Dr Will Rayment, Our staff, Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, New Zealand

Contact

Office 310 Castle Street, room 211a
Tel +64 3 479 8304
Email will.rayment@otago.ac.nz

Academic qualifications

BA Oxford
MSc University College London
PhD University of Otago

Research interests

Ecology and conservation biology of cetaceans
Capture-recapture methods and analyses
Species-habitat relationships
Efficacy of Marine Protected Areas and MPA networks

Will is also a member of the Coastal People: Southern Skies collaboration that connects communities with world-leading, cross-discipline research to rebuild coastal ecosystems.
Coastal People: Southern Skies

He Kitenga: Auckland Islands: Baleen barometers outlines recent work combining aerial photography and computer software to measure the condition of southern right whales.

Teaching

ECOL 111 Ecology and Conservation of Diversity
MARI 112 Marine Biology: The Living Ocean
MARI 302 Biology and Behaviour of Marine Vertebrates – course co-ordinator
MARI 401 Advanced Methods in Marine Science
MARI 429 Coastal Marine Environment – course co-ordinator
MARI 431 Antarctic and Southern Ocean Science
ZOOL 418 Conservation Biology of Marine Mammals

Postgraduate students

Steph Bennington PhD: Transferring statistical models between populations and species
Namrata Chand, PhD: Ecosystem Functioning and Role of Soft Sediment Macroalgal Communities
Leah Crowe, PhD: Variability and vulnerability of the critically endangered Fiordland bottlenose dolphin
Nicholas Daudt, PhD: Spatiotemporal patterns and environmental drivers of seabird assemblages in Australasia, a world hotspot of seabird diversity
David Johnston PhD: Sentinels of the Southern Ocean: southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) as indicators of oceanic productivity
Gaby Keeler-May, PhD: Undaria pinnatifida management and control in Southern New Zealand
Stella Simpson, MSc: Investigating the effects of oceanic conditions on sperm whales and their prey at Kaikōura
Moss Thompson, MSc: Pup survival of the New Zealand sea lion on the Otago Coast
José Emilio Trujillo Moyano, PhD: Insights into neonate reef sharks' vulnerability to predation: a behavioural, physiological and ecological approach
Lindsay Wickman, PhD: Population modelling of Hector’s dolphins at Banks Peninsula, NZ.
Hannah Williams, MSc: Abundance and distribution of Hector's dolphins in Otago and effectiveness of current protection measures

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Publications

Bennington, S., Guerra, M., Johnston, D., Currey, R., Brough, T., Corne, C., … Slooten, E., Dawson, S., & Rayment, W. (2022). Decadal stability in the distribution of bottlenose dolphins in Dusky Sound/Tamatea, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2022.2038214

Mouton, T., Stephenson, F., Torres, L. G., Rayment, W., Brough, T., McLean, M., … Leprieur, F. (2022). Spatial mismatch in diversity facets reveals contrasting protection for New Zealand's cetacean biodiversity. Biological Conservation, 109484. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109484

Somerford, T. R., Dawson, S. M., Slooten, E., Guerra, M., Childerhouse, S. J., Richter, C. F., van der Linde, M. L., & Rayment, W. J. (2021). Long-term decline in abundance of male sperm whales visiting Kaikōura, New Zealand. Marine Mammal Science. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/mms.12886

Guerra, M., Dawson, S. M., Somerford, T. R., Slooten, E., & Rayment, W. J. (2021). Fine-scale habitat use of foraging sperm whales is driven by seafloor topography and water column structure. Marine Mammal Science. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/mms.12881

Lewis, R., Dawson, S., & Rayment, W. (2021). Size structure of broadnose sevengill sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus) in Sawdust Bay, Rakiura/Stewart Island, estimated using underwater stereo-photogrammetry. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2021.1968010

Thomson, P. G., Cannell, B. L., Ghadouani, A., Fraser, M. W., & Rayment, W. J. (2019). Monitoring ocean and estuary health. In E. J. Techera & G. Winter (Eds.), Marine extremes: Ocean safety, marine health and the blue economy. (pp. 87-105). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Chapter in Book - Research

