Heather O’Leary, professor of anthropology at St Petersburg’s College of South Florida, units the story of Florida’s declining oyster inhabitants to music.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Florida’s oysters are in hassle. Overfishing and environmental elements are devastating the inhabitants there, and a bunch of scientists within the sunshine state need you to study it by making dangerous information into good music to your ears.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
HEATHER O’LEARY: I am Dr. Heather O’Leary. I am an affiliate professor on the College of South Florida within the division of anthropology.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
RASCOE: O’Leary says she’s a science ambassador.
O’LEARY: I am a water anthropologist. And so, primarily, we ask the questions on, what’s it prefer to be human over area and time, however particularly, by way of people’ elementary relationships with their water?
RASCOE: Oysters are deeply linked to northwest Florida’s cultural historical past.
O’LEARY: For many individuals, particularly people on the coast, they’ve grown up round oysters, whether or not or not they’re an intergenerational member of a household who has gone shucking and oystering way back to a household can bear in mind or in the event that they merely simply get pleasure from oysters as part of their seafood.
RASCOE: So it is sensible that O’Leary, who’s primarily based in St. Pete, Florida, would pay shut consideration to oysters as a water anthropologist. And to make her information extra accessible to common folks, she received the scholars of anthropology and music at USF to translate the numbers to music. They got here up with this jaunty tune.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
RASCOE: However why jazz?
O’LEARY: After I say the phrase oysters to lots of people, their mind goes in a few totally different instructions. A few of them take into consideration the roaring ’20s, like, dwelling to extra with numerous totally different sorts of, like, oysters and champagne and “The Nice Gatsby.”
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, “THE GREAT GATSBY”)
LEONARDO DICAPRIO: (As Jay Gatsby) I am afraid I have not been an excellent host, previous sport.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DICAPRIO: (As Jay Gatsby) You see…
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
DICAPRIO: (As Jay Gatsby) …I am Gatsby.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
RASCOE: O’Leary says you may truly hear the numbers they work with.
O’LEARY: When folks hearken to the MIDI file, they’ll hear that there are modifications within the pitch of the music. So the upper the value of oysters which are being introduced in, the upper the notes. So you will hear the melody change.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
O’LEARY: And you can too hear some modifications to the rhythm. The sooner the rhythm goes, the extra instances persons are going out for oyster journeys.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
RASCOE: And O’Leary needs your suggestions.
O’LEARY: I feel my dream in creating this group of interdisciplinary collaborators and communities is actually the truth that we do not need folks to only pay attention. We wish them to play with the information, see the patterns and listen to the patterns in several methods than we’ve got, and assist us clarify a number of the anomalies within the information. As a result of when scientists may be good listeners to the group, then we’re doing science proper.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
RASCOE: O’Leary says the composition is only a prototype proper now. The USF Symphonic Band will carry out the completed piece dwell early subsequent yr.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
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