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Professor Liz Slooten

Email liz.slooten@otago.ac.nz

Phone 64-3-479-7980

Teaching

Research Interests

Hector Dolphin at sea

  • Marine mammals
  • Marine conservation
  • Reproductive biology
  • Population biology
  • Population viability analysis
  • Individual-based (agent-based) models
  • Risk analysis

Current Projects

  • Population biology of Hector's dolphins, sperm whales and right whales
  • Population viability analysis for Hector's and Maui dolphins
  • Assessment of the effectiveness of marine mammal protected areas
  • Work with students on impacts of fishing, tourism, mining and noise in the marine environment

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Publications

Fumagalli, M., Guerra, M., Brough, T., Carome, W., Constantine, R., Higham, J., Rayment, W., Slooten, E., … Dawson, S. (2021). Looking back to move forward: Lessons from three decades of research and management of cetacean tourism in New Zealand. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 624448. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.624448

Slooten, E., & Dawson, S. M. (2021). Delays in protecting a small endangered cetacean: Lessons learned for science and management. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 606547. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021.606547

Bennington, S., Rayment, W., Currey, R., Oldridge, L., Henderson, S., Guerra, M., … Johnston, D., … Slooten, L., & Dawson, S. (2020). Long-term stability in core habitat of an endangered population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Implications for spatial management. Aquatic Conservation. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/aqc.3460

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

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

Authored Book - Research

Slooten, L., & Dawson, S. (2013). Dolphins down under: Understanding the New Zealand dolphin. Dunedin, New Zealand: Otago University Press, 96p.

Dawson, S., & Slooten, E. (1996). Down-under Dolphins: The story of Hector's Dolphin. Christchurch, New Zealand: Canterbury University Press, 60p.

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Chapter in Book - Research

Shephard, K., Harraway, J., Lovelock, B., Skeaff, S., Slooten, L., Strack, M., & Jowett, T. (2012). Monitoring changes in the sustainability attributes of higher education students in a New Zealand university. In W. L. Filho (Ed.), Sustainable development at universities: New horizons. (pp. 117-126). Frankfurt, Germany: Peter Lang.

Slooten, L. (2008). Scientific whaling. In M. Lück (Ed.), The encyclopedia of tourism and recreation in marine environments. (pp. 413). Wallingford, UK: CABI.

Slooten, L. (2008). Entanglement. In M. Lück (Ed.), The encyclopedia of tourism and recreation in marine environments. (pp. 153-154). Wallingford, UK: CABI.

Slooten, L. (2008). Photo-identification (Photo-ID). In M. Lück (Ed.), The encyclopedia of tourism and recreation in marine environments. (pp. 361). Wallingford, UK: CABI.

Slooten, L. (2008). Gill netting. In M. Lück (Ed.), The encyclopedia of tourism and recreation in marine environments. (pp. 188-189). Wallingford, UK: CABI.

Slooten, L. (2008). International Whaling commission (IWC). In M. Lück (Ed.), The encyclopedia of tourism and recreation in marine environments. (pp. 245-247). Wallingford, UK: CABI.

Slooten, L. (2008). Commons. In M. Lück (Ed.), The encyclopedia of tourism and recreation in marine environments. (pp. 102-103). Wallingford, UK: CABI.

Slooten, L. (2008). Conservation. In M. Lück (Ed.), The encyclopedia of tourism and recreation in marine environments. (pp. 109-110). Wallingford, UK: CABI.

Slooten, L. (2008). New Zealand Whale and Dolphin (NZWDT). In M. Lück (Ed.), The encyclopedia of tourism and recreation in marine environments. (pp. 332). Wallingford, UK: CABI.

Pichler, F. B., Slooten, E., & Dawson, S. M. (2003). Hector's dolphins and fisheries in New Zealand: A species at risk. In N. J. Gales, M. A. Hindell & R. Kirkwood (Eds.), Marine mammals: Fisheries, tourism and management issues. (pp. 153-173). Collingwood, VIC: CSIRO.

