CURRICULUM VITAE
|
ACADEMIA
Adjunct Research Associate, Dalhousie University, NS (present)
W. Garfield Weston Postdoctoral Fellowship, Acadia University, NS (present)
PhD (Biology) Dalhousie University, NS (Winter 2012-Spring 2016)
BSc (Honour’s, Biology) University of Guelph, ON (Fall 2005-Winter 2009)
James Cook University 6-month Exchange, Australia (Winter 2008)
TEACHING
Instructor, Biologging in Ecology (MARI/BIOL4323) (Winter 2014, 2015, 2016)
· Developed and deliver a new fourth-year marine biology course touching on all aspects of biologging science (using animal-attached electronics to study free-ranging animals) including the history and future of tagging technologies, study design, bias, ethics and data analysis
· Continuously direct all course content and exercises back to the overarching intention of the course: gaining universally-applicable practical skills in science (i.e. developing novel ideas, proposal writing and public speaking)
· Select and supervise one Teaching Assistant
Instructor, Ornithology (BIOL3622) (Spring 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
· Deliver a well-established spring field course over an intensive 2-week duration
· Spend 8 days ‘in the field’ at a remote research station camping with 15 students, taking advantage of every opportunity to teach bird identification skills (ID by both sight and sound), including dawn chorus surveys on foot in coastal, forest and bog habitats, river surveys by canoe, chimney swift roost counts at dusk, owling under darkness, and everything in between
· Guide students in designing and implementing field projects
· Select and supervise two Teaching Assistants
· In 2020, successfully adapted the course for online delivery, catering each student's learning experience to focus on their local bird species
Undergraduate Honour’s Student Advisor (Spring 2012-2013)
· In collaboration with my graduate advisor, supervised an honour’s student working with a sub-set of my PhD data
· Provided feedback on proposal and report writing, encouraged time management
· Guided methodological approaches and remained available for advice at all times
Demonstrator, Marine Life of Nova Scotia (BIOL2605) (Summer 2012, 2013 & 2014)
· Assisted in delivering introductory course on the scientific method and practical field skills to second-year undergraduate non-science majors
· Logistical planning and facilitation of four-day field trip to a research station
Demonstrator, Field Methods in Animal Behaviour (BIOL3630) (Spring 2012 & 2013)
· Guided students in designing and implementing field projects
· Graded all daily assignments and assisted on single-day field trips
Demonstrator, Ornithology (BIOL3622) (Spring 2012 & 2013)
· Logistical planning and facilitation of eight-day field trip to a research station
· Guided students in designing and implementing field projects
· Assisted in teaching students to identify birds by sight and sound
Demonstrator, GIS in Ecology (BIOL3633) (Summer 2012)
· Logistical planning and facilitation of five-day field trip to a research station
· Provided guidance on the ecological component of field projects
Teaching Assistant, Communities & Ecosystems (BIOL3061) (Fall 2012 & 2013)
· Graded three major assignments, delivering feedback following each to ensure students had the best chance of improving performance on subsequent submission
· Provided recommendations to the instructor for future modifications of exercises to better suit students’ needs
· Presented an invited guest lecture each year
Teaching Assistant, Behavioural Ecology (BIOL3062) (Winter 2012)
· Instructed a bi-weekly tutorial, facilitated discussions and exercises
· Graded long-form essays for the major course deliverable
· Presented an invited guest lecture
EXPEDITION GUIDING
Ornithologist, Naturalist & Expedition Guide (2012-present)
· Working as an ‘Adventure Specialist’ with Adventure Canada, Fathom Expeditions, Heritage Expeditions, Eagle Eye Tours, Quark Expeditions, travel for periods of 10-60 days aboard small expedition vessels (50-200 passenger capacity) to remote destinations including the Northwest Passage of the Canadian Arctic, Baffin Island, Greenland, Labrador, Newfoundland, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula, the Russian Far East, the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands, the Ross Sea, and the remote islands of the South Atlantic including Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena and Ascension Island
· Responsibilities include both interpretation (provide running commentary on natural history, primarily on birds, during shore landings and on-deck; present lectures on-board; maintain species sightings lists) and expedition duties (drive zodiacs; scout landings; lead hikes, carry firearms and perimeter watch for bear safety during shore excursions; carry first aid kit)
