Douglas Nowacek | Scholars@Duke

Douglas Nowacek
Randolph K. Repass and Sally-Christine Rodgers University Distinguished Professor of Conservation Technology in Environment and Engineering

Sound propagates very efficiently through sea water, and marine mammals take advantage of this medium to communicate and explore their environment. My research is focused on the link between acoustic and motor behavior in marine mammals, primarily cetaceans and manatees, specifically, how they use sound in ecological processes. The cetaceans, or whales and dolphins, are divided into two main groups, the toothed whales (odontocetes) and the baleen whales (mysticetes). One of my specific areas of research is the use of echolocation and foraging behavior in one of the odontocetes, the bottlenose dolphin. Another focus of my current research is the effect(s) of anthropogenic noise on marine mammals.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Randolph K. Repass and Sally-Christine Rodgers University Distinguished Professor of Conservation Technology in Environment and Engineering, Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment 2018
Professor, Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment 2018
Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering 2018
Faculty Network Member of The Energy Initiative, Duke University Energy Initiative, Initiatives 2015

Contact Information

Duke Univ Marine Lab, 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd, Beaufort, NC 28516
doug.nowacek@duke.edu (252) 504-7566
Nowacek Lab Page

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1999
- B.A., Ohio Wesleyan University 1991
Duke Appointment History
- Associate Professor, Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment 2008 - 2018
- Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering 2008 - 2018
- Director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of the Environment Marine Laboratory, Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment 2011 - 2014
Recognition
In the News
- OCT 10, 2019 Nicholas School of the Environment
  
  The Whale Whisperers: How Moms Talk to Calves Without Alerting Predators
- MAR 26, 2019
  
  Man-Made Sounds Damage Marine Life. Duke Researchers Are Trying to Protect Them
- JUL 17, 2018 Pratt School of Engineering
  
  At Beaufort, the Ocean Is For Engineering Study, Too
- JAN 19, 2018 Nicholas School of the Environment
  
  Duke Marine Lab's Stunning Journey to Study Antarctic Whales
- SEP 11, 2016
  
  Turn Down the Volume: New Guide Helps Reduce Seismic Surveys Impacts on Marine Species
- APR 15, 2016 The Huffington Post
  
  A group of scientists is begging Obama to save right whales
- APR 14, 2016
  
  Asking President Obama to Save Right Whales
- MAR 30, 2016 The Guardian
  
  Douglas Nowacek comments: Deafening Atlantic oil prospecting to go ahead despite threat to marine life
- SEP 14, 2015 Scientific American, Nature
  
  Douglas Nowacek: Marine life needs protection from noise pollution
- SEP 2, 2015
  
  New International Standards Needed To Manage Ocean Noise
- SEP 2, 2015 The News & Observer
  
  Researchers recommend treating ocean seismic testing as pollution
- JUL 15, 2015
  
  Nicholas' Nowacek Testifies Before Congress On Impacts Of Seismic Activity On Marine Life
- APR 28, 2015 WHQR-Wilmington
  
  Douglas Nowacek comments: Science panel weighs in on potential impacts of seismic testing off N.C. coast
- FEB 25, 2015 McClatchy DC
  
  A whale of a fight is brewing over Atlantic coastal drilling
- OCT 20, 2014 Christian Science Monitor
  
