The Whale Museum’s 2008 lecture series begins with a talk by Dr. Marla Holt at the museum tonight at 7.

Holt will discuss her research, “Investigating Noise Effects on the Acoustic Signals of Southern Resident Killer Whales.”

Dr. Holt earned her Ph.D. from University of California, Santa Cruz in June 2006. She focused on spatial hearing in seals and sea lions, including lab work on sound localization, spatial auditory masking, and field work on directional signaling in free-ranging Northern elephant seals.

Currently, she is a National Research Council postdoctoral associate at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, investigating acoustic risk factors in local killer whales and noise effects on their vocal behavior.

The lecture is free and open to the public; donations are appreciated. Call 378-4710.