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Haul out the haul-outs; for we need a little conservation, right this very minute

Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) graduate Payden Hubbert '24 of Brooklyn, New York, was published in Animal Keepers’ Forum, a publication of the American Association of Zoo Keepers.

Haul out the haul-outs; for we need a little conservation, right this very minute

Payden Hubbert scratching a seals' chin.

Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) graduate Payden Hubbert '24 of Brooklyn, New York, was published in Animal Keepers’ Forum, a publication of the American Association of Zoo Keepers. In the article she summarizes results from observing seal haul-out preferences at New York Aquarium (hauling-out is a behavior associated with harbor seals and other pinnipeds temporarily leaving the water). Research results suggest that "harbor seals will likely accept both human-made and natural environments as haul-outs when given an option ... and that advocating for ... protection of their haul-outs is critical while alternative haul-outs are being researched." Hubbert, a former provisional supervisor and senior marine mammal keeper at New York Aquarium, completed her in-person experiential learning through Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo.

As a student in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú's biology department, Hubbert earned a Master of Arts in Biology through Project Dragonfly's AIP. Hubbert currently works as a running guides specialist at Guiding Eyes for the Blind.