  The whale savers
- AUG 14, 2014
  
  Minke Whales Lunge Up To 100 Times An Hour To Feed Under Sea Ice
Awards & Honors
- Visiting Scholar. University of Tasmania. 2013
Expertise
Subject Headings
Global Scholarship
- Research
Research
Selected Grants
- Atlantic Behavioral Response Study 2020 - 2021
- Acoustic, Behavioral and Foraging Ecology of Cetaceans off the Coast of Brazil A Baseline Study 2016 - 2021
- North Atlantic Right Whale Tagging and Tracking 2018-2019 2018 - 2021
- Tagging, Acoustic Monitoring, Logistics, Work Plan Development, Data Management, Analysis and Reporting for the North Atlantic Right Whale Tagging and Tracking on the Southeast US Calving Grounds FY17 2017 - 2021
- Autonomous Passive Acoustic Monitoring MCAS Cherry Point Post Hurricane Recovery 2020
- Atlantic Behavioral Response Study 2019 - 2020
- Spatial and Acoustic Ecology of Marine Megafauna (SPAM) awarded by University of North Carolina, Wilmington 2017 - 2020
- Collaborative Research: Foraging behavior and ecological role of the least studied Antarctic krill predator, the Antarctic krill predator, the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) awarded by National Science Foundation 2017 - 2020
- Acoustic Startle Responses as Aversive Reactions and Hearing Indicators in Cetaceans 2016 - 2020
- Extended Duration Acoustic Tagging of Right Whales awarded by Syracuse University 2019
- Megafauna Motion Tag 2017 - 2019
- Atlantic Behavioral Response Study 2017 - 2018
- Conservation X Labs Tech Prize 2018
- Evaluating the Behavioral Response of Sea Turtles to Faurnaguard Turtle Module (Van Oord) awarded by Florida State University 2016 - 2018
- North Atlantic Right Whale Tagging and Tracking on the Southeast US Calving Grounds - 2016 - 2017 2016 - 2018
- LTER Palmer, Antartica (PAL): Land Shelf Ocean Connectivity, Ecosystem Resilience and Transformation awarded by Oregon State University 2014 - 2017
- Autonomous Passive Acoustic Monitoring/Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point 2015 - 2016
- Studies to Inform the Delineation of Wind Energy Areas within the Published Areas of Interest for North Carolina awarded by University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill 2015 - 2016
- North Atlantic Right Whale Tagging and Tracking on the Southeast US Calving Grounds - 2015 - 2016 2015 - 2016
- Delphinid Cetaceans: Quantifying Behavioral Ecology and Response to Predators Using a Multi-Species Approach 2011 - 2016
- North Atlantic Right Whale Tagging and Tracking on the Southeast US Calving Grounds 2013 - 2015
- A moored system for measuring the temporal variability of prey fields of deep diving predators off Cape Hatteras and response to Gulf Stream fronts awarded by Office of Naval Research 2013 - 2015
- North Atlantic Right Whale Tagging and Tracking on the Southeast US Calving Grounds 2013 - 2015
- A Low-Cost UAV Imaging System for Large Whale Health Assessment 2013 - 2014
- A SAFE vessel: Advancing research capabilities to the Gulf Stream awarded by National Science Foundation 2013 - 2014
- RAPID: Linking the movement patterns and foraging behavior of humpback whales to their prey across multiple spatial scales within the LTER study region awarded by National Science Foundation 2012 - 2013
- Duke University Seminar on Methods in Marine Bioacoustics 2012 - 2013
- Collaborative Research: The ecological role of a poorly studied Antarctic krill predator: the humpback whale/Megaptera novaeangliae awarded by National Science Foundation 2008 - 2012
- Prey Fields and habitats of deep diving odontocetes: 3D characterization and modeling of beaked and sperm whale foraging areas in the Tongue of the Ocean awarded by Office of Naval Research 2008 - 2012
- Use of multi-frequency acoustics to study cetacean foraging ecology awarded by Office of Naval Research 2008 - 2010
External Relationships
- Bellequant LLC
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Goldbogen, J. A., D. E. Cade, D. M. Wisniewska, J. Potvin, P. S. Segre, M. S. Savoca, E. L. Hazen, et al. “Why whales are big but not bigger: Physiological drivers and ecological limits in the age of ocean giants.” Science (New York, N.Y.) 366, no. 6471 (December 2019): 1367–72. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax9044.
    Full Text
  - Parks, Susan E., Dana A. Cusano, Sofie M. Van Parijs, and Douglas P. Nowacek. “Acoustic crypsis in communication by North Atlantic right whale mother-calf pairs on the calving grounds.” Biology Letters 15, no. 10 (October 9, 2019): 20190485. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0485.
    Full Text
  - Hoop, J. M. van der, A. E. Nousek-McGregor, D. P. Nowacek, S. E. Parks, P. Tyack, and P. T. Madsen. “Foraging rates of ram-filtering North Atlantic right whales.” Functional Ecology 33, no. 7 (July 1, 2019): 1290–1306. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13357.
    Full Text
  - Howle, L. E., S. D. Kraus, T. B. Werner, and D. P. Nowacek. “Simulation of the entanglement of a North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) with fixed fishing gear.” Marine Mammal Science 35, no. 3 (July 1, 2019): 760–78. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12562.
    Full Text
  - Parks, Susan E., Dana A. Cusano, Sofie M. Van Parijs, and Douglas P. Nowacek. “North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) acoustic behavior on the calving grounds.” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 146, no. 1 (July 2019): EL15. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.5115332.
    Full Text
  - Wang, Zhi-Tao, Tomonari Akamatsu, Douglas P. Nowacek, Jing Yuan, Lu Zhou, Pei-Yu Lei, Jiao Li, Peng-Xiang Duan, Ke-Xiong Wang, and Ding Wang. “Soundscape of an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis) hotspot before windfarm construction in the Pearl River Estuary, China: Do dolphin engage in noise avoidance and passive eavesdropping behavior?” Marine Pollution Bulletin 140 (March 2019): 509–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.02.013.
    Full Text
