Roger Payne, Scientist Who Discovered Whale Song and Helped Spur Conservation Movement, Dies at 88

Payne identified that humpback whales sing complex songs to communicate while recording their sounds in Bermuda in 1967.
He released the influential album "Songs of the Humpback Whale" in 1970, which raised awareness of whales and helped launch a global movement to protect them.
Payne founded the conservation group Ocean Alliance in 1971 to advocate for whales and dolphins.
His work was instrumental in moratoriums on commercial whaling and passage of marine mammal protection laws.
Payne was a pioneer in the study of whale sounds and behavior who helped usher in the modern era of whale research and conservation.