Dr. Roger Payne

We mourn the loss of Roger Searle Payne (1935-1983) whose counsel and wisdom were so important to The Ocean Foundation.  A founding member of TOF’s Board of Advisors, Roger was famous for the 1967 discovery of whale song among humpback whales. Roger later became an important figure in the worldwide campaign to end commercial whaling.  In 1971, Roger founded the Ocean Alliance,  which was an early partner with TOF in exploring the global problem of toxins in whales. Payne received the United Nations Environment Programme Global 500 Award (1988) and a MacArthur genius award (1984) among other awards for his research. He will be sorely missed by all who worked with him to make the ocean a healthier more nurturing space for whales and all the life within her waters.