  - Elliott, B. W., A. J. Read, B. J. Godley, S. E. Nelms, and D. P. Nowacek. “Critical information gaps remain in understanding impacts of industrial seismic surveys on marine vertebrates.” Endangered Species Research 39 (January 1, 2019): 247–54. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00968.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Schick, R. S., M. Bowers, S. deRuiter, A. Friedlaender, J. Joseph, T. Margolina, D. P. Nowacek, and B. L. Southall. “Accounting for positional uncertainty when modeling received levels for tagged cetaceans exposed to sonar.” Aquatic Mammals 45, no. 6 (January 1, 2019): 675–90. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.45.6.2019.675.
    Full Text
  - Southall, E. B. L., J. J. Finneran, C. Reichmuth, P. E. Nachtigall, D. R. Ketten, A. E. Bowles, W. T. Ellison, D. P. Nowacek, and P. L. Tyack. “Marine mammal noise exposure criteria: Updated scientific recommendations for residual hearing effects.” Aquatic Mammals 45, no. 2 (January 1, 2019): 125–232. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.45.2.2019.125.
    Full Text
  - Rycyk, A. M., C. J. Deutsch, M. E. Barlas, S. K. Hardy, K. Frisch, E. H. Leone, and D. P. Nowacek. “Manatee behavioral response to boats.” Marine Mammal Science 34, no. 4 (October 1, 2018): 924–62. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12491.
    Full Text
  - Bowers, Matthew T., Ari S. Friedlaender, Vincent M. Janik, Douglas P. Nowacek, Nicola J. Quick, Brandon L. Southall, and Andrew J. Read. “Selective reactions to different killer whale call categories in two delphinid species.” The Journal of Experimental Biology 221, no. Pt 11 (June 12, 2018). https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.162479.
    Full Text
  - Pallin, Logan J., C Scott Baker, Debbie Steel, Nicholas M. Kellar, Jooke Robbins, David W. Johnston, Doug P. Nowacek, Andrew J. Read, and Ari S. Friedlaender. “High pregnancy rates in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) around the Western Antarctic Peninsula, evidence of a rapidly growing population.” Royal Society Open Science 5, no. 5 (May 2, 2018): 180017. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180017.
    Full Text
  - Root-Gutteridge, H., D. A. Cusano, Y. Shiu, D. P. Nowacek, S. M. Van Parijs, and S. E. Parks. “A lifetime of changing calls: North Atlantic right whales, Eubalaena glacialis, refine call production as they age.” Animal Behaviour 137 (March 1, 2018): 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.12.016.
    Full Text
  - Albertson, G. R., A. S. Friedlaender, D. J. Steel, A. Aguayo-Lobo, S. L. Bonatto, S. Caballero, R. Constantine, et al. “Temporal stability and mixed-stock analyses of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the nearshore waters of the Western Antarctic Peninsula.” Polar Biology 41, no. 2 (February 1, 2018): 323–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-017-2193-1.
    Full Text
  - Narazaki, Tomoko, Saana Isojunno, Douglas P. Nowacek, Rene Swift, Ari S. Friedlaender, Christian Ramp, Sophie Smout, et al. “Body density of humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae) in feeding aggregations estimated from hydrodynamic gliding performance.” Plos One 13, no. 7 (January 2018): e0200287. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200287.
    Full Text
  - Stanistreet, J. E., D. P. Nowacek, J. T. Bell, D. M. Cholewiak, J. A. Hildebrand, L. E. W. Hodge, S. M. Van Parijs, and A. J. Read. “Spatial and seasonal patterns in acoustic detections of sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus along the continental slope in the western North Atlantic Ocean.” Endangered Species Research 35 (January 1, 2018): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00867.
    Full Text
  - Davis, Genevieve E., Mark F. Baumgartner, Julianne M. Bonnell, Joel Bell, Catherine Berchok, Jacqueline Bort Thornton, Solange Brault, et al. “Long-term passive acoustic recordings track the changing distribution of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) from 2004 to 2014.” Scientific Reports 7, no. 1 (October 18, 2017): 13460. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13359-3.
    Full Text
  - Wilson, R. M., R. B. Tyson, J. A. Nelson, B. C. Balmer, J. P. Chanton, and D. P. Nowacek. “Niche differentiation and prey selectivity among common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Sighted in St. George Sound, Gulf of Mexico.” Frontiers in Marine Science 4, no. JUL (July 26, 2017). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00235.
    Full Text
  - Tyson, R. B., W. E. D. Piniak, C. Domit, D. Mann, M. Hall, D. P. Nowacek, and M. M. P. B. Fuentes. “Novel bio-logging tool for studying fine-scale behaviors of marine turtles in response to sound.” Frontiers in Marine Science 4, no. JUL (July 14, 2017). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2017.00219.
    Full Text
  - Beattie, M., D. P. Nowacek, A. K. Bogdanoff, L. Akins, and J. A. Morris. “The roar of the lionfishes Pterois volitans and Pterois miles.” Journal of Fish Biology 90, no. 6 (June 2017): 2488–95. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13321.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Paxton, A. B., J. C. Taylor, D. P. Nowacek, J. Dale, E. Cole, C. M. Voss, and C. H. Peterson. “Seismic survey noise disrupted fish use of a temperate reef.” Marine Policy 78 (April 1, 2017): 68–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2016.12.017.
    Full Text
  - Quick, Nicola J., Saana Isojunno, Dina Sadykova, Matthew Bowers, Douglas P. Nowacek, and Andrew J. Read. “Hidden Markov models reveal complexity in the diving behaviour of short-finned pilot whales.” Scientific Reports 7 (March 31, 2017): 45765. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep45765.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Golden, Jay S., John Virdin, Douglas Nowacek, Patrick Halpin, Lori Bennear, and Pawan G. Patil. “Making sure the blue economy is green.” Nature Ecology & Evolution 1, no. 2 (January 24, 2017): 17. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-016-0017.
