Marie-Ana Mikus
Cetacean Conservation Research Program Technician
Marie-Ana is a research technician for the Raincoast Cetacean Conservation Research program. She holds a MSc Degree in Animal behavior from the University of Rennes (France) where she studied small-clawed otter acoustic communication. She has extensive experience in behavioral and acoustic field data collection and acoustic analysis of animal sounds, particularly cetaceans. Since 2016, she has assisted with the collection and acoustic analysis of field recordings of beluga whales from Cunningham Inlet (Canadian High Arctic), the Churchill River Estuary and the St. Lawrence River Estuary, and has been involved on studies of killer whale acoustics and underwater noise impacts on cetaceans.
As a field technician, Marie-Ana is experienced with the deployment and troubleshooting of digital hydrophones, a competent small-boat handler, and a certified drone pilot.
Peer reviewed publications
Aubin, J. A., Mikus, M.-A., Michaud, R., Mennill, D., & Vergara, V. (2023). Fly with care: belugas show evasive responses to low altitude drone flights. Marine Mammal Science, 1– 22. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12997
Vergara, V., Wood, J., Lesage, V., Ames, A., Mikus, M.A. and Michaud, R., 2021. Can you hear me? Impacts of underwater noise on communication space of adult, sub-adult and calf contact calls of endangered St. Lawrence belugas (Delphinapterus leucas). Polar Research, 40, 5521. https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v40.5521
Vergara, V. and Mikus, M.A., 2019. Contact call diversity in natural beluga entrapments in an Arctic estuary: Preliminary evidence of vocal signatures in wild belugas. Marine Mammal Science, 35(2), pp.434-465. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12538
Lemasson, A., Mikus, M.A., Blois-Heulin, C. and Lodé, T., 2014. Vocal repertoire, individual acoustic distinctiveness, and social networks in a group of captive Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinerea). Journal of Mammalogy, 95(1), pp.128-139
Lemasson, A., Mikus, M.A., Blois-Heulin, C. and Lodé, T., 2013. Social partner discrimination based on sounds and scents in Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus). Naturwissenschaften, 100(3), pp.275-279
Recent articles
The killer whales are speaking, but is the minister of transport listening?
Studies have shown that killer whales’ ability to communicate is…
Sounding the alarm: The federal draft Ocean Noise Strategy falls short
Why Canada’s draft Ocean Noise Strategy misses the mark.
BC NGOs head to Seattle for final step in their objection to the MSC certification of southeast Alaska salmon fisheries
Alaska’s fisheries should not be accredited with Marine Stewardship Council’s…
Salmon DNA enables new understanding of how young Chinook salmon use the Fraser River Estuary
Raincoast’s five year collection of genetic samples illuminates patterns of…
Wildlife killing contests
We have ethical responsibilities to targeted species and to biodiversity,…
New research shows the impact log booms have on salmon habitats in the Fraser Estuary
The study found that log booms impact physical habitat, water…