CONSULTING
Independent contractor, World Wildlife Fund Canada (2016)
· Developed species accounts for 76 seabird species that occur in Canada’s three Oceans for inclusion in an electronic multi-taxa identification tool (an application for cell phones or tablets) intended for use in identifying and reporting of wildlife interactions and unintentional capture in fisheries operations
· Each account includes a physical description of the species in all plumages (by season, sex and age), digital photographs portraying physical traits, relevant linear measurements, range and habitat description, current COSEWIC status, and suspected or known interactions with specific fisheries
· Created a key using a combination of seabird traits to narrow down identification options
Independent contractor, Avian Surveys for Natural Resource Development (ongoing)
· Conduct on-site pre-construction and post-construction avian surveys for avian community composition, breeding activity, and mortality
· Familiarity with standardized surveying techniques and comprehensive report writing
Independent contractor, Environment Canada (2013 - present)
· Authored species accounts for 31 non-breeding seabird and shorebird species for Environment Canada’s Status of Birds in Canada website
· Each account includes an assessment of current population status based on all available monitoring data, the reliability of population status, changes in population status over the past 40 years, and a summary of the species’ current designations, primary conservation and management concerns, and conservation strategies
· Conducted non-breeding season distribution and habitat modelling for Harlequin Duck and Purple Sandpiper from aerial survey data in Maritime Canada
FIELD RESEARCH
Iceland Bird Research (Spring 2019)
• Population monitoring of bird communities on Flatey and surrounding islands and islets of Breiðafjörður in West Iceland
• Burrow occupancy checks and banding of Atlantic puffins
• Capture and banding of Northern fulmar, Arctic tern, Red-necked and Red phalarope, Common ringed plover, Black-tailed godwit, Common redshank, Common eider adults and ducklings, and passerines
• Deployed GLS devices on Common Snipe
Sub-Antarctic Seabird & Marine Mammal Field Research Team (Winter 2011/2012)
· Deployed various tracking devices on Black-browed and Wandering Albatrosses in the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Archipelago with the French Polar Institute
· Monitored nest success and chick growth, captured, banded, deployed/retrieved tracking devices, blood and feather sampled
· Assisted with capture and handling of King Penguins and Antarctic Skuas, night mist-net capture of various petrel species, capture and device deployment/retrieval on Antarctic Fur and Elephant Seals
East Coast Seabird Colony Island Supervisor (Summer 2011)
• Monitored large breeding colony of Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Common and Arctic Terns, Black Guillemots and Common Eiders on Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge, Maine, with Project Puffin, National Audubon Society
• Trained and supervised a crew of 10 interns and volunteers living and working on a small, isolated island for 3 months
• Captured and banded adult and hatchling terns, puffins and guillemots, conducted diet studies and band reading for all species from blinds
• Deployed/retrieved GLS devices on puffins
• Maintained live-streaming Internet “puffin cam” equipment
• Performed predator control including gull egg and adult culling
Northwest Hawaiian Islands, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer (Winter 2010)
• Worked with US Fish & Wildlife Service on long-term biological monitoring
• Banding and monitoring survivorship and reproductive success of Laysan and Black-footed albatross and Red-tailed Tropicbirds, color-band resights for critically endangered translocated Laysan Duck, remote camera monitoring of nesting Short-tailed Albatross
• Habitat restoration (invasive plant removal and native species propagation and out-planting) and marine debris beach plot removal and monitoring
Northern Ontario Hilliardton Marsh Northern Saw-whet Owl Migration Monitoring (Fall 2010)
• Captured c. 150 migrating Northern Saw-whet Owls using mist-nets and play-back in New Liskeard, Ontario over 8 days
· Measured, aged and banded adult and hatch-year owls
Arctic Common Eider and Herring Gull Field Research Technician (Summer 2010)
• Monitored breeding colony of 3000+ Common Eiders and 80+ Herring Gulls on East Bay Island, Nunavut, with Environment Canada
• Conducted long hours of observations from blinds in order to identify banded individuals and determine eider and gull breeding success
• Captured and banded adults and juveniles of both species with metal and coloured alphanumeric bands, took choanal/cloacal swabs for Avian Influenza and Cholera, deployed GLS on adult gulls, bled ducklings and nasal-tagged eider hens
