanded view of our relationship with dolphins can improve the quality of life for the whole human family. In turn, the wellbeing of the whole dolphin family can also be enriched when we connect with them in this new awareness. There will be an emergence in our lifetime of what we can learn from animals, we are just on the cusp of this now.

People tell me that I’m a good listener, fair, funny, trustworthy, that they feel comfortable with me and want to connect with me. It is these traits that I am certain will enable me to guide our team and engage dolphins and talk with them. Also, as a neighborhood mediation volunteer in my hometown of Bellevue, Washington, I've helped bridge many disparate perspectives, helping others discover what they value – even in the midst of a conflict. I believe these skills are what are needed to bring together various schools of thought about animal cognition and communication.

I am also truly pragmatic! As we move forward with Humans & Dolphins Talking, we will adapt and grow based on our learning and exchanges from our dolphin engagements. The possibilities are endless given dolphins’ intelligence, playfulness, curiosity, and desire to interact with us.

Please join us in this exciting venture!

Hedi Lyn, PhD, Outside Scientific Consultant

Heidi Lyn is an Associate Professor and Joan M. Sinnott chair of Psychology at the University of South Alabama where she studies nonhuman animal cognition and communication. She has published extensively on many species including dolphins, dogs, monkeys, and otters and is one of only a few working researchers to have direct experience with language-competent apes. Her research has been published in such journals as Psychological Science, Animal Cognition, and Developmental Science and featured in books as well as Scientific American and Science magazines. She is internationally known, having held positions at UCLA, the New York Aquarium and St. Andrews University and has been interviewed by major newspapers and television programs.

Jennifer Pettis Schallert and Liz Ferguson,

Ocean Science Analytics

Real-time Dolphin Whistle Detection and Display, Repertoire AnalysisUnder the direction of Jennifer Pettis Schallert and LIz Ferguson, Ocean Science Analytics (OSA) is currently working on the development of methods for the real-time analysis of bottlenose dolphin whistles. Led by Peter Sugarman and Dr. Heidi Lyn, University of South Alabama, this project aims to describe the whistle repertoire of a group of dolphins located at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies facility in Gulfport, Mississippi, in addition to providing novel signals for these dolphins to reproduce. OSA’s role in this project is creating and/or utilizing existing software to detect, display, measure and categorize whistles.

Jennifer and Liz have explored several whistle detection and analysis options and are currently planning to leverage an open source MATLAB-based program called DeepSqueak, and they are involved in the software configuration and methods development of this project. An initial stage of effort included the parameterization of the custom whistle detector available in the open access real-time acoustic processing program, Ishmael. The current goal involves custom modifications to DeepSqueak with an aim to provide an all-in-one option for real-time signal detection and signal categorization. Additionally, Jennifer and Liz are contributing to the evaluation of analytical methods for signal measurement and categorization, which will likely be included as a custom add-on to the current DeepSqueak package.

Liz Ferguson is a marine ecologist and educator with 17 years of experience in the education and research communities of San Diego, CA.  Through much of her career, she has specialized in marine mammal bioacoustics research, with expertise in passive acoustic monitoring and analytical software.  Liz provides expertise on marine mammal vocal behavior and detection using various software.  She is responsible for contributing to the measurement and analysis of whistles in support of evaluating the IMMS dolphin group repertoire, and has tested whistle categorization with the custom software ARTwarp, developed by the University of St Andrews.  She aides in the testing and configuration of alternate programs in support of Jennifer’s efforts. 

Amy Erickson, Project Coordinator

Amy has been working with Peter since 2014 to build the project framework for Humans & Dolphins Talking, the predecessor for Acoustic Interactions. She brings 30 years in social-impact communications and nonprofit organizational development to this project. She also is an EQ coach, infusing her work with years of research on resilience, interpersonal neurobiology, intentional change, emotional intelligence, and appreciative inquiry. She holds a Master of Nonprofit Leadership from Seattle University; a Bachelor of Arts in Consumer Economics from Wayne State University, and a certificate in Appreciative Inquiry from Case Western Reserve, Weatherhead School of Management.

Amy is currently producing her second documentary film, highlighting the work and Peter’s 50+ year journey to communicate with dolphins. We’ll learn about Peter’s inspiration for this pursuit, and discover some of the challenges he’s faced over the years, showing how he has maintained his commitment to learning from the wisdom of dolphins, respecting their intelligence and seeking a cultural exchange. This story is set in the context of the current global movement combining animal communications research, artificial intelligence, technology and the arts. This movement is seeking the interface that will give humans the ability to communicate with other species. Along with Peter, we’ll step into this multidisciplinary world and gain a glimpse of the puzzle piece that Peter’s research and work holds, possibly leading to a breakthrough.

Her first documentary “Visceral: transforming trauma through theatre,” is available for streaming and educational use.