https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6039-074X
Overview
I study the conservation biology of long-lived marine vertebrates, particularly marine mammals, seabirds and sea turtles. My work, and that of my students, documents the effects of human activities on populations of these species. Our work involves field work, experimentation and modeling. I am particularly interested in the development and application of new conservation tools.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Stephen A. Toth Distinguished Professor of Marine Biology in the Nicholas School of the Environment
·
2016 - Present
Marine Science and Conservation,
Nicholas School of the Environment
Professor of Marine Conservation Biology
·
2012 - Present
Marine Science and Conservation,
Nicholas School of the Environment
Recent Scholarly Works
Baleen Whale Occurrence in the Waters Off Virginia and North Carolina, U.S.A. From 2001 to 2019
Journal article Marine Mammal Science · July 1, 2026 Eighteen years of visual survey and strandings data were used to describe baleen whale occurrence along the continental shelf of Virginia and North Carolina, U.S.A. This region experiences heavy anthropogenic use, which poses risks for mortality and injury ... Full text CiteIn Memoriam Timothy B. Werner 1962–2025
Journal article Marine Mammal Science · April 2026 Full text CiteStock Identity of Stranded Tamanend's Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops erebennus) With Evidence of Fisheries Interaction in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, 1996–2019
Journal article Marine Mammal Science · April 1, 2026 The complex population structure of Tamanend's bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops erebennus) along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast complicates assessment of their bycatch. To improve our understanding of the stock identity of individual dolphins taken as bycatch in ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Cuvier's beaked whale integrated ecosystem study: Systematic use of novel eDNA methodology to characterize and compare beaked whale populations and their associated prey community across regions
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Kelp Marine Research · 2023 - 2027Atlantic Behavioral Response Study III 2025 - Continuously Active Sonar
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by HDR, Inc. · 2023 - 2026Defining the molecular physiologic impacts of stress on beaked whale hypoxia tolerance: implications for behavioral response
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 2022 - 2026View All Grants
Education
University of Guelph (Canada) ·
1990
Ph.D.
University of Guelph (Canada) ·
1983
M.S.
University of Guelph (Canada) ·
1980
B.S.