• Worked under isolated conditions on small (400x800m) island without electricity or running water and limited fresh food for 3 months
Eastern Ontario Gray Jay Field Research Technician (Winter 2010)
• Monitored 22 territories of Gray Jay pairs across Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario with the Univ. of Guelph and Algonquin Wildlife Research Station
• Mist-netted, bled, and banded adults and nestlings
• Nest-finding in spruce bog habitat in winter/spring conditions, full days of snowshoeing, canoeing, snowmobiling, and ATVing
Southern Ontario Tree Swallow Field Research Technician (Spring 2009)
• Monitored breeding population of Tree Swallows in Long Point, Ontario, with the University of Guelph and Long Point Bird Observatory
• Captured, measured, and banded approx. 200 adults and 400 nestlings
Southern Ontario Long Point Bird Observatory Migration Monitoring (Spring 2009)
• Volunteered during spring migration at one of the most productive songbird banding stations in North America
• Mist-net extraction, species identification, ageing and sexing of a wide variety of species, from warblers and woodpeckers to shorebirds and gulls
Northeast Australia Herpetological Field Assistant (Winter 2008)
• Researched Chytridiomycosis pathogen in Waterfall frogs and Green-eyed tree frogs in the Wet Tropics region of Queensland, Australia
· Captured, PIT-tagged and swabbed frogs for pathogens
· Physically demanding night hikes to and from research locations and challenging waterfall terrain capture sites
West Coast Marbled Murrelet Field Research Technician (Summer 2007 & 2008)
• At-sea capture of threatened adult and juvenile Marbled Murrelets in Desolation Sound, British Columbia with the University of Guelph
• Drove zodiac, captured, bled, banded and measured approx. 300 murrelets at night under challenging conditions
• Sampled and identified forage fish/plankton with beach-seine/plankton-tows
• Conducted evening at-sea transect surveys of adult fish-holding behaviour in order to determine nestling diet
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
Board Member, Harrison Lewis Coastal Discovery Centre (2015-2017)
· Sit on the Board of Directors for the Harrison Lewis Centre on the South Shore of Nova Scotia
· Our goal is to promote understanding and appreciation of rural and natural environments through public workshops and seminars, and through academic field courses and research collaborations
Vice President, Dalhousie University, Biology Organization of Graduate Students (2012/2013)
· Represented Dalhousie Biology graduate students on 3 university committees
· Prepared the “Graduate Student Survival Guide” for incoming students
· Website design and management
President, University of Guelph, Environmental Sciences Student Executive (2007)
· Chaired weekly executive meetings, organized social and educational events for students and faculty, sent bi-weekly program emails
PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC WRITING
Gutowsky, S.E., J.M Hipfner, M. Maftei, S. Boyd, M. Auger-Methe, D.J. Yurkowski, M.L. Mallory. 2019. First insights into Thayer’s Gull migratory and overwinter patterns along the Northeast Pacific coast. Marine Ornithology. 48: 9-16.
Gutowsky, S.E., Ronconi, R.A, Gutowsky, L.F.G., Elderkin, M., Paquet, J, Mills, P.M., Mallory, M.L. 2019. Winter habitat associations of Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritimus) and Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) in Atlantic Canada. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 222: 214-225.
Ronconi, R., Gutowsky, S.E., Mallory, M., Elderkin, M., Paquet, J. (in prep). Winter abundance, distribution, and spatial overlap of Harlequin Duck and Purple Sandpiper in Atlantic Canada.
Belonovich, O.A., Gutowsky, S.E. 2017. Opportunistic cetacean observations in Northwestern Pacific and Sea of Okhotsk in May-June 2017. Studies of aquatic biological resources of Kamchatka and north-west Pacific. 47: 91-102 (written in english, translated to Russian, published in Russian with english abstract, full english text available upon request)
Gutowsky, S.E. 2017. A Conceptual Framework For The Drivers Of Albatross Movement. Marine Ornithology. 45: 23-38.
Gutowsky, S.E., Leonard, M.L., Conners, M., Shaffer, S.A., and Jonsen, I.D. 2015. Individual-level variation and higher-level interpretations of space-use in wide-ranging species: An albatross case study of sampling effects. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2: 93.
Gutowsky, S.E., Gutowsky, L.F.G., Jonsen, I.D., Leonard, M.L., Naughton, M.B., Romano, M.D., and Shaffer, S.A. 2014. Daily activity budgets reveal a quasi-flightless stage during non-breeding in Hawaiian Albatrosses. Movement Ecology. 2: 23.
