Our 4th in a Series of Profiles of B-009 Team 2024 Field Researchers:

2024 Field Team member Sophia Rotella is interviewed by Lead Scientist Prof. Jay Rotella in this new project video produced on location in the Weddell Seal Population Study Area of Erebus Bay, Antarctica!

Sophia recounts her surprise at how readily she has adapted to working on the Ice, and what she enjoys most about doing field research on this population of amazing marine mammals. Long-time Project Instagram Specialist, Sophia has curated numerous viral Weddell Seal Science videos on the popular Instagram page that she launched well over a decade ago, and continues to produce and curate today.

She noted in a previous field blog post:

Hello! My name is Sophia (she/her). I’m from Bozeman, Montana, and it is my first year of deployment to Antarctica. My degree is in psychology and human development, but I grew up helping out with various wildlife projects and was also involved heavily with working around horses. I have a range of skills from caretaking positions for both people and animals, and research analysis. I’m most excited to be out in the field around the seals. I predict that we will tag around 600 pups this year. If I could possess an animal adaptation, it would be the ability to fly like a falcon.

– Mary Lynn Price