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Journal - Research Article

Bennington, S., Rayment, W., Currey, R., Oldridge, L., Henderson, S., Guerra, M., … Johnston, D., … Slooten, L., & Dawson, S. (2020). Long-term stability in core habitat of an endangered population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Implications for spatial management. Aquatic Conservation. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1002/aqc.3460

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

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

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

de Jager, M., Hengeveld, G. M., Mooij, W. M., & Slooten, E. (2019). Modelling the spatial dynamics of Maui dolphins using individual-based models. Ecological Modelling, 402, 59-65. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.04.009

Fumagalli, M., Cesario, A., Costa, M., Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., Harraway, J., & Slooten, E. (2019). Population ecology and the management of whale watching operations on a data-deficient dolphin population. Ecology & Evolution, 9, 10442-10456. doi: 10.1002/ece3.5565

Fumagalli, M., Cesario, A., Costa, M., Harraway, J., Notarbartolo di Sciara, G., & Slooten, E. (2018). Behavioural responses of spinner dolphins to human interactions. Royal Society Open Science, 5, 172044. doi: 10.1098/rsos.172044

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

Steel, D., Anderson, M., Garrigue, C., Olavarría, C., Childerhouse, S., Clapham, P., … Dawson, S., … Slooten, L., … Baker, C. S. (2018). Migratory interchange of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) among breeding grounds of Oceania and connections to Antarctic feeding areas based on genotype matching. Polar Biology, 41(4), 653-662. doi: 10.1007/s00300-017-2226-9

Forney, K. A., Southall, B. L., Slooten, E., Dawson, S., Read, A. J., Baird, R. W., & Brownell, Jr, R. L. (2017). Nowhere to go: Noise impact assessments for marine mammal populations with high site fidelity. Endangered Species Research, 32, 391-413. doi: 10.3354/esr00820

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

Dawson, S. M., Fordyce, R. E., Ridgway, S. H., Brough, T. E., & Slooten, E. (2017). Observations of a New Zealand dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) breathing via its mouth. Marine Mammal Science, 33(1), 350-355. doi: 10.1111/mms.12349

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

Dittmann, S., & Slooten, E. (2016). Photogrammetry using in-field calibration: A non-invasive tool for predicting sex and life stages tested on Hector's dolphins in the wild. New Zealand Journal of Marine & Freshwater Research, 50(2), 259-276. doi: 10.1080/00288330.2016.1144624

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

Shephard, K., Harraway, J., Lovelock, B., Mirosa, M., Skeaff, S., Slooten, L., Strack, M., Furnari, M., Jowett, T., & Deaker, L. (2015). Seeking learning outcomes appropriate for 'education for sustainable development' and for higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 40(6), 855-866. doi: 10.1080/02602938.2015.1009871

Parsons, E. C. M., Baulch, S., Bechshoft, T., Bellazzi, G., Bouchet, P., Cosentino, A. M., … Slooten, E., … Sutherland, W. J. (2015). Key research questions of global importance for cetacean conservation. Endangered Species Research, 27(2), 113-118. doi: 10.3354/esr00655

Shephard, K., Harraway, J., Jowett, T., Lovelock, B., Skeaff, S., Slooten, L., Strack, M., & Furnari, M. (2015). Longitudinal analysis of the environmental attitudes of university students. Environmental Education Research, 21(6), 805-820. doi: 10.1080/13504622.2014.913126

Jowett, T., Harraway, J., Lovelock, B., Skeaff, S., Slooten, L., Strack, M., & Shephard, K. (2014). Multinomial-regression modeling of the environmental attitudes of higher education students based on the Revised New Ecological Paradigm Scale. Journal of Environmental Education, 45(1), 1-15. doi: 10.1080/00958964.2013.783777