Tregenza, N., Dawson, S., Rayment, W., & Verfuss, U. (2016). Listening to echolocation clicks with PODs. In W. W. L. Au & M. O. Lammers (Eds.), Listening in the ocean: New discoveries and insights on marine life from autonomous passive acoustic recorders. (pp. 163-206). New York: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3176-7_7

Chapter in Book - Research

Journal - Research Article

Bennington, S., Rayment, W., Currey, R., Oldridge, L., Henderson, S., Guerra, M., … Johnston, D., … Slooten, L., & Dawson, S. (2021). Long-term stability in core habitat of an endangered population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Implications for spatial management. Aquatic Conservation, 31, 665-676. doi: 10.1002/aqc.3460

Journal - Research Article

Dickson, T., Rayment, W., Guerra, M., & Dawson, S. (2021). Multi-decadal observations of the size structure of sperm whales at Kaikōura, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2021.1960570

Journal - Research Article

Bennington, S., Rayment, W., & Dawson, S. (2020). Putting prey into the picture: Improvements to species distribution models for bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 653, 191-204. doi: 10.3354/meps13492

Journal - Research Article

Brough, T., Rayment, W., Slooten, E., & Dawson, S. (2020). Spatiotemporal distribution of foraging in a marine predator: Behavioural drivers of hotspot formation. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 635, 187-202. doi: 10.3354/meps13198

Journal - Research Article

Christiansen, F., Dawson, S. M., Durban, J. W., Fearnbach, H., Miller, C. A., Bejder, L., … Rayment, W., Leunissen, E., … Moore, M. J. (2020). Population comparison of right whale body condition reveals poor state of the North Atlantic right whale. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 640, 1-16. doi: 10.3354/meps13299

Journal - Research Article

Guerra, M., Dawson, S., Sabadel, A., Slooten, E., Somerford, T., Williams, R., Wing, L., & Rayment, W. (2020). Changes in habitat use by a deep-diving predator in response to a coastal earthquake. Deep Sea Research Part I, 158, 103226. doi: 10.1016/j.dsr.2020.103226

Journal - Research Article

Guerra, M., Wing, L., Dawson, S., & Rayment, W. (2020). Stable isotope analyses reveal seasonal and inter-individual variation in the foraging ecology of sperm whales. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 638, 207-219. doi: 10.3354/meps13255

Journal - Research Article

Lewis, R., Dawson, S., & Rayment, W. (2020). Estimating population parameters of broadnose sevengill sharks (Notorynchus cepedianus) using photo-ID capture-recapture. Journal of Fish Biology, 97, 987-995. doi: 10.1111/jfb.14453

Journal - Research Article

Brough, T., Rayment, W., & Dawson, S. (2019). Using a recreational grade echosounder to quantify the potential prey field of coastal predators. PLoS ONE, 14(5), e0217013. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217013

Journal - Research Article

Brough, T., Rayment, W., Slooten, E., & Dawson, S. (2019). Fine scale distribution for a population of New Zealand's only endemic dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) shows long-term stability of coastal hotspots. Marine Mammal Science, 35(1), 140-163. doi: 10.1111/mms.12528

Journal - Research Article

Housiaux, J. A., Hepburn, C. D., & Rayment, W. J. (2019). Seasonal variation in occurrence of the sevengill shark, Notorynchus cepedianus, in two inshore habitats of southern New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 46(1), 48-60. doi: 10.1080/03014223.2018.1482930

Journal - Research Article

Leunissen, E. M., Rayment, W. J., & Dawson, S. M. (2019). Impact of pile-driving on Hector's dolphin in Lyttelton Harbour, New Zealand. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 142, 31-42. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.017

Journal - Research Article

Webster, T. A., Van Parijs, S. M., Rayment, W. J., & Dawson, S. M. (2019). Temporal variation in the vocal behaviour of southern right whales in the Auckland Islands, New Zealand. Royal Society Open Science, 6, 181487. doi: 10.1098/rsos.181487

Journal - Research Article

Davidson, A. R., Rayment, W., Dawson, S. M., Webster, T., & Slooten, E. (2018). Estimated calving interval for the New Zealand southern right whale (Eubalaena australis). New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 52(3), 372-383. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2017.1397034

