I am a National Research Council Postdoctoral Associate with the Marine Turtle Ecology & Assessment Program at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center.
I am also a member of the core research team for the Blue Corridors for Turtles project. This initiative is coordinated by WWF, the University of Queensland, SWOT, and CLS, in partnership with data contributors worldwide, CheloniData LLC, and BZ GeoData.
Last but not least, I am affiliated with the Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project in Antigua, West Indies as a Senior Research Associate.
As an applied ecologist, my research is geared toward supporting the conservation of at-risk species. My research background is diverse, but my projects generally fall within three focal areas:
- Biotelemetry: Using satellite telemetry, multi-sensor biologgers, and quantitative tools for resulting data, my research integrates observed patterns in movement with spatial environmental data to reveal trends in habitat use, resource selection, and energetics. Increasingly, my research program has featured big telemetry datasets—amassed through collaborative data sharing—to address major questions in spatial ecology and generate information that is essential for conservation planning, such as broad-scale distributions and migratory connectivity.
- Population ecology: My research utilizes rigorous field sampling and leading models to quantify important demographic parameters like vital rates and sex ratios. Through this work, I seek to understand the status of populations and drivers of population trends.
- Global change biology: Global change poses a suite of threats to at-risk species. Some threats are relatively well-understood (e.g., global warming), whereas others arise seemingly out of the blue (e.g., when thresholds are crossed). I pursue a range of interdisciplinary projects aimed at understanding the effects of global change on populations.
My background spans many systems and species, but I am foremost a sea turtle biologist. I conduct research on sea turtles ranging from remote tracking, to mark-recapture sampling on boats and beaches, and measuring egg incubation temperatures. I take pride in being both a field biologist and a quantitative ecologist, meaning that I enjoy not only collecting data, but also manipulating and modeling it.
I am committed to making the life sciences more equitable—take a look at my former lab’s statement on diversity and inclusion for an example of my ideas on these topics.
Finally, I place major importance on my roles in mentorship, education, and community engagement. Please see my page covering these subjects for more info.
