Contact Details
Email steve.dawson@otago.ac.nz
Academic Qualifications
MSc University of Auckland
PhD University of Canterbury
Research Interests
- Conservation biology of marine mammals, especially Hector's dolphin
- Incidental catch of marine mammals in fisheries
- Acoustic behaviour and communication in cetaceans
- Line-transect surveys for inshore cetaceans
- Photogrammetry
Research Projects
- Conservation biology and Ecology of Hector's dolphin
- Conservation biology of Fiordland Bottlenose dolphins
- Ecology and acoustic behaviour of sperm whales
- UAV photogrammetry as a tool for understanding cetacean ecology
Visit here for more information on the New Zealand Whale & Dolphin Trust
Postgraduate Students
Lindsay Wickman – Thesis Title (PhD): Population modelling of Hector's dolphins at Banks Peninsula, NZ.
Steph Bennington – Thesis Title (PhD): Investigating recovery of the endangered Hector's dolphin
Recent graduates
- David Johnston PhD (2023)
- Hannah Williams (MSc)
- Will Carome MSc (2022)
- Max Harvey MSc (2022)
- María Valdés Hernández PhD (2022)
- Toby Dickson MSc (Distinction: 2020)
- Dr Tom Brough PhD (2019)
- Dr Marta Guerra PhD (2019)
- Steph Bennington (Distinction: 2019)
- Rob Lewis (Distinction: 2019)
- Tamlyn Somerville MSc (Distinction: 2019)
- Lindsay Wickman MSc (Distinction: 2017)
- Eva Leunissen MSc (Distinction: 2017)
- David Johnston MSc (Distinction: 2017)
Awards
- Division of Sciences Outstanding Teacher award. University of Otago. December 2020.
- John Morton Medal (New Zealand Marine Sciences Society). Awarded for outstanding contribution to the advancement of marine conservation and sustainability in New Zealand. 2016 (Awarded jointly with Prof Elisabeth Slooten).
- University of Otago Award for Excellence in Teaching – 2012.
- Sir Charles Fleming Award (Royal Society of NZ) for outstanding contribution to conservation science. 2004. (Awarded jointly with Dr Elisabeth Slooten).