Gutowsky, S.E., Y. Tremblay, M.A. Kappes, E.N. Flint, J. Klavitter, L. Laniawe, B. Christenson, D.P. Costa, S. Shaffer. 2014. Divergent post-breeding distribution and habitat associations of fledgling and adult Black-footed Albatrosses in the North Pacific. Ibis. 156: 60-72.
Gutowsky, S.E., M.H. Janssen, D.R. Norris. 2010. The preformative molt of Marbled Murrelets. Northwestern Naturalist. 91: 333-336.
Gutowsky, S.E., M.H. Janssen, P. Arcese, T.K. Kyser, D. Ethier, M.B. Wunder, D.F. Bertram, L. McFarlane-Tranquilla, C. Lougheed, and D.R. Norris. 2009. Concurrent declines in nestling diet quality and reproductive success of a threatened seabird over 150 years. Endangered Species Research. 9: 247-254.
SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES & MEETINGS
Gutowsky, S.E., Conners, M., Jonsen, I.D., Leonard, M.L., Shaffer, S.A. Individual-level variation and higher-level interpretations of space use: An albatross case study of sampling effects. World Seabird Conference, Cape Town, South Africa. Poster presentation, October 2015. (download poster pdf here)
Gutowsky, S.E., Gutowsky, L.F.G., Jonsen, I.D., Leonard, M.L., and Shaffer, S.A. 2015. New approaches for investigating changing activity budgets at a daily time-step for seabirds. Pacific Seabird Group Meeting, San Jose, CA. Oral presentation (awarded runner-up for best PhD student talk), February 18-22, 2015.
Gutowsky, S.E., Gutowsky, L.F.G., Jonsen, I.D., Leonard, M.L., and Shaffer, S.A. 2014. Shifting activity budgets during the overwinter phase of non-breeding in two sister albatross species. American Ornithologists’ Union conference, Estes Park, CO. Oral presentation, September 23-28, 2014.
Gutowsky, S.E., Y. Tremblay, M.A. Kappes, E.N. Flint, J. Klavitter, L. Laniawe, B. Christenson, D.P. Costa, S. Shaffer. Ageism at sea? Divergent distributions of adult and fledging Black-footed Albatrosses. Dalhousie Patrick Lett Research Symposium, Halifax, NS. Oral presentation, April 2014.
Gutowsky, S.E., Kress, S., and Shannon, P. Censusing puffins in rock habitat – A new model from Seal Island NWR. Gulf of Maine Seabird Working Group Annual Meeting, Maine. Oral presentation, August 2011.
Gutowsky, S.E., Arcese, P., and Norris, D.R. Concurrent declines in nestling diet quality and reproductive success of a threatened seabird over 150 years. University of British Columbia Rising Stars of Research National undergraduate poster competition, Vancouver, BC. Poster presentation (awarded best poster), August 2009.
Gutowsky, S.E., Arcese, P., and Norris, D.R. Estimating historic productivity and nestling diet of Marbled Murrelets using age ratios and stable isotopes. Canadian Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team Annual Meeting, Victoria, BC. Oral presentation, February 2008.
