Lori Quakenbush
Are marine mammals in Arctic Alaska responding to warmer waters and less sea ice?
About the Speaker
Lori Quakenbush has been the Arctic Marine Mammal Program Leader for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks since 2001. She has studied marine mammals (and birds) in Alaska since 1983. Research projects include the use of satellite telemetry to study movements and habitat use of seals, walruses, bowhead, and beluga whales; tissue collections from the Alaska Native subsistence harvest to study population status and health of seals and walruses; and the use of environmental DNA collected from polar bear tracks in snow to identify individual bears. DNA methods are also being evaluated for identifying prey in the stomachs of seals and beluga whales (currently prey is identified from hard parts). Many projects include a Traditional Knowledge component to bring important indigenous knowledge and science together. These projects are conducted with Alaska Native hunters as partners in research. In addition to Alaska Native hunters, Lori is assisted by a team of four biologists, a technician, and a college intern that work for the program in Fairbanks. Lori has authored or co-authored more than 83 scientific papers on Alaska’s marine birds and mammals and tries to peer-review as many manuscripts as possible to support the publication of marine mammal research.