Seabird Ecology - chief investigator/project manager

2010-16: Chief investigator of 10 cutting-edge electronic seabird tracking studies, designing, conducting, managing and organizing complex logistics for multiple concurrent projects annually that investigated seabird spatial and foraging ecology, movement patterns, migration, behavior, environmental interactions, trophic mechanisms influencing prey availability and behavior, evolutionary ecology and climate change impacts.

Seabird Ecology & Conservation activities

Tasman boobies Phillip Island
Tasman boobies Phillip Island
  1. 2016: Fairy penguin population monitoring and assessment for translocation, NSW & VIC, Australia.
  2. 2016: Australian Seabird Rescue, Pelican rehab & release project, Bermagui, Australia.
  3. 2016: White-chinned storm petrel and fairy penguin translocations & artificial nesting areas, Montague island & Eden NSW, Australia; NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment.
  4. 2014: Wedge-tailed shearwater population tracking study, New Caledonia, Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, France. 
  5. 2014: Sound attraction studies & artificial nest boxes - grey-faced petrels - Tawhauranui peninsula New Zealand; University of Auckland.
  6. 2014: NZ storm-petrel radio tracking to nest-site (after ~100 years thought extinct), Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand.
  7. 2014: Rodent Eradication Program Lord Howe Island.
  8. 2013: Tracking and isotope studies of seabirds of the Hauraki Gulf (Mokohinau Islands) New Zealand - Grey-face petrels (Pterodroma macroptera), little shearwaters (Puffinus assimilis), fluttering shearwater (Puffinus gavia), little penguins (Eudyptula minor) and common diving petrels (Pelecanoides urinatrix), University of Auckland seabird research groups.
  9. 2013: Radio tracking pilot study in search of nesting grounds of New Zealand Storm petrels; University of Auckland seabird research groups. 
  10. 2013: Population counts of wedge-tailed shearwaters and black noddies (Anous minutus) of the Capricorn Bunker Group of islands in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia; Queensland Parks & Wildlife. 
  11.  2012: Wedge-tailed shearwater tracking and diet studies (NSW colonies), Australia; NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment.
  12. 2012: Hutton's shearwater (Puffinus huttoni) translocation, Kaikoura, New Zealand.
  13. 2012: Diet studies and tracking of endangered Gould’s petrels (Pterodroma leucoptera) on Cabbage Tree Island, NSW, Australia, Yuna Kim, Macquarie University.
  14. 2011-13: Nesting, movement and foraging ecology of masked (Sula dactylatra) and brown boobies (Sula leucoptera) of the GBR - Swains Reefs, Australia; Queensland Parks & Wildlife, James Cook University and University of Central Queensland.   
  15. 2010: Tracking and analyzing foraging behavior and diet of Tasman boobies (Sula dactylatra tasmani) of Phillip Island, NSW, Australia; headed by Dr Julia Sommerfeld, University of Tasmania.
  16. 2009-2014: Climate-change and seabirds of the Great Barrier Reef; Dr Brad Congdon, James Cook University.

Conservation research (other species/systems)

Since 1998 I have worked on dozens of Conservation projects and activities for aquatic and terrestrial species and systems including birds, reptiles, forests, beaches, crustaceans, holothurians, fish, sharks, manta rays, whale sharks, turtles since 1998 all over the world (Central and South America, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Australasia, Asia and Africa). 

  • 2022-current: Publications on impacts of and predicting progression and risk of avian influenza among bird populations; Developing a cutting edge system to integrate animal movement, environmental and habitat data for true adaptive management. 
  • 2020-1: Without field work during the pandemic, I published new research providing management & conservation recommendations for wetland ecosystems and waterfowl affected by human disturbance, CA, USA
  • 2018: California Waterfowl Hunter Advocacy - scientific presentations on the state of waterfowl research and population preservation, CA, USA
  • 2009-16: the seabird years (see above)
  • 2008: Forest birds, bats & frogs, Borneo; Song birds and rainforest, Cairns, Australia; sea turtles Malaysia
  • 2007: Coral Reef & turtles, Heron Island, GBR, Australia
  • 2005: Lobster fishery and Black grouper spawning, Bermuda
  • 2004: Goat eradication and ocean debris clean-up, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
  • 2004: Frog populations & cloud forest & beaches, Costa Rica; Sea turtle nest protection (flood/poaching), Guatemala & Costa Rica
  • 2003: Shark fin and holothurian fisheries, sea turtle nest poaching, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
  • 2002: ECOCEAN Whale Shark population ID & monitoring; Manta ray Ningaloo Reef, Australia
  • 2001: Sea turtles (Loggerhead, Green, Hawksbill) - protect nests from foxes, advocated and ran campaigns to protect nesting beaches from development; Dugong & seagrass protection; Reef monitoring and assessment, Ningaloo Reef, Australia
  • 1998-2000: Coral Reef monitoring, assessment, advocacy & campaigning in Honduras, Mexico, Thailand, Malaysia.