Team

Will Oestreich (Principal Investigator)

Will explores the interacting physical, biological, & social processes that shape behavior in dynamic & changing ecosystems. He pulls from his diverse disciplinary background in this work, integrating approaches from behavioral ecology, oceanography, conservation science, bioacoustics, & more.

Will is a Group Leader at the University of Zurich. He will join the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior as a Group Leader in early 2027.

Previous experience:

• US National Science Foundation Postdoc Fellowship; Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and the University of Washington

• Packard Foundation Postdoc Fellowship; MBARI

• PhD in Biology; Stanford University

• Research Technician; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

• Environmental Policy Intern; Natural Resources Defense Council

• MSc & BSc in Environmental Engineering; Northwestern University

Science is fun, but for more fun, Will likes to surf, make music, & learn new things (& ways of thinking).

Jill Metzger (MSc Student, University of Zurich)

Jill's interests lie at the intersections of ecology, animal behaviour, & wildlife conservation. She completed her BSc in Biology at the University of Zurich (UZH) & will join the group as a MSc student in Biodiversity, also from UZH. Jill's MSc research focuses on predator-prey interactions in the deep sea, using long-term passive and active acoustic data from the California Current System to investigate the foraging behaviour of sperm whales. Outside of academia, Jill likes to ski, hike, bake, & observe wildlife.

Jil Helbling (MSc Student, University of Zurich)

Jil is interested in marine ecology, particularly how marine species interact with one another & how human activity impacts these ecosystems. She completed her BSc in Biology & Marine Science at the University of Sydney & is now pursuing an MSc in Biodiversity at the University of Zurich. Jil’s MSc research focuses on a longitudinal bioacoustic study of sperm whales' culturally transmitted acoustic repertoires (codas) in Monterey Bay, California. Outside of her studies, Jil enjoys diving, dancing, painting, & exploring the outdoors to observe animals.