    Full Text
  - Hoop, J. M. van der, D. P. Nowacek, M. J. Moore, and M. S. Triantafyllou. “Swimming kinematics and efficiency of entangled North Atlantic right whales.” Endangered Species Research 32, no. 1 (January 1, 2017): 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00781.
    Full Text
  - Quick, N., L. Scott-Hayward, D. Sadykova, D. Nowacek, and A. Read. “Effects of a scientific echo sounder on the behavior of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus).” Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 74, no. 5 (January 1, 2017): 716–26. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0293.
    Full Text
  - Stanistreet, J. E., D. P. Nowacek, S. Baumann-Pickering, J. T. Bell, D. M. Cholewiak, J. A. Hildebrand, L. E. W. Hodge, H. B. Moors-Murphy, S. M. Van Parijs, and A. J. Read. “Using passive acoustic monitoring to document the distribution of beaked whale species in the western north atlantic ocean.” Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 74, no. 12 (January 1, 2017): 2098–2109. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2016-0503.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Wang, Zhi-Tao, Douglas P. Nowacek, Tomonari Akamatsu, Ke-Xiong Wang, Jian-Chang Liu, Guo-Qin Duan, Han-Jiang Cao, and Ding Wang. “Diversity of fish sound types in the Pearl River Estuary, China.” Peerj 5 (January 2017): e3924. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3924.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, D. P., F. Christiansen, L. Bejder, J. A. Goldbogen, and A. S. Friedlaender. “Studying cetacean behaviour: new technological approaches and conservation applications.” Animal Behaviour 120 (October 1, 2016): 235–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.019.
    Full Text
  - Stanistreet, Joy E., Douglas P. Nowacek, Andrew J. Read, Simone Baumann-Pickering, Hilary B. Moors-Murphy, and Sofie M. Van Parijs. “Effects of duty-cycled passive acoustic recordings on detecting the presence of beaked whales in the northwest Atlantic.” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 140, no. 1 (July 2016): EL31. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.4955009.
    Full Text
  - Tyson, R. B., A. S. Friedlaender, and D. P. Nowacek. “Does optimal foraging theory predict the foraging performance of a large air-breathing marine predator?” Animal Behaviour 116 (June 1, 2016): 223–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.03.034.
    Full Text
  - Friedlaender, Ari S., David W. Johnston, Reny B. Tyson, Amanda Kaltenberg, Jeremy A. Goldbogen, Alison K. Stimpert, Corrie Curtice, et al. “Multiple-stage decisions in a marine central-place forager.” Royal Society Open Science 3, no. 5 (May 11, 2016): 160043. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160043.
    Full Text
  - Hooper V, J. A., M. O. Baringer, L. C. St. Laurent, W. K. Dewar, and D. Nowacek. “Dissipation processes in the Tongue of the Ocean.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 121, no. 5 (May 1, 2016): 3159–70. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JC011165.
    Full Text
  - Kraus, S. D., R. D. Kenney, C. A. Mayo, W. A. McLellan, M. J. Moore, and D. P. Nowacek. “Recent scientific publications cast doubt on north atlantic right whale future.” Frontiers in Marine Science 3, no. AUG (January 1, 2016). https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2016.00137.
    Full Text
  - Southall, B. L., D. P. Nowacek, P. J. O. Miller, and P. L. Tyack. “Experimental field studies to measure behavioral responses of cetaceans to sonar.” Endangered Species Research 31, no. 1 (January 1, 2016): 293–315. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00764.
    Full Text
  - Thornton, Steven W., William A. Mclellan, Sentiel A. Rommel, Richard M. Dillaman, Douglas P. Nowacek, Heather N. Koopman, and D Ann Pabst. “Morphology of the Nasal Apparatus in Pygmy (Kogia Breviceps) and Dwarf (K. Sima) Sperm Whales.” Anatomical Record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) 298, no. 7 (July 2015): 1301–26. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.23168.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, D. P., C. W. Clark, D. Mann, P. J. O. Miller, H. C. Rosenbaum, J. S. Golden, M. Jasny, J. Kraska, and B. L. Southall. “Marine seismic surveys and ocean noise: Time for coordinated and prudent planning.” Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 13, no. 7 (January 1, 2015): 378–86. https://doi.org/10.1890/130286.
    Full Text
  - Friedlaender, A. S., J. A. Goldbogen, D. P. Nowacek, A. J. Read, D. Johnston, and N. Gales. “Feeding rates and under-ice foraging strategies of the smallest lunge filter feeder, the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis).” The Journal of Experimental Biology 217, no. Pt 16 (August 2014): 2851–54. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.106682.
    Full Text
  - Bouveroux, T., R. B. Tyson, and D. P. Nowacek. “Abundance and site fidelity of bottlenose dolphins in coastal waters near Panama City, Florida.” Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 14, no. 1 (January 1, 2014): 37–42.
  - Crain, D. D., A. S. Friedlaender, D. W. Johnston, D. P. Nowacek, B. L. Roberts, K. W. Urian, D. M. Waples, and A. J. Read. “A quantitative analysis of the response of short-finned pilot whales, Globicephala macrorhynchus, to biopsy sampling.” Marine Mammal Science 30, no. 2 (January 1, 2014): 819–26. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12074.
    Full Text
  - Nousek-McGregor, Anna E., Carolyn A. Miller, Michael J. Moore, and Douglas P. Nowacek. “Effects of body condition on buoyancy in endangered North Atlantic right whales.” Physiological and Biochemical Zoology : Pbz 87, no. 1 (January 2014): 160–71. https://doi.org/10.1086/671811.
    Full Text
  - Risch, Denise, Nicholas J. Gales, Jason Gedamke, Lars Kindermann, Douglas P. Nowacek, Andrew J. Read, Ursula Siebert, Ilse C. Van Opzeeland, Sofie M. Van Parijs, and Ari S. Friedlaender. “Mysterious bio-duck sound attributed to the Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis).” Biology Letters 10, no. 4 (January 2014): 20140175. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2014.0175.
