2015 Weddell Seal Project Team

The 2015 Erebus Bay Weddell Seal Population Study
Principal Investigators and Field Research Team:

		Dr. Jay Rotella, Lead Principal Investigator Jay is a Professor in the Ecology Department at Montana State University and member of the MSU Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program. His work focuses on animal population ecology, modeling and estimation of population parameters, and effects of abiotic and biotic factors on population dynamics. Jay's research includes both basic and applied topics that span from management of wild populations to life-history evolution. Jay received his PhD in Wildlife Biology, University of Idaho, 1990. More on Jay.
		Dr. Robert Garrott, Co-Principal Investigator Bob is a Professor in the Ecology Department at Montana State University and director of the MSU Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Program. His work focuses on the abiotic and biotic ecological processes that influence mammalian populations and communities, in both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and contributing to basic science as well as applied wildlife management and conservation through collaborations with state and federal natural resource agencies. Bob received his PhD in Wildlife Conservation, University of Minnesota, 1990. More on Bob.
		Dr. Donald Siniff, Co-Principal Investigator Don is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior at the University of Minnesota where his work has centered on the population dynamics of large mammals. Don's research has focused on the population characteristics of three species of Antarctic seals, concentrating on a long-term program on Weddell seals with shorter term studies on the crabeater and leopard seals of the Antarctic. He has also studied sea otters in Alaska and California since 1975. Don received his PhD from the University of Minnesota, 1967. More on Don.
		Terrill Paterson, Weddell seal research field team leader Terrill is a current Ph.D. student being advised by Jay Rotella and Robert Garrott and the project’s field crew leader.  This season is Terrill’s third season on the ice. He got his BS in Geology and BS in Mathematics from the University of Montana, his MS in Geosciences from the University of Texas, and his MS in Statistics from Montana State University.  Terrill is lucky to be married to Lindsay Hall, a middle-school science teacher at Sacajawea Middle School in Bozeman, Montana, and is the proud father of a four-month old boy, Aiden Fox Paterson.  He is also the proud father of three excellent dogs.
		Kaitlin Macdonald, Weddell seal research field team Kaitlin Macdonald s a current M.S. student being advised by Jay Rotella and Robert Garrott and the project’s co-leader with Terrill for the field crew. She has worked on Montana State University research projects since 2012 and joined the Weddell seal projection 2014 and is now in her 2nd year on the Weddell seal project. Kaitlin has also done field work with mountain ungulates and small mammals. She holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a B.S. in Economics from Montana State University.
		Eric Boyd, Weddell seal research field team Eric Boyd received his BS in Fish & Wildlife Management from Montana State University in 2014 and is returning for his second year with the team. He has been a field technician on projects involving Grizzly Bear hair snare work in the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem and as a Grizzly trapper in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for USGS.  Eric has also worked as a whitewater raft guide for many years. His backcountry experience is extensive and includes mountain travel and safety, first responder, and swift water rescue knowledge.
		Erika Nunlist, Weddell seal research field team Erika graduated in 2015 from Montana State University with a B.S. in Conservation Biology & Ecology and a Minor in GIS. She has worked as a wildlife technician on Sandhill cranes, Long-billed curlews, small mammals, mountain goats, and sage grouse and is exceptionally excited for her first year on ‘the ice’ researching Weddell seals.
		Mike Forzley, Weddell seal research field team Mike, a native of Great Falls, MT, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Management from Montana State in 2014. This is Mike’s first time on the ice, and he is excited to learn about the continent of Antarctica and the Weddell seal.  Previously, Mike has worked with long-toed salamanders, eastern massasauga rattlesnakes, Canada lynx, and snowshoe hares. When he is not in Antarctica, Mike enjoys several outdoor activities, but is primarily interested in fly fishing.
		Ross Hinderer, Weddell seal research field team This is Ross Hinderer's first season in Antarctica. Previously, Ross worked on a range of herpetological field studies throughout the western United States. Ross defended a master's degree in Ecology in June 2015, studying the movement habits and habitat selection of Chiricahua leopard frogs, a federally threatened species native to the southwestern United States. Ross is interested in the application of ecological concepts in relation to understudied species and the interaction of humans and wildlife in landscapes around the world.
		Mary Lynn Price, Weddell seal project video and digital specialist Mary Lynn has been working with the Weddell seal project since 2010 as a public outreach and informal science education video and multimedia producer.  Her digital production background includes short format videos for news and science organizations, educational institutions, film festivals, art galleries, and internet projects. She developed and maintains the Weddell Seal Science multimedia web portal, and produces short Weddell project videos for public outreach and informal science education. She has deployed to Antarctica 4 times to produce videos since 2008 when she first participated in an International Polar Year project producing short video portraits of woman working in Antarctica. Her recent work also includes 360 Virtual Reality production, and working with 4K stereoscopic 3D underwater footage for natural history cinematographers. More on Mary Lynn.