Title: MSc Student

Contact Email: luke.stuntz@oregonstate.edu

Research Interests: Coastal ecology and conservation; carnivore behavior and predation; movement ecology

Biography: Since completing my undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies at New York University in 2020, I have worked in the field on research and management projects across a number of different ecological systems, as well as contributing to multiple projects exploring questions pertaining to global food systems sustainability. My work on salt marsh restoration in New England led me to develop a deep passion for coastal ecosystems, while my time spent studying the movement ecology of bobcats in the Hudson Highlands ignited an interest in carnivore behavior. Perhaps surprisingly, these two interests will merge to form the basis of my thesis research, which aims to assess the impacts of mainland carnivores (primarily river otters and raccoons) on populations of near-shore seabird nesting islands, with a particular focus on Leach's Storm Petrel colonies along the south coast of Oregon.