Biological Research

Our lab examines the role of marine mammals in their environment and their interactions with humans. Broadly speaking, one can divide our research into questions related to the impact of harbor seals in their environment, including describing their natural history, and questions pertaining to the potential impact of human activities on harbor seals.

seal blending in with sand

Harbor seal foraging ecology (part II)

Currently, we are attempting to answer the following questions:

  • What is the different impact in the community of male and female harbor seals? We are in the final stages of answering this question with former graduate student Jonathan Blubaugh in conjunction with Dr. Dietmar Schwarz, Western Washington University, and a colleague from Humboldt State University.
  • Can we determine the diet, sex, and identify of a predator from its scat? This long-term project is being conducted by former graduate student Nathaniel Guilford in conjunction with Dr. Dietmar Schwarz and Dr. Austen Thomas, Western alumnus and scientist from Smith-Root.
  • What is the foraging success of harbor seals? This question is being examined by graduate student Grace Freeman in Whatcom Creek, downtown Bellingham, Washington State, USA.
Seals on logs

Human activities and harbor seals

Currently, we are attempting to answer the following questions:

  • How are the numbers of harbor seals affected by human development, including noise? Data to answer this quesion are being collected by undergraduate student Kyra Bankhead in downtown Bellingham, Washington State, USA.
  • What is the potential impact of anti-predatory devices on the long-term foraging success of individual harbor seals? This question is being examined by graduate student Kathleen McKeegan and undergraduate student Kate Clayton.
seal eating a fish

Other Projects

Pinnipeds

  • Do river otters prey on invasive green crabs? This question is being examined by graduate student Bobbie Buzzell in collaboration with Adrianne Akmajian, a marine ecologist of the Makah Tribe.
  • What is the impact of pinnipeds on returning adult salmon during the winter? We plan to determine the diet of pinnipeds on the outer coast of Washington State through genetic analyses of scat. This question is being examined by graduate student Zoë Lewis. The project will be led by Adrianne Akmajian, a marine ecologist of the Makah Tribe, in collaboration with Dr. Dietmar Schwarz, Western Washington University.

Future Projects

Pinnipeds

  • What is the impact of harbor seals on steelhead? We plan to determine the diet and impact of individual harbor seals through genetic analyses of scat. The project will be conducted in collaboration with drs. Dietmar Schwarz and Austen Thomas.