​About the Authors

Sabena Siddiqui has dedicated her career toward identifying avenues to bring together the scientific, conservation, and enthusiast communities for the common goal of protecting cetaceans. She is experienced in both cetacean behavior and acoustics research as well as non-profit management. Since she founded the ACS Student Coalition in 2011, she has served as the student chair and as a national board director of the American Cetacean Society. Her efforts on the ACS board include serving as the IWC representative for ACS and leading the organization's efforts to broaden the scope of cetacean conservation and science outreach beyond the typical ethnic and socioeconomic groups. As ACS student chair, she helps recruit new student leaders in addition to providing mentorship and guidance of current student leaders in campuses across the country.
Sabena is currently conducting humpback whale behavior and bioacoustics research for her master's degree at the University of Hawaii-Hilo through the UH Hilo Marine Mammal Laboratory. Previously she worked on a humpback whale acoustics project with the passive acoustics research group at NOAA-NEFSC in Woods Hole, MA.  She has also worked as a survey biologist on the North Atlantic Right Whale Cruise through NOAA. Additional contributions include assisting  as an intern for various research projects exploring manatee cognition, dolphin communication, and cetacean distribution in locations such as Florida, The Bahamas, and Egypt.