Lab of Sara Iverson

I co-teach a 3rd-4th year undergraduate class in Marine Mammalogy. The class examines the characteristics and special adaptations of marine mammals, their evolution, the roles of marine mammals in oceanic ecosystems and general principles of marine mammal population biology, with a special focus on conservation and management issues.

My work examines at-sea interactions among grey seals, and with their potential prey and competitors, within the Canada-wide Ocean Tracking Network. The study uses GPS and acoustic tags deployed on grey seals on Sable Island and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence to collect spatio-temporal data on species interactions. The work is multi-disciplinary and collaborative in natureThe data from this study will contribute toward the management of the Canadian grey seal population and discussion surrounding their impact on fish of commercial interest.

I co-teach an intensive 2.5-week summer class in “Field Methods in Marine Mammal Ecology” for the Dalhousie University SEASIDE program. This class focuses on the methods used for studying marine mammals in the wild in addition to learning their ecology, conservation and management. The class is designed to be hands-on, in addition to lecture-based, to provide students with experience in studying marine mammals in the field.

As a continuation of my doctoral thesis and interest in the reproductive ecology of pinnipeds, this research investigated dispersal of male grey seals during the breeding season in the UK. The work involved planning, co-ordinating and conducting multi-day field trips to live capture and handle adult seals from small boats and deploy satellite transmitters. During the same period, I continued my research on male grey seals on Sable Island and investigated the role of stress, and longitudinal changes, in reproductive behaviour and success. The work involved extended periods in the field to capture seals and collect blood samples for stress hormone analyses and behavioural data.