Seabird Oceanography Lab

Since completing my undergraduate studies, I've worked various seasonal field technician jobs with waterbirds across the continent.  Some notable field experiences include research with waterfowl in Alaska and North Dakota, wading bird monitoring in the Everglades, a stint as a deckhand on a whale-watching boat in California, and ecological restoration work on Midway Atoll.  During the summer of 2017, I began working with National Audubon Society's Project Puffin in Maine and this work eventually led me to my current Master's research.  I'm investigating impacts of short-term, warm-water events on Atlantic puffin foraging behavior and diet in the Gulf of Maine through the use of GPS loggers, time-depth recorders, and fecal DNA analysis.  Hopefully this research will provide further insight into the ecology of this declining seabird in a rapidly-warming North Atlantic.