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Our research interests broadly include the ecology and conservation
of marine mammals, seabirds and the habitats upon which they depend. We
focus in two areas:
One focuses on the most important threat to seabird populations and island
ecosystems worldwide: the introduction of non-native species (e.g. cats,
rats, pigs, goats, sheep, foxes, etc.). This research examines the changes
that result from the introduction of non-native species to islands and
seeks to understand, develop, and improve methods for the restoration of
island ecosystems.
The second includes an examination of how physical and biological factors
explain and ultimately may be used to predict the distribution of large,
highly mobile marine predators such as marine mammals and seabirds. Here we
examine the interaction between the physiological, behavioral and life
history characteristics of sharks and rays, sea turtles, seabirds, and
marine mammals with physical and biological oceanographic processes.
Current research projects include:
·
Ecosystem impacts of
introduced species on islands and seabirds in the U.S., Mexico,
Caribbean, Western Pacific, and South America.
·
Foraging ecology, fisheries
impacts, contaminants, and the conservation of large marine predators: manta
rays, loggerhead turtles, albatross, and rorqual whales.
·
Trophic ecology of the
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary – from wind to whales.
·
Prioritizing island
conservation to maximize return on investment.
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