    Full Text
  - Wilson, R. M., J. P. Chanton, B. C. Balmer, and D. P. Nowacek. “An evaluation of lipid extraction techniques for interpretation of carbon and nitrogen isotope values in bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) skin tissue.” Marine Mammal Science 30, no. 1 (January 1, 2014): 85–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12018.
    Full Text
  - Friedlaender, A. S., R. B. Tyson, A. K. Stimpert, A. J. Read, and D. P. Nowacek. “Extreme diel variation in the feeding behavior of humpback whales along the western Antarctic Peninsula during autumn.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 494 (December 4, 2013): 281–89. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps10541.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, D. P., K. Bröker, G. Donovan, G. Gailey, R. Racca, R. R. Reeves, A. I. Vedenev, D. W. Weller, and B. L. Southall. “Responsible practices for minimizing and monitoring environmental impacts of marine seismic surveys with an emphasis on marine mammals.” Aquatic Mammals 39, no. 4 (December 1, 2013): 356–77. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.39.4.2013.356.
    Full Text
  - Wilson, R. M., J. A. Nelson, B. C. Balmer, D. P. Nowacek, and J. P. Chanton. “Stable isotope variation in the northern Gulf of Mexico constrains bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) foraging ranges.” Marine Biology 160, no. 11 (November 1, 2013): 2967–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2287-4.
    Full Text
  - Buckstaff, K. C., R. S. Wells, J. G. Gannon, and D. P. Nowacek. “Responses of bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus) to construction and demolition of coastal marine structures.” Aquatic Mammals 39, no. 2 (July 23, 2013): 174–86. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.39.2.2013.174.
    Full Text
  - Goldbogen, J. A., A. S. Friedlaender, J. Calambokidis, M. F. McKenna, M. Simon, and D. P. Nowacek. “Integrative approaches to the study of baleen whale diving behavior, feeding performance, and foraging ecology.” Bioscience 63, no. 2 (February 1, 2013): 90–100. https://doi.org/10.1525/bio.2013.63.2.5.
    Full Text
  - Crain, D. D., A. S. Friedlaender, D. W. Johnston, D. P. Nowacek, B. L. Roberts, K. W. Urian, D. M. Waples, and A. J. Read. “A quantitative analysis of the response of short-finned pilot whales, Globicephala macrorhynchus, to biopsy sampling.” Marine Mammal Science, 2013.
  - Wilson, R. M., J. A. Nelson, B. C. Balmer, D. P. Nowacek, and J. P. Chanton. “Stable isotope variation in the northern Gulf of Mexico constrains bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) foraging ranges.” Marine Biology, 2013, 1–14.
  - Wilson, R. M., J. P. Chanton, B. C. Balmer, and D. P. Nowacek. “An evaluation of lipid extraction techniques for interpretation of carbon and nitrogen isotope values in bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) skin tissue.” Marine Mammal Science, 2013.
  - Johnston, D. W., A. S. Friedlaender, A. J. Read, and D. P. Nowacek. “Initial density estimates of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae in the inshore waters of the western Antarctic Peninsula during the late autumn.” Endangered Species Research 18, no. 1 (August 20, 2012): 63–71. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00395.
    Full Text
  - Tyson, R. B., A. S. Friedlaender, C. Ware, A. K. Stimpert, and D. P. Nowacek. “Synchronous mother and calf foraging behaviour in humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae: Insights from multi-sensor suction cup tags.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 457 (June 21, 2012): 209–20. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09708.
    Full Text
  - Rolland, Rosalind M., Susan E. Parks, Kathleen E. Hunt, Manuel Castellote, Peter J. Corkeron, Douglas P. Nowacek, Samuel K. Wasser, and Scott D. Kraus. “Evidence that ship noise increases stress in right whales.” Proceedings. Biological Sciences 279, no. 1737 (June 2012): 2363–68. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2011.2429.
    Full Text
  - Wilson, Rachel Marie, John R. Kucklick, Brian C. Balmer, Randall S. Wells, Jeffrey P. Chanton, and Douglas P. Nowacek. “Spatial distribution of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inferred from stable isotopes and priority organic pollutants.” The Science of the Total Environment 425 (May 2012): 223–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.02.030.
    Full Text
  - Espinasse, B., M. Zhou, Y. Zhu, E. L. Hazen, A. S. Friedlaender, D. P. Nowacek, D. Chu, and F. Carlotti. “Austral fall-winter transition of mesozooplankton assemblages and krill aggregations in an embayment west of the Antarctic Peninsula.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 452 (April 25, 2012): 63–80. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09626.
    Full Text
  - Kot, B. W., R. Sears, A. Anis, D. P. Nowacek, J. Gedamke, and C. D. Marshall. “Behavioral responses of minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) to experimental fishing gear in a coastal environment.” Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 413 (February 10, 2012): 13–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2011.11.018.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, Douglas P., Alexander Vedenev, Brandon L. Southall, and Roberto Racca. “Development and implementation of criteria for exposure of Western gray whales to oil and gas industry noise.” Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 730 (January 2012): 523–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7311-5_119.
    Full Text
  - Parks, Susan E., Mack P. Johnson, Douglas P. Nowacek, and Peter L. Tyack. “Changes in vocal behavior of North Atlantic right whales in increased noise.” Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 730 (January 2012): 317–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7311-5_70.