INVITED LECTURES
Dalhousie Biology courses (Fall & Winter 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
• Deliver 1.5 hour presentations to undergraduate students on personal research with subject matter catered to touch on relevant course concepts to Behavioural Ecology (BIOL 3062) and Communities & Ecosystems (BIOL 3061)
Nova Scotia Bird Society (Spring 2014)
• Delivered 1 hour presentation on Sub-Antarctic seabird research experience
CERTIFICATIONS
Seabird Observer Training - Canadian Wildlife Service Eastern Canada Seabirds At Sea Survey Protocols for Pelagic Seabird Surveys from Moving Platforms (October 2015)
Crowd management, passenger safety and safety training for personnel providing direct services to passengers in passenger spaces (STCW 2010 Reg. V/2 Pa. 4&5 & Sect. A-V/2 Pa. 1&2) - FIsheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland (July 2015)
International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) - Expedition Guide Assessment for Peninsula & South Georgia (January 2015)
Wilderness Advanced First Aid Training (April 2010, recertified Nov 2014)
Pleasure Craft Operator’s License (April 2012)
Canadian Firearms Possession & Acquisition License (April 2012)
Canadian Firearms Safety Training (April 2010)
Adjunct Research Associate, Dalhousie University, NS (present)
W. Garfield Weston Postdoctoral Fellowship, Acadia University, NS (present)
PhD (Biology) Dalhousie University, NS (Winter 2012-Spring 2016)
BSc (Honour’s, Biology) University of Guelph, ON (Fall 2005-Winter 2009)
James Cook University 6-month Exchange, Australia (Winter 2008)
TEACHING
Instructor, Biologging in Ecology (MARI/BIOL4323) (Winter 2014, 2015, 2016)
· Developed and deliver a new fourth-year marine biology course touching on all aspects of biologging science (using animal-attached electronics to study free-ranging animals) including the history and future of tagging technologies, study design, bias, ethics and data analysis
· Continuously direct all course content and exercises back to the overarching intention of the course: gaining universally-applicable practical skills in science (i.e. developing novel ideas, proposal writing and public speaking)
· Select and supervise one Teaching Assistant
Instructor, Ornithology (BIOL3622) (Spring 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
· Deliver a well-established spring field course over an intensive 2-week duration
· Spend 8 days ‘in the field’ at a remote research station camping with 15 students, taking advantage of every opportunity to teach bird identification skills (ID by both sight and sound), including dawn chorus surveys on foot in coastal, forest and bog habitats, river surveys by canoe, chimney swift roost counts at dusk, owling under darkness, and everything in between
· Guide students in designing and implementing field projects
· Select and supervise two Teaching Assistants
· In 2020, successfully adapted the course for online delivery, catering each student's learning experience to focus on their local bird species
Undergraduate Honour’s Student Advisor (Spring 2012-2013)
· In collaboration with my graduate advisor, supervised an honour’s student working with a sub-set of my PhD data
· Provided feedback on proposal and report writing, encouraged time management
· Guided methodological approaches and remained available for advice at all times
Demonstrator, Marine Life of Nova Scotia (BIOL2605) (Summer 2012, 2013 & 2014)
· Assisted in delivering introductory course on the scientific method and practical field skills to second-year undergraduate non-science majors
· Logistical planning and facilitation of four-day field trip to a research station
Demonstrator, Field Methods in Animal Behaviour (BIOL3630) (Spring 2012 & 2013)
· Guided students in designing and implementing field projects
· Graded all daily assignments and assisted on single-day field trips
Demonstrator, Ornithology (BIOL3622) (Spring 2012 & 2013)
· Logistical planning and facilitation of eight-day field trip to a research station
· Guided students in designing and implementing field projects
· Assisted in teaching students to identify birds by sight and sound
Demonstrator, GIS in Ecology (BIOL3633) (Summer 2012)
· Logistical planning and facilitation of five-day field trip to a research station
· Provided guidance on the ecological component of field projects
Teaching Assistant, Communities & Ecosystems (BIOL3061) (Fall 2012 & 2013)
· Graded three major assignments, delivering feedback following each to ensure students had the best chance of improving performance on subsequent submission
· Provided recommendations to the instructor for future modifications of exercises to better suit students’ needs
· Presented an invited guest lecture each year
Teaching Assistant, Behavioural Ecology (BIOL3062) (Winter 2012)
· Instructed a bi-weekly tutorial, facilitated discussions and exercises
· Graded long-form essays for the major course deliverable
· Presented an invited guest lecture
EXPEDITION GUIDING
Ornithologist, Naturalist & Expedition Guide (2012-present)
