Research
My lab investigates the fine-scale spatial and behavioral responses of marine vertebrates to changing environments, and the foraging ecology of marine predators to understand evolutionary trade-offs, and inform ecosystem-based fishery management. By collaborating with management agencies, coastal communities, and human and wildlife health researchers, we can achieve a better understanding of the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. These interdisciplinary partnerships integrate biologging, biochemistry, molecular biology, behavior, and ecology to address pressing conservation questions.
Current Projects
Adaptive Capacity of Alaskan Pinnipeds
Collaborators: Dr. Horning, Dr. Burns, NMFS Marine Mammal Laboratory, MSc. Student
Funder: North Pacific Research Board
Using telemetry data to investigate the behavioral and physiological constraints of diving marine mammals and how close they are to their limits.
Male Pinniped Foraging Strategies in a Changing Bering Sea
Collaborators: University of Alaska Fairbanks, Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, MSc. Student
Funder: Alaska Sea Grant,
Using stable isotopes to identify how environmental changes impact individual foraging, competition between species, and risk.
BRAIDED Food Security
Collaborators: University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Calgary, Aleut Community of St. Paul Island
Funders: NSF CIVIC Innovation Challenge & USDA-NIFA
Building research aligned with Indigenous determination, equity and decision-making through monitoring traditional foods for mercury.
Assessing Short-term Effects of Internal Tag Implantation in Sea Otters
Collaborators: Dr. Horning, USGS Researchers, MSc Student
Identify a timeline of recovery post-tagging including potential health and behavioral impacts to inform best-practices and future tag development.
Stress Ecology
Collaborators: UAF, University of Calgary, Durham University, St. Andrew's University. MSc. Student
Funder: Conoco-Phillips Arctic Science and Engineering Endowment Award
Exploring regional, temporal and
individual variation stressors (e.g., toxicants) in grey seals, and how that may impact population dynamics.
Northern Sea Otters as Indicators of Changing Mercury Dynamics
Collaborators: Dr. Barst, Alaska SeaLife Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, MSc. Student
Exploring contaminant and pathogen interactions in the local environment and potential spatiotemporal trends
Past Projects
Funding comes and goes, but we are still very interested in continuing to explore the questions related to Pacific sleeper shark foraging ecology, human disturbances, and spatial ecology of predator-prey interactions. Stay tuned for new projects being developed!