    Full Text
  - Richardson, J., A. G. Wood, A. Neil, D. Nowacek, and M. Moore. “Changes in distribution, relative abundance, and species composition of large whales around South Georgia from opportunistic sightings: 1992 to 2011.” Endangered Species Research 19, no. 2 (January 1, 2012): 149–56. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00471.
    Full Text
  - Stimpert, Alison K., Lindsey E. Peavey, Ari S. Friedlaender, and Douglas P. Nowacek. “Humpback whale song and foraging behavior on an antarctic feeding ground.” Plos One 7, no. 12 (January 2012): e51214. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051214.
    Full Text
  - Parks, S. E., A. Searby, A. Célérier, M. P. Johnson, D. P. Nowacek, and P. L. Tyack. “Sound production behavior of individual North Atlantic right whales: Implications for passive acoustic monitoring.” Endangered Species Research 15, no. 1 (December 13, 2011): 63–76. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00368.
    Full Text
  - Tyson, R. B., S. M. Nowacek, and D. P. Nowacek. “Community structure and abundance of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in coastal waters of the northeast Gulf of Mexico.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 438 (October 5, 2011): 253–65. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps09292.
    Full Text
  - Ware, C., A. S. Friedlaender, and D. P. Nowacek. “Shallow and deep lunge feeding of humpback whales in fjords of the West Antarctic Peninsula.” Marine Mammal Science 27, no. 3 (July 1, 2011): 587–605. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00427.x.
    Full Text
  - Kucklick, John, Lori Schwacke, Randy Wells, Aleta Hohn, Aurore Guichard, Jennifer Yordy, Larry Hansen, et al. “Bottlenose dolphins as indicators of persistent organic pollutants in the western North Atlantic Ocean and northern Gulf of Mexico.” Environmental Science & Technology 45, no. 10 (May 2011): 4270–77. https://doi.org/10.1021/es1042244.
    Full Text
  - Parks, Susan E., Mark Johnson, Douglas Nowacek, and Peter L. Tyack. “Individual right whales call louder in increased environmental noise.” Biology Letters 7, no. 1 (February 2011): 33–35. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2010.0451.
    Full Text
  - Robbins, J., L. D. Rosa, J. M. Allen, D. K. Mattila, E. R. Secchi, A. S. Friedlaender, P. T. Stevick, D. P. Nowacek, and D. Steel. “Return movement of a humpback whale between the Antarctic Peninsula and American Samoa: A seasonal migration record.” Endangered Species Research 13, no. 2 (January 31, 2011): 117–21. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00328.
    Full Text
  - Hazen, Elliott L., Douglas P. Nowacek, Louis St Laurent, Patrick N. Halpin, and David J. Moretti. “The relationship among oceanography, prey fields, and beaked whale foraging habitat in the Tongue of the Ocean.” Plos One 6, no. 4 (January 2011): e19269. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019269.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, Douglas P., Ari S. Friedlaender, Patrick N. Halpin, Elliott L. Hazen, David W. Johnston, Andrew J. Read, Boris Espinasse, Meng Zhou, and Yiwu Zhu. “Super-aggregations of krill and humpback whales in Wilhelmina Bay, Antarctic Peninsula.” Plos One 6, no. 4 (January 2011): e19173. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0019173.
    Full Text
  - Tyson, Reny B., Ari S. Friedlaender, Colin Ware, Alison K. Stimpert, and Douglas P. Nowacek. “In synch? Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) mother and calf foraging behaviour: insights from multi-sensor suction cup tags.” Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2011.
  - Wilson, R. M., J. Chanton, F. G. Lewis, and D. Nowacek. “Concentration-dependent Stable Isotope Analysis of Consumers in the Upper Reaches of a Freshwater-dominated Estuary: Apalachicola Bay, FL, USA.” Estuaries and Coasts 33, no. 6 (May 18, 2010): 1406–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-010-9304-3.
    Full Text
  - Friedlaender, A. S., D. P. Nowacek, D. W. Johnston, A. J. Read, R. B. Tyson, L. Peavey, and E. M. S. Revelli. “Multiple sightings of large groups of Arnoux's beaked whales (Berardius arnouxii) in the Gerlache Strait, Antarctica.” Marine Mammal Science 26, no. 1 (January 1, 2010): 246–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2009.00346.x.
    Full Text
  - Johnston, D. W., A. S. Friedlaender, A. J. Read, and D. P. Nowacek. “Density estimates of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the inshore waters of the Western Antarctic Peninsula during the late autumn.” Endangered Species Research, 2010.
  - Friedlaender, A. S., E. L. Hazen, D. P. Nowacek, P. N. Halpin, C. Ware, M. T. Weinrich, T. Hurst, and D. Wiley. “Diel changes in humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae feeding behavior in response to sand lance Ammodytes spp. behavior and distribution.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 395 (December 1, 2009): 91–100. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08003.
    Full Text
  - Southall, B. L., and D. P. Nowacek. “Acoustics in marine ecology: Innovation in technology expands the use of sound in ocean science.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 395 (December 1, 2009): 1–3. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08393.
    Full Text
  - Marie Wilson, R., J. Chanton, G. Lewis, and D. Nowacek. “Isotopic variation (δ¹⁵N, δ¹³C, and δ³⁴S) with body size in post-larval estuarine consumers.” Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 83, no. 3 (July 10, 2009): 307–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2009.04.006.
    Full Text
  - Hogg, C. J., T. L. Rogers, A. Shorter, K. Barton, P. J. O. Miller, and D. Nowacek. “Determination of steroid hormones in whale blow: It is possible.” Marine Mammal Science 25, no. 3 (July 1, 2009): 605–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2008.00277.x.
    Full Text
