PhD Students -- Kelly Stewart
DUML,
BRL 316
135 Duke Marine Lab Rd.
Beaufort, NC 28516
Phone: (252) 504 - 7621
Fax: (252) 504 - 7638
Education:
- Ph.D. Nicholas School of the Environment, Marine Sciences and Conservation Division, Duke University Marine Laboratory (2007)
- M.S. Florida Atlantic University (Marine Biology) (2001)
- B.Sc. Honors Marine Biology, University of Guelph (1994)
Research Interests:
- population dynamics in response to climate change and environmental factors
- biogeography (home range expansions and contractions)
- ecology of marine vertebrate species (sea turtles, marine mammals and seabirds)
- animal behavior
Bio:
My current work involves the study of global fishing effort metrics as part of a large collaborative research initiative here at the Duke Marine Lab (Center for Marine Conservation). For more information on this study, visit Project GloBAL.
My dissertation was entitled “Establishment and growth of a sea turtle rookery: the population biology of the leatherback in Florida.” The pdf of this document is freely available here.
For seven sea turtle nesting seasons, I did field work for my dissertation in collaboration with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida. Details of our field research including our nightly blog are available at www.floridaleatherbacks.com.
Publications:
Please email me for reprints of any of the following papers.
Stewart, K., C. Johnson, S.A. Eckert, D. Bagley, L.M. Ehrhart and N. Desjardin. In review. Spreading risk: nest site fidelity and nesting range of leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in Florida. Endangered Species Research.
Stewart, K., C. Johnson and M.H. Godfrey. 2007. The minimum size of leatherbacks at reproductive maturity, with a review of sizes for nesting females from the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean basins. Herpetological Journal17:123-128.
Stewart, K., and C. Johnson. 2006. Dermochelys coriacea - Leatherback sea turtle.
In: Biology and Conservation of Florida Turtles, edited by P.A. Meylan. Chelonian Research Monographs 3:144-157.
Eckert, S.A., D. Bagley, S. Kubis, L.M. Ehrhart, C. Johnson, K. Stewart, and D. DeFreese. 2006. Internesting and postnesting movements and foraging habitats of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriace) nesting in Florida.Chelonian Conservation and Biology 5(2):239-248.
Stewart, K.R., & J. Wyneken. 2004. Predation risk to loggerhead hatchlings at a high-density nesting beach in southeast Florida. Bulletin of Marine Science 74(2):325-335.
Rabon, D.R. Jr., S.A. Johnson, R. Boettcher, M. Dodd, M. Lyons, S. Murphy, S. Ramsey, S. Roff, & K. Stewart. 2003. Confirmed leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nests from North Carolina, with a summary of leatherback nesting activities north of Florida. Marine Turtle Newsletter 101: 4-8.