Tom Norris, an independent marine scientist and founder of the bioacoustic research company Bio-Waves, died September 9 after a months-long battle against pancreatic cancer. He was 55.

Norris’s largest contributions to the field of marine bioacoustics and marine mammal research stem from the hydrophone arrays he designed for passive monitoring of the world’s whales and dolphins. Through the company he founded, he worked alongside groups such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) conducting acoustic surveys that ultimately informed federal policies regarding noise pollution and marine mammal conservation.