Dr. Filipa Samarra is a marine biologist and lead investigator for the Icelandic Orca Project, where she studies the behavior and ecology of killer whales, or orcas, in the North Atlantic. She is also a Director at the University of Iceland Research Center in Vestmannaeyjar and holds a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on how killer whales adapt their feeding strategies, communication and social structure to different environments. By studying how individuals interact and respond to changing prey and conditions, she examines how these top predators shape—and are shaped by—the ecosystems they inhabit.

Because killer whales are highly mobile and wide-ranging, her work relies on long-term monitoring and collaboration beyond traditional fieldwork. Dr. Samarra's methods combine behavioral observation with bioacoustics, using recordings of whale vocalizations—often described as a complex, ever-changing “chatter”—alongside photo identification to understand communication, movement and group dynamics. Earthwatch participants play a central role, using photographs and observations on the water to help track where whales travel and how populations connect across regions. These contributions expand the reach of research and provide critical data that would otherwise be impossible to collect. During one field season, her team identified an adult male orca that had not been recorded in the population for more than 20 years—an encounter that underscored how much remains unknown about these wide-ranging animals and the importance of long-term monitoring. Through this work, Dr. Samarra is helping to build a more complete picture of killer whale populations, showing how long-term collaborative research is essential to understanding and protecting marine ecosystems.