MARINE MAMMAL RESEARCH UNIT - UBC

Personnel

Faculty and Researchers

Faculty
Dr Marie Auger-Méthé
Dr David Rosen
Dr Andrew W. Trites
Dr Juan Jose Alava

 

Adjunct Professors
Dr  John Ford
Dr Jane Watson
Dr  Marty Haulena
Dr  Stephen Raverty


Students &  Research Questions

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Beth Volpov
This project involves constructing comparative bioenergetic models to predict daily food requirements of southern and northern resident killer whales.


Burak Saygili
Fisheries acoustics, Marine acoustics, Scientific echosounders, Acoustic scattering, Acoustic fishery resources survey



PhD Candidates
 

Benia Nowak
Investigating oceanographic influences on the movement patterns and dive behaviour of Spitsbergen bowhead whales and comparison of diet and habitat use to another Arctic cetacean species, the narwhal


 

Rhea  Storlund
Exploring how pinniped cardiovascular anatomy and physiology relates to diving ability


 

Ron Togunov
Looking at the foraging patterns of Arctic marine mammals in stochastic and changing environments. How habitat variability and anthropogenic climate change affect the foraging efficiency of beluga whales, narwhals, and polar bears.


MSc Students

Julia Adelsheim – MSc
A Bioenergetic Model for Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris): Exploring Interactions Between Energy Requirements and Dietary Choices


 

Kate Colson – MSc
Estimating prey requirements of the Pacific Coast Feeding Group of grey whales in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia waters


 

Kathleen Gill – MSc
Exploring pinniped navigation methods for long-distance migrations


 

 Josh McInnes – MSc
Determining the Ecology and Community Structure of West Coast Transient Killer Whales in the Northeastern Pacific


 

Tess McRae – MSc
Investigating whether southern resident killer whales are endangered because of the collapse of winter and spring Chinook populations in California that occurred over a century ago


 

Ana Pozas – MSc
The Role of Diet Quality on Divergent Population Trends of California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) in Mexico and the USA


 

Dana Price – MSc
Assessing microplastics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances in northeastern Pacific sea otters (Enhydra lutris)


 

Taryn Scarff – MSc
Transient killer whale presence and prey consumption in the inside waters of Vancouver Island


 

Zac Warham  – MSc
Determining methods of pinniped navigation in the open ocean

 

 

Staff

Research Assistants
Rob Marshall

Administration & Support
Pamela Rosenbaum
Renee La Roi


ALUMNI

Over thirty students have graduated since 1996.  Click on alumni to see our list of graduates and their research.