I have been a member of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) since 2007, when I attended my first Biennial Conference in Cape Town, South Africa. After earning my MSc (2004) and PhD (2010) from Université de La Rochelle in France, I completed postdoctoral fellowships at the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) in France and at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami—a city I have called home since 2012.
My research centers on the ecology, behavior, and conservation of marine mammals, though I have also studied sharks and sea turtles worldwide, particularly during my postdoctoral years. I am currently an Associate Professor of Biology at FIU, where I lead the Marine Mammal Ecology Laboratory. My work focuses on the spatial and trophic ecology of marine mammals, their ecological roles and importance within marine ecosystems, and the impacts of human activities on their populations.
Although I have been part of the Society for nearly two decades, my deeper involvement began when I co-chaired the 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, held in Palm Beach, Florida, in August 2022. Following that experience, I joined the SMM Board, serving as Secretary (2023–2024) and later as President-Elect (2024–2025).
As President, my goal is to increase the Society’s global impact and broaden our membership by fostering greater inclusivity. I am committed to raising our visibility so that we can more effectively fulfill our mission: advancing marine mammal science worldwide and strengthening its role in education and conservation management. Marine mammals and our marine mammal science community need our efforts now more than ever.
Christmas greetings to you all. I hope you are able to find time to immerse yourselves with friends and family and take pause before 2015 sweeps us up into another busy year. Two weeks ago we held the annual meeting of the SMM Board in San Francisco. The organising committee for the 21st Biennial Conference […]
Well here we go – my first blog in my new role as President of this very fine Society. Like all of us privileged enough to serve in the variety of roles that keep our Society vibrant, relevant, informative, influential and above all, attractive to be a part of, we do so in a voluntary […]
In a few hours (depending on the time zone), I pass the baton of President of the Society to the very capable hands of Nick Gales. I am sure his experience at the International Court of Justice has given him the gravitas required for the role! It has (mostly) been a very interesting and rewarding […]
The Society held its much awaited biennial conference on the theme of ‘Conservation of Marine Mammals: Science Making a Difference’ on the Otago University campus in Dunedin last week. The conference was a great success despite the unprecedented impact of multiple key threatening processes: the Global Financial Crisis, the Christchurch earthquakes, the US government shutdown […]
In a few weeks we will be gathered in Dunedin for our 20th Biennial Conference. This year’s theme is “Marine Mammal Conservation: Science Making a Difference“. Despite the triple challenges of the Global Financial Crisis, the devastating Christchurch Earthquake and the recent shut-down of the US public sector, the conference organizers have done an amazing […]