Of the roughly 250,000 known marine species, scientists think all ~126 marine mammals emit sounds – the ‘thwop’, ‘muah’, and ‘boop’s of a humpback whale, for example, or the boing of a minke whale.

Fred Sharpe has studied humpback whales in Alaska for more than three decades. He’s particularly interested in the sounds they make – and what they mean. Lately, the biologist has been focusing on the ...