Journal - Research Article

Donnelly, D. M., Ensor, P., Gill, P., Clarke, R. H., Evans, K., Double, M. C., Webster, T., Rayment, W., & Schmitt, N. T. (2018). New diagnostic descriptions and distribution information for Shepherd's beaked whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi) off Southern Australia and New Zealand. Marine Mammal Science, 34(3), 829-840. doi: 10.1111/mms.12478

Journal - Research Article

Leunissen, E. M., Webster, T., & Rayment, W. (2018). Characteristics of vocalisations recorded from free-ranging Shepherd's beaked whales, Tasmacetus shepherdi. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 144(5), 2701-2708. doi: 10.1121/1.5067380

Journal - Research Article

Rayment, W., Webster, T., Brough, T., Jowett, T., & Dawson, S. (2018). Seen or heard? A comparison of visual and acoustic autonomous monitoring methods for investigating temporal variation in occurrence of southern right whales. Marine Biology, 165, 12. doi: 10.1007/s00227-017-3264-0

Journal - Research Article

Guerra, M., Hickmott, L., van der Hoop, J., Rayment, W., Leunissen, E., Slooten, E., & Moore, M. (2017). Diverse foraging strategies by a marine top predator: Sperm whales exploit pelagic and demersal habitats in the Kaikōura submarine canyon. Deep Sea Research Part I, 128, 98-108. doi: 10.1016/j.dsr.2017.08.012

Journal - Research Article

Johnston, D. R., Rayment, W., Slooten, E., & Dawson, S. M. (2017). A time-based method for defining associations using photo-identification. Behaviour, 154(9-10), 1029-1050. doi: 10.1163/1568539X-00003455

Journal - Research Article

Torres, L. G., Rayment, W., Olavarría, C., Thompson, D. R., Graham, B., Baker, C. S., … Carroll, E. L. (2017). Demography and ecology of southern right whales Eubalaena australis wintering at sub-Antarctic Campbell Island, New Zealand. Polar Biology, 40(1), 95-106. doi: 10.1007/s00300-016-1926-x

Journal - Research Article

Dittmann, S., Dawson, S., Rayment, W., Webster, T., & Slooten, E. (2016). Hector's dolphin movement patterns in response to height and direction of ocean swell. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 50(2), 228-239. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2015.1119165

Journal - Research Article

O'Connell-Milne, S. A., Poulin, R., Savage, C., & Rayment, W. (2016). Reduced growth, body condition and foot length of the bivalve Austrovenus stutchburyi in response to parasite infection. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 474, 23-28. doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2015.09.012

Journal - Research Article

O'Connell-Milne, S., Savage, C., & Rayment, W. (2016). The influence of commercial harvesting on parasite infection in the bivalve Austrovenus stutchburyi. Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, 73, 982-989. doi: 10.1139/cjfas-2015-0401

Journal - Research Article

Twist, B. A., Hepburn, C. D., & Rayment, W. J. (2016). Distribution of the New Zealand scallop (Pecten novaezealandiae) within and surrounding a customary fisheries area. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 73(2), 384-393. doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsv228

Journal - Research Article

Twist, B. A., Rayment, W. J., & Hepburn, C. D. (2016). Movement patterns of adult scallops (Pecten novaezealandiae) within a customary fisheries reserve: Implications for fine scale spatial management. Fisheries Research, 174, 160-166. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2015.09.020

Journal - Research Article

Webster, T. A., Dawson, S. M., Rayment, W. J., Parks, S. E., & Van Parijs, S. M. (2016). Quantitative analysis of the acoustic repertoire of southern right whales in New Zealand. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 140(1), 322-333. doi: 10.1121/1.4955066

Journal - Research Article

Rayment, W., Dawson, S., & Webster, T. (2015). Breeding status affects fine-scale habitat selection of southern right whales on their wintering grounds. Journal of Biogeography, 42(3), 463-474. doi: 10.1111/jbi.12443

Journal - Research Article

Urian, K., Gorgone, A., Read, A., Balmer, B., Wells, R. S., Berggren, P., … Rayment, W., & Hammond, P. S. (2015). Recommendations for photo-identification methods used in capture-recapture models with cetaceans. Marine Mammal Science, 31(1), 298-321. doi: 10.1111/mms.12141

