Heather Spence

Marine Biologist, Musician, Composer

Heather collaborates with scientists, politicians and artists in the United States, Mexico, and globally to foster research and cooperation, bringing together diverse stakeholders to find mutually beneficial solutions for protecting the environment while promoting responsible development.

In her creative practice, she combines science and sound to create music to better connect humans with our ocean planet.

As seen On:
“What do we want our future to sound like
and how do we get there?”

Mission:

to orchestrate creative solutions for ecologic and economic sustainability through sound transdisciplinary coastal marine investigation and dynamic educational outreach

Focus Areas:

Research Subjects – Interspecies interaction; Sound, music, vibration, communication; Ecosystem dynamics and human influence; Acoustically conspicuous species; Invasive species; Recruitment and connectivity; Ocean Memory

Research Locations – Seashore and shallow waters; Coral reefs; Coastal sites with maximum human interface including tourism; Marine Protected Areas

Research Methods – Field surveys, monitoring; Soundscape assessments; Developing new Marine Passive Acoustic Monitoring Networks; Linkages of biological and physical factors; Citizen Science; Integration of Sciences and Arts

Outreach Objectives – Collaborative community engagement; Respect among government, commercial interests, scientists and environmentalists, to develop mutually beneficial strategies; Effective policymakers and environmental stewards; Ocean and Soundscape literacy; Valued existing capacity; Engagement of multiple senses; Inspiration

“The investigation of truth is in one way hard and in another way easy. An indication of this is found in the fact that no one is able to attain the truth entirely, while on the other hand no one fails entirely, but everyone says something true about the nature of things, and by the union of all a considerable amount is amassed.”
-Aristotle

Latest from the Blog

Orato Article about Heather based on an interview
**News** | Community

Orato Article about Heather based on an interview

An interesting piece about me was recently published on Orato. We had an interview in Spanish and the resulting piece came out rather artistic. “When I describe myself, I identify as a marine biologist, musician, and composer, but ultimately, I harmonize these roles.” Check it out, in English or Spanish: https://orato.world/2024/08/31/symphony-of-the-sea-marine-biologist-harmonizes-music-and-science-to-decode-ocean-sounds/

Just as the order of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
helps us prioritize our actions,
remember to
RESPECT, RESTORE, REPLACE!

For inquiries related to media interviews, consulting, science talking head, show host, performing artist, or keynote speaker, please send an email outlining the request to info (at) heatherspence.net

Looking for info on upcoming concerts, workshops or speaking engagements? See the Events Page

Looking for interviews with and articles about heather? See the Press Page

Main image (c): Click and Pledge