Jennifer L. Maresh

JenMareshDr. Jennifer L. Maresh
Postdoctoral Researcher
maresh@biology.ucsc.edu

Ph.D. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Santa Cruz, 2014

M.E.M. Coastal Environmental Management
Duke University, 2005

B.S. Biology/Ecology
West Chester University, 2003

 

I am interested in gaining insight into how marine mammals do what they do by comparing them to their terrestrial cousins. I am curious as to whether marine mammals, as homeothermic creatures, ‘spend more’ energetically as a result of an aquatic lifestyle. Broadly, I am interested in the intersection of physiology and ecology for marine mammals and, ultimately, placing it all in an evolutionary context. Past projects include a study on the locomotor strategies and maneuverability of foraging dolphins, as well as an investigation of the circumstances surrounding entanglement of right whales in commercial fishing gear. For my PhD work, I studied the bioenergetics of foraging and migration in northern elephant seals, with an emphasis on understanding the resilience of marine mammals to anthropogenic disturbances in their environment.

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