  - Wilson, R. M., J. Chanton, G. Lewis, and D. Nowacek. “Combining organic matter source and relative trophic position Determinations to Explore trophic structure.” Estuaries and Coasts 32, no. 5 (June 24, 2009): 999–1010. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-009-9183-7.
    Full Text
  - Balmer, B. C., R. S. Wells, S. M. Nowacek, D. P. Nowacek, L. H. Schwacke, W. A. Mclellan, F. S. Scharf, et al. “Seasonal abundance and distribution patterns of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) near St. Joseph Bay, Florida, USA.” Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 10, no. 2 (September 1, 2008): 157–67.
  - Brownell, R. L., D. P. Nowacek, and K. Ralls. “Hunting cetaceans with sound: A worldwide review.” Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 10, no. 1 (June 1, 2008): 81–88.
  - Nowacek, D. P., and P. L. Tyack. “Assessing effects of anthropogenic noise on the behaviour of marine mammals.” Bioacoustics 17, no. 1–3 (January 1, 2008): 338–41. https://doi.org/10.1080/09524622.2008.9753869.
    Full Text
  - Dobbins, P. F., and D. P. Nowacek. “Passive azimuth localization of dolphin whistles using acoustically small sensors.” Proceedings of the Institute of Acoustics 29, no. PART 3 (December 1, 2007): 156–63.
  - Tyson, Reny B., Douglas P. Nowacek, and Patrick J. O. Miller. “Nonlinear phenomena in the vocalizations of North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) and killer whales (Orcinus orca).” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 122, no. 3 (September 2007): 1365. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.2756263.
    Full Text
  - Chapla, Marie E., Douglas P. Nowacek, Sentiel A. Rommel, and Valerie M. Sadler. “CT scans and 3D reconstructions of Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) heads and ear bones.” Hearing Research 228, no. 1–2 (June 2007): 123–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heares.2007.01.029.
    Full Text
  - Dobbins, P., and D. Nowacek. “Azimuth localization in pod-track - A passive acoustic monitoring system for wild dolphins.” Oceans 2007 Europe, January 1, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1109/oceanse.2007.4302248.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, D. P., L. H. Thorne, D. W. Johnston, and P. L. Tyack. “Responses of cetaceans to anthropogenic noise.” Mammal Review 37, no. 2 (January 1, 2007): 81–115. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2907.2007.00104.x.
    Full Text
  - Remage-Healey, Luke, Douglas P. Nowacek, and Andrew H. Bass. “Dolphin foraging sounds suppress calling and elevate stress hormone levels in a prey species, the Gulf toadfish.” The Journal of Experimental Biology 209, no. Pt 22 (November 2006): 4444–51. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.02525.
    Full Text
  - Dewar, W. K., R. J. Bingham, R. L. Iverson, D. P. Nowacek, L. C. St. Laurent, and P. H. Wiebe. “Does the marine biosphere mix the ocean?” Journal of Marine Research 64, no. 4 (July 1, 2006): 541–61. https://doi.org/10.1357/002224006778715720.
    Full Text
  - Mann, D. A., T. J. O’Shea, and D. P. Nowacek. “Nonlinear dynamics in manatee vocalizations.” Marine Mammal Science 22, no. 3 (July 1, 2006): 548–55. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2006.00036.x.
    Full Text
  - Kraus, S. D., M. W. Brown, C. W. Clark, P. K. Hamilton, R. D. Kenney, A. R. Knowlton, S. Landry, et al. “Bilateral action for right whales - Reply.” Science 310, no. 5754 (December 9, 2005): 1617–18.
    Link to Item
  - Sayles, Jesse S., and David M. Green. “Bilateral action for right whales.” Science (New York, N.Y.) 310, no. 5754 (December 2005): 1616–18. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.310.5754.1616.
    Full Text
  - Kraus, Scott D., Moira W. Brown, Hal Caswell, Christopher W. Clark, Masami Fujiwara, Philip K. Hamilton, Robert D. Kenney, et al. “Ecology. North Atlantic right whales in crisis.” Science (New York, N.Y.) 309, no. 5734 (July 2005): 561–62. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1111200.
    Full Text
  - Gannon, D. P., N. B. Barros, D. P. Nowacek, A. J. Read, D. M. Waples, and R. S. Wells. “Prey detection by bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus: An experimental test of the passive listening hypothesis.” Animal Behaviour 69, no. 3 (January 1, 2005): 709–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.06.020.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, D. P. “Acoustic ecology of foraging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), habitat-specific use of three sound types.” Marine Mammal Science 21, no. 4 (January 1, 2005): 587–602. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2005.tb01253.x.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, S. M., R. S. Wells, E. C. G. Owen, T. R. Speakman, R. O. Flamm, and D. P. Nowacek. “Florida manatees, Trichechus manatus latirostris, respond to approaching vessels.” Biological Conservation 119, no. 4 (October 1, 2004): 517–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2003.11.020.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, Douglas P., Mark P. Johnson, and Peter L. Tyack. “North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis) ignore ships but respond to alerting stimuli.” Proceedings. Biological Sciences 271, no. 1536 (February 2004): 227–31. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2003.2570.
    Full Text
  - Gannon, D. P., D. W. Johnston, A. J. Read, and D. P. Nowacek. “Resonance and dissonance: Science, ethics, and the sonar debate.” Marine Mammal Science 20, no. 4 (January 1, 2004): 898–99. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2004.tb01202.x.
    Full Text
  - Maresh, J. L., F. E. Fish, D. P. Nowacek, S. M. Nowacek, and R. S. Wells. “High performance turning capabilities during foraging by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).” Marine Mammal Science 20, no. 3 (January 1, 2004): 498–509. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2004.tb01175.x.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, Douglas P., Brandon M. Casper, Randall S. Wells, Stephanie M. Nowacek, and David A. Mann. “Intraspecific and geographic variation of West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus spp.) vocalizations.” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 114, no. 1 (July 2003): 66–69. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1582862.
