Dr. Laela Sayigh

Associate Professor of Animal Behavior

Hampshire College & Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

1980s–presentSarasota Bay, Florida
Specialization

Dolphin social communication and signature whistles

Key Findings
  • • Discovered dolphin 'motherese' — mothers modify vocalizations when communicating with calves
  • • Documented signature whistles functioning like individual names
  • • Demonstrated cultural transmission of vocal patterns across dolphin generations
  • • Long-term acoustic monitoring spanning multiple generations in Sarasota Bay, Florida