Current MSc Students

Alexandrea Otto

(2022-present) Population structure of harbor seals.

Co-advised with Dr. Dietmar Schwarz.

Alexandrea is determining the population structure of harbor seals in the Salish Sea based on DNA collected from scat and tissues.

Victoria Vinecke

(2022-present) Individual haplotyping of harbor seals from eDNA. .

Co-advised with Dr. Dietmar Schwarz.

Victoria is collecting eDNA from Whatcom Creek in Bellingham, WA, to document the occurrence of harbor seals, estimate sex ratios of the species, determine the haplotypes of individuals and link foraging success to genetically-determined individual identification.

Zoe Hosford

(2024-present) Impacts of Bigg’s killer whales on harbor seal distribution.

Co-advised with Dr. Dietmar Schwarz.

Zoe is determining the influence of the increased occurrence of transient killer whales in southern Puget Sound on the distribution of harbor seal haul outs and its potential impacts on consumption of salmon runs.

Dawson Little

(2024-present) Foraging ecology of river otters.

Co-advised with Dr. Dietmar Schwarz.

Dawson is examining the foraging ecology of river otters in the norhtwest corner of the Olympic Peninsula, WA, and the potential use of the species as biological control of non-native European green crabs.