Journal - Research Article

Carroll, E. L., Rayment, W. J., Alexander, A. M., Baker, C. S., Patenaude, N. J., Steel, D., … Childerhouse, S. (2014). Reestablishment of former wintering grounds by New Zealand southern right whales. Marine Mammal Science, 30(1), 206-220. doi: 10.1111/mms.12031

Journal - Research Article

Guerra, M., Dawson, S. M., Brough, T. E., & Rayment, W. J. (2014). Effects of boats on the surface and acoustic behaviour of an endangered population of bottlenose dolphin. Endangered Species Research, 24(3), 221-236. doi: 10.3354/esr00598

Journal - Research Article

Henderson, S. D., Dawson, S. M., Rayment, W., & Currey, R. J. C. (2013). Are the 'resident' dolphins of Doubtful Sound becoming less resident? Endangered Species Research, 20(2), 99-107. doi: 10.3354/esr00484

Journal - Research Article

Turek, J., Slooten, E., Dawson, S., Rayment, W., & Turek, D. (2013). Distribution and abundance of Hector's dolphins off Otago, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 47(2), 181-191. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2013.771687

Journal - Research Article

Elliott, R. G., Dawson, S. M., & Rayment, W. J. (2012). Optimizing T-pod settings and testing range of detection for bottlenose dolphins in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 92(8), 1901-1907. doi: 10.1017/s002531541100035x

Journal - Research Article

Gormley, A. M., Slooten, E., Dawson, S., Barker, R. J., Rayment, W., du Fresne, S., & Bräger, S. (2012). First evidence that marine protected areas can work for marine mammals. Journal of Applied Ecology, 49(2), 474-480. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2012.02121.x

Journal - Research Article

Rayment, W., Davidson, A., Dawson, S., Slooten, E., & Webster, T. (2012). Distribution of southern right whales on the Auckland Islands calving grounds. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 46(3), 431-436. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2012.697072

Journal - Research Article

Rayment, W., Clement, D., Dawson, S., Slooten, E., & Secchi, E. (2011). Distribution of Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) off the West Coast, South Island, New Zealand, with implications for the management of bycatch. Marine Mammal Science, 27(2), 398-420. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00407.x

Journal - Research Article

Rayment, W., Dawson, S., Scali, S., & Slooten, L. (2011). Listening for a needle in a haystack: Passive acoustic detection of dolphins at very low densities. Endangered Species Research, 14, 149-156. doi: 10.3354/esr00356

Journal - Research Article

Poorbagher, H., Lamare, M. D., Barker, M. F., & Rayment, W. (2010). Relative importance of parental diet versus larval nutrition on development and phenotypic plasticity of Pseudechinus huttoni larvae (Echinodermata: Echinoidea). Marine Biology Research, 6(3), 302-314. doi: 10.1080/17451000903300877

Journal - Research Article

Rayment, W., Dawson, S., & Slooten, E. (2010). Seasonal changes in distribution of Hector's dolphin at Banks Peninsula, New Zealand: Implications for protected area design. Aquatic Conservation, 20(1), 106-116. doi: 10.1002/aqc.1049

Journal - Research Article

Rayment, W., Dawson, S., & Slooten, L. (2010). Use of T-PODS for acoustic monitoring of Cephalorhynchus dolphins: A case study with Hector's dolphins in a marine protected area. Endangered Species Research, 10(1), 333-339. doi: 10.3354/esr00189

Journal - Research Article

Rayment, W., & Webster, T. (2009). Observations of Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori) associating with inshore fishing trawlers at Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 43(4), 911-916. doi: 10.1080/00288330909510049

Journal - Research Article

Rayment, W., Dawson, S., & Slooten, L. (2009). Trialling an automated passive acoustic detector (T-POD) with Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 89(5), 1015-1022. doi: 10.1017/S0025315409003129

Journal - Research Article

Rayment, W., Dawson, S., Slooten, E., Bräger, S., Du Fresne, S., & Webster, T. (2009). Kernel density estimates of alongshore home range of Hector's dolphins at Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. Marine Mammal Science, 25(3), 537-556. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2008.00271.x

Journal - Research Article

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