Ashakur Rahaman

I coordinate the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics real-time right whale monitoring project in Massachusetts Bay. Large-scale data analysis and integration of technological advancements in conservation practices has been a focal point of this effort. Also, I coordinate education and outreach efforts to communicate our research findings to a wide range of stakeholder groups.

Growing up at the edge of the Bay of Bengal and Sundarban, the largest mangrove forest in the world, introduced me to the sights and sounds of the natural world and shaped my personal and professional life. I have witnessed the struggle between human interest and a declining natural world firsthand. I have seen how human interest pushed the royal Bengal tigers to the edge of extinction and how a changing climate threatened the livelihood of millions of people in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. These experiences shaped my determination for advancing our understanding of large-scale ecological phenomena and sharing information with various stakeholder communities about potential conservation solutions. I am actively involved in environmental conservation through scientific inquiries and public engagement.

Inspiration

Listening to the sounds of marine and terrestrial bioacoustics is my passion. Working in the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics has opened my eyes to the relationship between the acoustic world and anthropogenic factors that influence our soundscapes.