Geospatial Ecology of Marine Megafauna Laboratory

I am broadly interested in marine mammal ecology and remote sensing. Specifically, I want to study the behavioral ecology of marine mammals to inform conservation. I have a background in analyzing drone data to study marine megafauna using image analysis. For my thesis I will be using drone footage to study the behavioral ecology of the gray whale Pacific Coast Feeding Group (PCFG). I am interested in studying individual specialization, social behavior, and how patterns of behavior different by habitat type and between whales of different body condition and reproductive state. My goal is to gain insight into what factors may affect gray whale behavior in their foraging habitat so that we can better understand how they are being affected by a changing environment.