· Working as an ‘Adventure Specialist’ with Adventure Canada, Fathom Expeditions, Heritage Expeditions, Eagle Eye Tours, Quark Expeditions, travel for periods of 10-60 days aboard small expedition vessels (50-200 passenger capacity) to remote destinations including the Northwest Passage of the Canadian Arctic, Baffin Island, Greenland, Labrador, Newfoundland, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula, the Russian Far East, the New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands, the Ross Sea, and the remote islands of the South Atlantic including Gough Island, Tristan da Cunha, Saint Helena and Ascension Island
· Responsibilities include both interpretation (provide running commentary on natural history, primarily on birds, during shore landings and on-deck; present lectures on-board; maintain species sightings lists) and expedition duties (drive zodiacs; scout landings; lead hikes, carry firearms and perimeter watch for bear safety during shore excursions; carry first aid kit)
CONSULTING
Independent contractor, World Wildlife Fund Canada (2016)
· Developed species accounts for 76 seabird species that occur in Canada’s three Oceans for inclusion in an electronic multi-taxa identification tool (an application for cell phones or tablets) intended for use in identifying and reporting of wildlife interactions and unintentional capture in fisheries operations
· Each account includes a physical description of the species in all plumages (by season, sex and age), digital photographs portraying physical traits, relevant linear measurements, range and habitat description, current COSEWIC status, and suspected or known interactions with specific fisheries
· Created a key using a combination of seabird traits to narrow down identification options
Independent contractor, Avian Surveys for Natural Resource Development (ongoing)
· Conduct on-site pre-construction and post-construction avian surveys for avian community composition, breeding activity, and mortality
· Familiarity with standardized surveying techniques and comprehensive report writing
Independent contractor, Environment Canada (2013 - present)
· Authored species accounts for 31 non-breeding seabird and shorebird species for Environment Canada’s Status of Birds in Canada website
· Each account includes an assessment of current population status based on all available monitoring data, the reliability of population status, changes in population status over the past 40 years, and a summary of the species’ current designations, primary conservation and management concerns, and conservation strategies
· Conducted non-breeding season distribution and habitat modelling for Harlequin Duck and Purple Sandpiper from aerial survey data in Maritime Canada
FIELD RESEARCH
Iceland Bird Research (Spring 2019)
• Population monitoring of bird communities on Flatey and surrounding islands and islets of Breiðafjörður in West Iceland
• Burrow occupancy checks and banding of Atlantic puffins
• Capture and banding of Northern fulmar, Arctic tern, Red-necked and Red phalarope, Common ringed plover, Black-tailed godwit, Common redshank, Common eider adults and ducklings, and passerines
• Deployed GLS devices on Common Snipe
Sub-Antarctic Seabird & Marine Mammal Field Research Team (Winter 2011/2012)
· Deployed various tracking devices on Black-browed and Wandering Albatrosses in the sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Archipelago with the French Polar Institute
· Monitored nest success and chick growth, captured, banded, deployed/retrieved tracking devices, blood and feather sampled
· Assisted with capture and handling of King Penguins and Antarctic Skuas, night mist-net capture of various petrel species, capture and device deployment/retrieval on Antarctic Fur and Elephant Seals
East Coast Seabird Colony Island Supervisor (Summer 2011)
• Monitored large breeding colony of Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills, Common and Arctic Terns, Black Guillemots and Common Eiders on Seal Island National Wildlife Refuge, Maine, with Project Puffin, National Audubon Society
• Trained and supervised a crew of 10 interns and volunteers living and working on a small, isolated island for 3 months
• Captured and banded adult and hatchling terns, puffins and guillemots, conducted diet studies and band reading for all species from blinds
• Deployed/retrieved GLS devices on puffins
• Maintained live-streaming Internet “puffin cam” equipment
• Performed predator control including gull egg and adult culling
Northwest Hawaiian Islands, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer (Winter 2010)
• Worked with US Fish & Wildlife Service on long-term biological monitoring
• Banding and monitoring survivorship and reproductive success of Laysan and Black-footed albatross and Red-tailed Tropicbirds, color-band resights for critically endangered translocated Laysan Duck, remote camera monitoring of nesting Short-tailed Albatross
• Habitat restoration (invasive plant removal and native species propagation and out-planting) and marine debris beach plot removal and monitoring
Northern Ontario Hilliardton Marsh Northern Saw-whet Owl Migration Monitoring (Fall 2010)
• Captured c. 150 migrating Northern Saw-whet Owls using mist-nets and play-back in New Liskeard, Ontario over 8 days
· Measured, aged and banded adult and hatch-year owls
Arctic Common Eider and Herring Gull Field Research Technician (Summer 2010)
