Marine Mammal Institute

I am interested in the ecology and conservation of marine vertebrates. I am particularly curious about how these species respond to climate-induced changes in their habitat, and the spatial and temporal scale of this response. For my master’s research I am investigating the foraging ecology of Adelie and Gentoo penguins in the region surrounding Anvers Island on the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Climate-induced warming along the peninsula has caused a southward shift in suitable breeding habitat for these two species. This has resulted in the expansion of Gentoo colonies into areas around Anvers Island that were historically only occupied by Adelie colonies. I will be using satellite and dive telemetry data to identify the ecological niches of Adelie and Gentoo penguins in this region and investigate the overlap of these niches. I will be analyzing an extended time series of this data to determine whether the foraging ranges/behavior of Gentoo and Adelie penguins vary significantly across years, describe the extent of this variation, and examine possible causes for these interannual changes.