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Contact detailsSteve Dawson 2020 Image

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

Recent graduates

  • Steph Bennington PhD (2025)
  • Lindsay Wickman PhD (2024)
  • David Johnston PhD (2023)
  • Hannah Williams MSc (Distinction: 2022)
  • Will Carome MSc (Distinction: 2022)
  • Max Harvey MSc (Distinction: 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

  • Sir Peter Blake Leader Award (Science). Sir Peter Blake Trust. Awarded jointly with Professor Elisabeth Slooten. November 2025.
  • 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).

Publications

Bennington, S., Dillingham, P. W., Wickman, L., Webster, T., Brough, T., Slooten, E., Dawson, S. M., & Rayment, W. J. (2026). Multi-event modeling of Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) fecundity using four decades of monitoring: Implications for current management of bycatch. Conservation Science & Practice, 8(e70242). doi: 10.1111/csp2.70242 Journal - Research Article

Harvey, M., Dawson, S. M., & Rayment, W. J. (2026). Passive acoustic monitoring reveals new insights into the acoustic occurrence and foraging activity of Hector's dolphins in Porpoise Bay, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 60(1), e70027. doi: 10.1002/nzm2.70027 Journal - Research Article

Graïc, J.-M., Gerussi, T., Cozzi, B., Boys, R. M., Kot, B. C. W., Perrott, M. R., … Loch, C., White, S., Dawson, S., Rayment, W., … Fordyce, R. E., & Stockin, K. A. (2025). A contribution to the anatomy of two rare cetacean species: The hourglass dolphin (Cephalorhynchus cruciger) and the spectacled porpoise (Phocoena dioptrica). Anatomical Record. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/ar.70045 Journal - Research Article

Crowe, L. M., Schofield, M. R., Dawson, S. M., & Rayment, W. J. (2025). Growth dynamics of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus at the southern extreme of their range. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 763, 197-212. doi: 10.3354/meps14858 Journal - Research Article

Crowe, L. M., Corne, C., Dawson, S. M., Pine, M., Rayment, W. J., Schofield, M. R., & Stanley, J. A. (2025). If these walls could talk: Investigating bottlenose dolphin occupancy and range in Fiord ecosystems using passive acoustic monitoring and visual surveys. Aquatic Conservation, 35, e70084. doi: 10.1002/aqc.70084 Journal - Research Article

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