• Monitored breeding colony of 3000+ Common Eiders and 80+ Herring Gulls on East Bay Island, Nunavut, with Environment Canada
• Conducted long hours of observations from blinds in order to identify banded individuals and determine eider and gull breeding success
• Captured and banded adults and juveniles of both species with metal and coloured alphanumeric bands, took choanal/cloacal swabs for Avian Influenza and Cholera, deployed GLS on adult gulls, bled ducklings and nasal-tagged eider hens
• Worked under isolated conditions on small (400x800m) island without electricity or running water and limited fresh food for 3 months
Eastern Ontario Gray Jay Field Research Technician (Winter 2010)
• Monitored 22 territories of Gray Jay pairs across Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario with the Univ. of Guelph and Algonquin Wildlife Research Station
• Mist-netted, bled, and banded adults and nestlings
• Nest-finding in spruce bog habitat in winter/spring conditions, full days of snowshoeing, canoeing, snowmobiling, and ATVing
Southern Ontario Tree Swallow Field Research Technician (Spring 2009)
• Monitored breeding population of Tree Swallows in Long Point, Ontario, with the University of Guelph and Long Point Bird Observatory
• Captured, measured, and banded approx. 200 adults and 400 nestlings
Southern Ontario Long Point Bird Observatory Migration Monitoring (Spring 2009)
• Volunteered during spring migration at one of the most productive songbird banding stations in North America
• Mist-net extraction, species identification, ageing and sexing of a wide variety of species, from warblers and woodpeckers to shorebirds and gulls
Northeast Australia Herpetological Field Assistant (Winter 2008)
• Researched Chytridiomycosis pathogen in Waterfall frogs and Green-eyed tree frogs in the Wet Tropics region of Queensland, Australia
· Captured, PIT-tagged and swabbed frogs for pathogens
· Physically demanding night hikes to and from research locations and challenging waterfall terrain capture sites
West Coast Marbled Murrelet Field Research Technician (Summer 2007 & 2008)
• At-sea capture of threatened adult and juvenile Marbled Murrelets in Desolation Sound, British Columbia with the University of Guelph
• Drove zodiac, captured, bled, banded and measured approx. 300 murrelets at night under challenging conditions
• Sampled and identified forage fish/plankton with beach-seine/plankton-tows
• Conducted evening at-sea transect surveys of adult fish-holding behaviour in order to determine nestling diet
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
Board Member, Harrison Lewis Coastal Discovery Centre (2015-2017)
· Sit on the Board of Directors for the Harrison Lewis Centre on the South Shore of Nova Scotia
· Our goal is to promote understanding and appreciation of rural and natural environments through public workshops and seminars, and through academic field courses and research collaborations
Vice President, Dalhousie University, Biology Organization of Graduate Students (2012/2013)
· Represented Dalhousie Biology graduate students on 3 university committees
· Prepared the “Graduate Student Survival Guide” for incoming students
· Website design and management
President, University of Guelph, Environmental Sciences Student Executive (2007)
· Chaired weekly executive meetings, organized social and educational events for students and faculty, sent bi-weekly program emails
PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC WRITING
Gutowsky, S.E., J.M Hipfner, M. Maftei, S. Boyd, M. Auger-Methe, D.J. Yurkowski, M.L. Mallory. 2019. First insights into Thayer’s Gull migratory and overwinter patterns along the Northeast Pacific coast. Marine Ornithology. 48: 9-16.
Gutowsky, S.E., Ronconi, R.A, Gutowsky, L.F.G., Elderkin, M., Paquet, J, Mills, P.M., Mallory, M.L. 2019. Winter habitat associations of Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritimus) and Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) in Atlantic Canada. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 222: 214-225.
Ronconi, R., Gutowsky, S.E., Mallory, M., Elderkin, M., Paquet, J. (in prep). Winter abundance, distribution, and spatial overlap of Harlequin Duck and Purple Sandpiper in Atlantic Canada.
Belonovich, O.A., Gutowsky, S.E. 2017. Opportunistic cetacean observations in Northwestern Pacific and Sea of Okhotsk in May-June 2017. Studies of aquatic biological resources of Kamchatka and north-west Pacific. 47: 91-102 (written in english, translated to Russian, published in Russian with english abstract, full english text available upon request)
Gutowsky, S.E. 2017. A Conceptual Framework For The Drivers Of Albatross Movement. Marine Ornithology. 45: 23-38.
Gutowsky, S.E., Leonard, M.L., Conners, M., Shaffer, S.A., and Jonsen, I.D. 2015. Individual-level variation and higher-level interpretations of space-use in wide-ranging species: An albatross case study of sampling effects. Frontiers in Marine Science. 2: 93.
Gutowsky, S.E., Gutowsky, L.F.G., Jonsen, I.D., Leonard, M.L., Naughton, M.B., Romano, M.D., and Shaffer, S.A. 2014. Daily activity budgets reveal a quasi-flightless stage during non-breeding in Hawaiian Albatrosses. Movement Ecology. 2: 23.
