John A. Hildebrand

Professor Hildebrand has research interests in the application of signal processing and acoustic wave propagation to understanding marine mammal vocalizations. He has used long-term acoustic recordings to study baleen whale abundance and seasonality; modeled sound production by whales and dolphins; and measured the elastic properties of marine mammal tissues. Among his current projects, Hildebrand is working on automatic detection, classification, localization, and tracking of marine mammals; the construction of a finite element model for sound propagation within marine mammals; and underwater ambient ocean noise. Hildebrand teaches courses in bioacoustics, acoustics experimental laboratory, and marine geophysics.

John Hildebrand received a B.S. degree in Physics and Electrical Engineering at the University of California San Diego in 1978, and a Ph.D. degree in Applied Physics from Stanford University in 1983. He is a Professor in the Graduate Department of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and on the staff of the Marine Physical Laboratory at SIO. He has contributed to more than 90 referred publications, on topics ranging from seismo-acoustic wave propagation, to sound production by marine mammals. His recent research has focused on the use of acoustic techniques for marine mammal population census, and the effects of high intensity sound on marine mammals.