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Ph.D. Graduates

Dr. Joe Fader (2022)

Foreign Affairs Specialist

Office of Law Enforcement, NOAA Fisheries

Dr. Austin Allen (2021)

Dissertation title: Estimating the Cost of Locomotion in Common Bottlenose Dolphins: Calibration, Validation, and Application to Study the Impacts of Disturbance

I am a conservation biologist who studies marine mammal physiology and ecology using a diverse array of technologies to better quantify impacts on marine mammal populations. Currently I focus on developing tag-based estimates of energy expenditure for toothed whales. I use experimental trials with trained cetaceans in marine mammal facilities, where we can measure oxygen consumption to estimate energy expenditure, in order to better interpret animal-borne bio-logging data from deployments in free-ranging populations. Converting activity metrics into units of energy expenditure (e.g., calories) helps us understand the energetic costs of environmental and anthropogenic impacts on marine mammal populations.

Post-doctoral Researcher

Duke University

austin.allen@duke.edu

Dr. Seth Sykora-Bodie (2020)

Advisor to the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations and National Programs,

NOAA Fisheries

Dr. William R Cioffi (2020)

Post-Doctoral Researcher

Southall Environmental Associates, Inc.

Email: wrc14@duke.edu

Dr. Vivienne Foroughirad (2019)

Postdoctoral Fellow in Biology
Georgetown University
email: vjf5@georgetown.edu

Dr. Joy Stanistreet (2017)

Dr. Julia Burrows (2017)

Dr. Kristina Cammen (2017)

Dr. Haydee Dominguez (2016)

Dr. Meagan Dumphy-Daly (2015)

Instructor and Director, Rachel Carson Scholars Program, Nicholas School of the Environment
Duke University
email: meagan.dunphy-daly@duke.edu

Dr. Sara McDonald (2014)

Director of Conservation, South Carolina Aquarium

Dr. Kenady Wilson (2015)

Dr. Wendy Dow Piniak (2012)

Dissertation Title: 

Acoustic Ecology of Sea Turtles: Implications for Conservation

Biologist, NMFS Office of Protected Species

Adjust Professor, Duke University Marine Lab

email: wendy.dow@duke.edu

Dr. Lynne Hodge (2011)

Dissertation Title: 

Monitoring marine mammals in Onslow Bay, North Carolina, using passive acoustics

Research Scientist
NOAA Fisheries, Southeast Fisheries Science Center

Dr. Lesley Thorne (2010)


Dissertation Title:

Seabird foraging in dynamic oceanographic features

Assistant Professor
Stony Brook University
email: lhthorne@notes.cc.sunysb.edu

Dr. Catherine McClellan (2009)


Dissertation Title:

Behavior, ecology, and conservation of sea turtles in the North Atlantic Ocean

Post-doctoral Researcher
University of Exeter
email: C.McClellan@exeter.ac.uk

Dr. Caroline Good (2008)

Dissertation Title:

Spatial ecology of the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis)

Office of Protected Resources, NOAA Fisheries

Dr. Leigh Torres (2007)

Leigh Torres
Dissertation Title:

Top predator distribution and foraging ecology in Florida Bay, Florida

Marine Spatial Ecologist
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
Wellington, New Zealand
email: l.torres@niwa.co.nz

Dr. Vicky Thayer (2007)

Vicky Thayer
Dissertation Title:

Life history parameters and social associations of female Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) off North Carolina, USA

Marine Mammal Stranding Co-coodinator
NC Division of Marine Fisheries
email: vgt@duke.edu

Dr. Ari Friedlaender (2006)

Ari Friedlaender
Dissertation Title:

Spatial ecology of Humpback and Minke Whales off the Western Antarctic Peninsula

Professor, Ocean Sciences, University of California Santa
Cruz
email: ari.friedlaender@ucsc.edu

Dr. Andrew Westgate (2005)

Andrew Westgate
Dissertation Title:

Population structure and life history of short-beak common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) in the North Atlantic

Research Professor
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
email: westgatea@uncw.edu

Dr. Dave Johnston (2004)

Dave Johnston
Dissertation Title:

Fine scale oceanographic features and foraging marine predators: The ecology and conservation of an island wake in the Bay of Fundy, Canada

Associate Professor of the Practice of Marine Conservation Ecology
Duke University Marine Laboratory
email:  david.johnston@duke.edu

Dr. Caterina D'Agrosa (2004)

Caterina D'Agrosa
Dissertation Title:

The application of spatial analytical techniques toward the ocnservation of long-lived marine vertebrates: the pelagic longline fishery as a case study

Dr. Tara Cox (2003)

Dissertation Title: 

Evaluation of strategies to reduce bycatch of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)

Professor
Department of Marine Science
Savannah State University
email: coxt@savstate.edu

Dr. Damon Gannon (2003)

Damon Gannon
Dissertation Title:

Behavioral ecology of an acoustically mediated predator-prey system: bottlenose dolphins and sciaenid fishes

Assistant Director for Academics, University of Georgia Marine Institute

Dr. Heather Koopman (2001)

Heather Koopman
Dissertation Title:

The structure and function of the blubber of odontocetes

Professor and Chair
Biology and Marine Biology Department
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
email: koopmanh@uncw.edu

Recent news:

  • Andy Confirmed by the Senate as a Commissioner of the Marine Mammal Commission
    Andy Confirmed by the Senate as a Commissioner of the Marine Mammal Commission January 13, 2023

    On December 22, the U.S. Senate confirmed Andy’s appointment to the Marine...

  • Atlantic BRS – 2022 CEE with the USS Farragut
    Atlantic BRS – 2022 CEE with the USS Farragut August 25, 2022

    After a frustrating summer marked by very poor offshore weather conditions, ever...

  • Atlantic BRS – First CEE of 2021
    Atlantic BRS – First CEE of 2021 August 6, 2021

    On July 30, we conducted a successful Controlled Exposure Experiment (CEE) with...

  • First Tag Deployments for Atlantic BRS 2021
    First Tag Deployments for Atlantic BRS 2021 July 9, 2021

    After a long wait for good weather and engine repairs to the R/V Richard T. Barb...

  • Atlantic BRS 2020 – First CEE
    Atlantic BRS 2020 – First CEE July 16, 2020

    On Wednesday, July 16th we completed a successful experimental playback of...

  • Atlantic BRS 2019 – Multi-Scale CEE
    Atlantic BRS 2019 – Multi-Scale CEE August 10, 2019

        On August 6th, we conducted a successful Controlled Exposure Exper...

  • Atlantic BRS 2019 Underway
    Atlantic BRS 2019 Underway May 12, 2019

    The first field season of our 2019 Atlantic Behavioral Response Study (BRS) is u...

  • 2018 BRS – Second Phase – First Update
    2018 BRS – Second Phase – First Update August 16, 2018

    Last week we welcomed Jessica Aschettino to our field team to deploy satellite-l...

  • Wrapping Up The First Phase of the 2018 Atlantic BRS
    Wrapping Up The First Phase of the 2018 Atlantic BRS June 25, 2018

    We have just wrapped up field work in the first phase of the 2018 Atlantic Behav...

  • Atlantic BRS 2018 Field Work Second Update
    Atlantic BRS 2018 Field Work Second Update June 5, 2018

    During the past week we finished deploying satellite tags for the first leg of t...

Contact Andy:

252-504-7590

aread*duke.edu

135 Duke Marine Lab Road

Beaufort, NC 28516

Recent news from our lab:

  • Andy Confirmed by the Senate as a Commissioner of the Marine Mammal Commission
    Andy Confirmed by the Senate as a Commissioner of the Marine Mammal Commission January 13, 2023
  • Atlantic BRS – 2022 CEE with the USS Farragut
    Atlantic BRS – 2022 CEE with the USS Farragut August 25, 2022
  • Atlantic BRS – First CEE of 2021
    Atlantic BRS – First CEE of 2021 August 6, 2021
  • First Tag Deployments for Atlantic BRS 2021
    First Tag Deployments for Atlantic BRS 2021 July 9, 2021
  • Atlantic BRS 2020 – First CEE
    Atlantic BRS 2020 – First CEE July 16, 2020

Our group:

MCE@D
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