India, Aug. 1 -- Have you heard recordings of the curious, otherworldly sounds of whales?

I was fortunate to hear for myself the click-clicking of sperm whales, as a pod with two youngsters swam alongside us in the open Caribbean Sea. Tears overwhelmed my snorkel mask. I felt humbled and grateful for these gentle giants of the ocean, gliding peacefully beside us humans, despite so many threats from our species.

As the world wakes to the urgency of saving the 90-plus cetacean species roaming global waters, understanding how they communicate becomes critical to preventing harm, especially from marine vessels. This is where the emerging field of bioacoustics comes in.

The K Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at Cornell Univers...