Peel, D., Miller, B. S., Kelly, N., Dawson, S., Slooten, E., & Double, M. C. (2014). A simulation study of acoustic-assisted tracking of whales for mark-recapture surveys. PLoS ONE, 9(5), e95602. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095602

Shephard, K., Harraway, J., Lovelock, B., Skeaff, S., Slooten, L., Strack, M., Furnari, M., & Jowett, T. (2014). Is the environmental literacy of university students measurable? Environmental Education Research, 20(4), 476-495. doi: 10.1080/13504622.2013.816268

Slooten, E., Wang, J. Y., Dungan, S. Z., Forney, K. A., Hung, S. K., Jefferson, T. A., … Chen, C. A. (2013). Impacts of fisheries on the Critically Endangered humpback dolphin Sousa chinensis population in the eastern Taiwan Strait. Endangered Species Research, 22(2), 99-114. doi: 10.3354/esr00518

Slooten, E. (2013). Effectiveness of area-based management in reducing bycatch of the New Zealand dolphin. Endangered Species Research, 20(2), 121-130. doi: 10.3354/esr00483

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

Miller, E., Lalas, C., Dawson, S., Ratz, H., & Slooten, E. (2013). Hector's dolphin diet: The species, sizes and relative importance of prey eaten by Cephalorhynchus hectori, investigated using stomach content analysis. Marine Mammal Science, 29(4), 606-628. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2012.00594.x

Miller, B. S., Growcott, A., Slooten, E., & Dawson, S. M. (2013). Acoustically derived growth rates of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in Kaikoura, New Zealand. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 134(3), 2438-2445. doi: 10.1121/1.4816564

Dawson, S., Fletcher, D., & Slooten, E. (2013). Habitat use and conservation of an endangered dolphin. Endangered Species Research, 21, 45-54. doi: 10.3354/esr00508

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

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

Fletcher, D., Lebreton, J.-D., Marescot, L., Schaub, M., Gimenez, O., Dawson, S., & Slooten, E. (2012). Bias in estimation of adult survival and asymptotic population growth rate caused by undetected capture heterogeneity. Methods in Ecology & Evolution, 3, 206-216. doi: 10.1111/j.2041-210X.2011.00137.x

Slooten, E., & Davies, N. (2012). Hector's dolphin risk assessments: Old and new analyses show consistent results. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 42(1), 49-60. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2011.606820

Ross, P. S., Barlow, J., Jefferson, T. A., Hickie, B. E., Lee, T., MacFarquhar, C., … Slooten, E., … Yang, S. C. (2011). Ten guiding principles for the delineation of priority habitat for endangered small cetaceans. Marine Policy, 35(4), 483-488. doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2010.11.004

Growcott, A., Miller, B., Sirguey, P., Slooten, E., & Dawson, S. (2011). Measuring body length of male sperm whales from their clicks: The relationship between inter-pulse intervals and photogrammetrically measured lengths. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 130(1), 568-573. doi: 10.1121/1.3578455

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

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

Currey, R. J. C., Dawson, S. M., Schneider, K., Lusseau, D., Boisseau, O. J., Haase, P. A., & Slooten, E. (2011). Inferring causal factors for a declining population of bottlenose dolphins via temporal symmetry capture—recapture modeling. Marine Mammal Science, 27(3), 554-566. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2010.00417.x

Webster, T., Dawson, S., & Slooten, E. (2010). A simple laser photogrammetry technique for measuring Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori) in the field. Marine Mammal Science, 26(2), 296-308. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-7692.2009.00326.x

Ross, P. S., Dungan, S. Z., Hung, S. K., MacFarquhar, C., Perrin, W. F., Riehl, K. N., Slooten, E., … Reeves, R. R. (2010). Averting the baiji syndrome: Conserving habitat for critically endangered dolphins in Eastern Taiwan Strait. Aquatic Conservation, 20(6), 685-694. doi: 10.1002/aqc.1141

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