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.
Greetings SMM members and global marine mammal community. I would like to bring attention to the change in leadership of our Committee of Scientific Advisors (CSA) that was announced in our recent newsletter. Dr. Doug Wartzok, after 11 excellent years as Chair of the CSA, is handing over the reins to Dr. Laura May-Collado. In […]
Two years ago, the members of the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) voted to establish a Fellows membership category. This “Fellow” designation is for members who are recognized by the Society and its membership as having “rendered conspicuous service or made truly notable contributions to the advancement and diffusion of the knowledge of marine mammal […]
2020 has been a testing year for all of us. It has also been hard for non-profits, such as the Society for Marine Mammalogy, as charitable donations have declined while the world navigates financial uncertainty. These donations fund some of our most vital functions like supporting student travel, small grants in aid of research, and […]
Dear Colleagues, We all agree that our marine mammal community, and science in general, benefits from increased diversity. We all agree that barriers to diversity and inclusiveness, where they exist, should be dismantled. In July 2020, the SMM received a petition requesting that the Society no longer post unpaid positions on our job board, as […]
The Society for Marine Mammalogy is pleased to announce a substantive change to its Small Grant in Aid of Research (SGIAR) program. Beginning with the 2021 funding cycle, applicants can request a portion of the award to be allocated as a stipend. Specifically, SGIAR guidelines now allow applicants to provide “a detailed one-year, itemized budget […]