Gutowsky, S.E., Y. Tremblay, M.A. Kappes, E.N. Flint, J. Klavitter, L. Laniawe, B. Christenson, D.P. Costa, S. Shaffer. 2014. Divergent post-breeding distribution and habitat associations of fledgling and adult Black-footed Albatrosses in the North Pacific. Ibis. 156: 60-72.
Gutowsky, S.E., M.H. Janssen, D.R. Norris. 2010. The preformative molt of Marbled Murrelets. Northwestern Naturalist. 91: 333-336.
Gutowsky, S.E., M.H. Janssen, P. Arcese, T.K. Kyser, D. Ethier, M.B. Wunder, D.F. Bertram, L. McFarlane-Tranquilla, C. Lougheed, and D.R. Norris. 2009. Concurrent declines in nestling diet quality and reproductive success of a threatened seabird over 150 years. Endangered Species Research. 9: 247-254.
SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCES & MEETINGS
Gutowsky, S.E., Conners, M., Jonsen, I.D., Leonard, M.L., Shaffer, S.A. Individual-level variation and higher-level interpretations of space use: An albatross case study of sampling effects. World Seabird Conference, Cape Town, South Africa. Poster presentation, October 2015. (download poster pdf here)
Gutowsky, S.E., Gutowsky, L.F.G., Jonsen, I.D., Leonard, M.L., and Shaffer, S.A. 2015. New approaches for investigating changing activity budgets at a daily time-step for seabirds. Pacific Seabird Group Meeting, San Jose, CA. Oral presentation (awarded runner-up for best PhD student talk), February 18-22, 2015.
Gutowsky, S.E., Gutowsky, L.F.G., Jonsen, I.D., Leonard, M.L., and Shaffer, S.A. 2014. Shifting activity budgets during the overwinter phase of non-breeding in two sister albatross species. American Ornithologists’ Union conference, Estes Park, CO. Oral presentation, September 23-28, 2014.
Gutowsky, S.E., Y. Tremblay, M.A. Kappes, E.N. Flint, J. Klavitter, L. Laniawe, B. Christenson, D.P. Costa, S. Shaffer. Ageism at sea? Divergent distributions of adult and fledging Black-footed Albatrosses. Dalhousie Patrick Lett Research Symposium, Halifax, NS. Oral presentation, April 2014.
Gutowsky, S.E., Kress, S., and Shannon, P. Censusing puffins in rock habitat – A new model from Seal Island NWR. Gulf of Maine Seabird Working Group Annual Meeting, Maine. Oral presentation, August 2011.
Gutowsky, S.E., Arcese, P., and Norris, D.R. Concurrent declines in nestling diet quality and reproductive success of a threatened seabird over 150 years. University of British Columbia Rising Stars of Research National undergraduate poster competition, Vancouver, BC. Poster presentation (awarded best poster), August 2009.
Gutowsky, S.E., Arcese, P., and Norris, D.R. Estimating historic productivity and nestling diet of Marbled Murrelets using age ratios and stable isotopes. Canadian Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team Annual Meeting, Victoria, BC. Oral presentation, February 2008.
INVITED LECTURES
Dalhousie Biology courses (Fall & Winter 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)
• Deliver 1.5 hour presentations to undergraduate students on personal research with subject matter catered to touch on relevant course concepts to Behavioural Ecology (BIOL 3062) and Communities & Ecosystems (BIOL 3061)
Nova Scotia Bird Society (Spring 2014)
• Delivered 1 hour presentation on Sub-Antarctic seabird research experience
CERTIFICATIONS
Seabird Observer Training - Canadian Wildlife Service Eastern Canada Seabirds At Sea Survey Protocols for Pelagic Seabird Surveys from Moving Platforms (October 2015)
Crowd management, passenger safety and safety training for personnel providing direct services to passengers in passenger spaces (STCW 2010 Reg. V/2 Pa. 4&5 & Sect. A-V/2 Pa. 1&2) - FIsheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland (July 2015)
International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) - Expedition Guide Assessment for Peninsula & South Georgia (January 2015)
Wilderness Advanced First Aid Training (April 2010, recertified Nov 2014)
Pleasure Craft Operator’s License (April 2012)
Canadian Firearms Possession & Acquisition License (April 2012)
Canadian Firearms Safety Training (April 2010)
