My relationship with the ACS Lab began as a Directed Studies student using wildlife camera images to identify individual wolves of the Pacific Rim area and quantify measures of association. Inspired by working as a research assistant for the North Coast Cetacean Society in Gitga’at Territory I completed an Honours thesis with co-supervision from Dr. Chris Bone of the SURREAL Lab and Chris D where I investigated spatial patterns of distinct whale behaviours. As an NSERC undergraduate student I further examined how ship-strike risk varied with whale behaviour type. I have also worked as a field technician on the Raincoast Bear Monitoring Project in Nuxalk Territory.
Drawing from these experiences and more, I am interested in using spatial statistical modeling to inform conservation management strategies and policy. Currently my work as an MSc student includes research on cetacean vulnerability and behavioral responses to vessel traffic as part of the Ships Whales and Acoustics in Gitga’at Territory (SWAG) project. I am grateful for support from the Raincoast Conservation Foundation, WWF-Canada, UVic Department of Geography, and NSERC via CGS-M Fellowship.