    Full Text
  - Holak, J. L., F. E. Fish, D. P. Nowacek, and S. M. Nowacek. “High performance turning capabilities during foraging by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).” Integrative and Comparative Biology 42, no. 6 (December 2002): 1244.
  - Nowacek, D. P. “Sequential foraging behaviour of bottlenose dolphins, tursiops truncatus, in Sarasota Bay, FL.” Behaviour 139, no. 9 (September 1, 2002): 1125–45. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685390260437290.
    Full Text
  - Miksis, J. L., M. D. Grund, D. P. Nowacek, A. R. Solow, R. C. Connor, and P. L. Tyack. “Cardiac responses to acoustic playback experiments in the captive bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).” Journal of Comparative Psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983) 115, no. 3 (September 2001): 227–32. https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7036.115.3.227.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, D. P., M. P. Johnson, P. L. Tyack, K. A. Shorter, W. A. McLellan, and D. A. Pabst. “Buoyant balaenids: the ups and downs of buoyancy in right whales.” Proceedings. Biological Sciences 268, no. 1478 (September 2001): 1811–16. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2001.1730.
    Full Text
  - Nowacek, D. P., P. L. Tyack, and R. S. Wells. “A platform for continuous behavioral and acoustic observation of free-ranging marine mammals: Overhead video combined with underwater audio.” Marine Mammal Science 17, no. 1 (January 1, 2001): 191–99. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2001.tb00992.x.
    Full Text
  - Reed-Andersen, TarA, Elena M. Bennett, Bradley S. Jorgensen, George Lauster, David Bruce Lewis, David Nowacek, Joan L. Riera, Beth L. Sanderson, and Richard Stedman. “Distribution of recreational boating across lakes: do landscape variables affect recreational use?” Freshwater Biology 43, no. 3 (March 2000): 439–48. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2427.2000.00511.x.
    Full Text
  - Flamm, R. O., E. C. G. Owen, C. F. W. Owen, R. S. Wells, and D. Nowacek. “Aerial videogrammetry from a tethered airship to assess manatee life-stage structure.” Marine Mammal Science 16, no. 3 (January 1, 2000): 617–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-7692.2000.tb00955.x.
    Full Text
  - Jacobs, M., D. P. Nowacek, D. J. Gerhart, G. Cannon, S. Nowicki, and R. B. Forward. “Seasonal changes in vocalization during behavior of the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin.” Estuaries 16, no. 2 (January 1, 1993): 241–46. https://doi.org/10.2307/1352496.
    Full Text
- Conference Papers
  - Xian, Y., X. Sun, W. Liao, Y. Zhang, D. Nowacek, and L. Nolte. “Intrinsic structure study of whale vocalizations.” In Oceans 2016 Mts/Ieee Monterey, Oce 2016, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1109/OCEANS.2016.7761101.
    Full Text
  - Brooke, M., E. Cole, J. Dale, A. Prasad, H. Quach, B. Bau, D. Nowacek, and E. Bhatt. “An ocean sensor for measuring the seawater electrochemical response of 8 metals referenced to zinc, for determining ocean pH.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Sensing Technology, Icst, 2016-March:147–50, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSensT.2015.7438381.
    Full Text Open Access Copy
  - Nowacek, D. P. “Seismic surveys and marine wildlife: Ideas for managing real and perceived impacts.” In Seg Technical Program Expanded Abstracts, 34:4949–51, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1190/segam2015-6026251.1.
    Full Text
  - Xian, Y., A. Thompson, Q. Qiu, L. Nolte, D. Nowacek, J. Lu, and R. Calderbank. “Classification of whale vocalizations using the Weyl transform.” In Icassp, Ieee International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing Proceedings, 2015-August:773–77, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICASSP.2015.7178074.
    Full Text
  - Mcgregor, Anna E., Frank E. Fish, and Douglas P. Nowacek. “Finding the window of energetic opportunity: traveling North Atlantic right whales use dive depths that avoid surface drag.” In Integrative and Comparative Biology, 50:E267–E267. OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC, 2010.
    Link to Item
Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses
Advising & Mentoring
- In 2014, I mentored 5 PhD students, with one completing the PhD degree during the year. I also added a new PhD student in the fall. I also mentored several MEM students, 3 second-year and 2 first year students. Finally, I mentored several undergraduate Independent Study projects and an REU student at the Marine Lab in the summer.
Available to mentor:
- Faculty
Scholarly, Clinical, & Service Activities
Presentations & Appearances
- Effects of Seismic Signals on Marine Animals. Congressional briefing. Oceana. May 28, 2014 2014
Outreach & Engaged Scholarship
Service to the Profession
- Chair. North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium. July 1, 2008 - June 30, 2014 2008 - 2014
- Chair. Atlantic Scientific Review Group. NOAA / National Marine Fisheries Service. January 2006 2006

Some information on this profile has been compiled automatically from Duke databases and external sources. (Our About page explains how this works.) If you see a problem with the information, please write to Scholars@Duke and let us know. We will reply promptly.

Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

In the News

Awards & Honors

Subject Headings

Global Scholarship

Research

Selected Grants

External Relationships

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Conference Papers

Recent Courses

Advising & Mentoring

Available to mentor:

Presentations & Appearances

Outreach & Engaged Scholarship

Service to the Profession