Dom has over 27 years experience studying the behavioural ecology, foraging, and population dynamics of marine predators. His primary research interests are to understand the ecological role of pinnipeds in coastal habitats and to define key parameters within multi-species environmental risk assessment frameworks. Following a PhD at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, Dom worked for SMRU in St. Andrews University, the University of Tasmania and the National Trust for Fiji, before leading a Steller sea lion foraging ecology research program at the University of British Columbia. Since 2009, Dom has undertaken a variety of North American based consultancy projects while working for SMRU Consulting North America, including noise impact assessment, environmental and acoustic-based monitoring programs and pinniped ecological research. His collaborative research has led to more than 33 journal publications in the field of marine mammal science. Recent project experience includes working with industry, NGOs, federal and local regulators (DFO, NOAA, CSLC) and a variety of academic institutions in Canada and the USA. He is currently the technical advisor to Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s ECHO program and actively involved in improving Population Consequences of Disturbance (PCOD) assessments. In his free time, Dom works as a Scientist in Residence for the Vancouver School Board.
- Marine mammal observer support for ECHO Program & Pacheedaht First Nation- The objective of this work is to better understand marine mammal presence and habitat use, with a focus on southern resident killer whales, at Swiftsure Bank and in Juan de Fuca Strait, through partnership with Pacheedaht First Nation. SMRU Consulting NA and Sea View Marine Sciences will together provide training, guidance and on-going support to Pacheedaht First Nation crew on marine mammal identification, field data collection and reporting.
- Development of an aggregate noise risk assessment for marine mammals and Atlantic offshore wind developments- BOEM funded 2 year project to assess relative risk of underwater noise to marine mammals from offshore wind farm construction and operations in the Atlantic. Work partners are Brandon Southall (SEA), Bill Ellison and Chris Clark (Marine Acoustics). The work builds on a cumulative risk assessment framework developed for oil and gas seismic activity in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Commercial vessel noise monitoring and mitigation assessments for the Port of Vancouver’s ECHO program, including the summer 2017 Haro Strait voluntary vessel slow down trial.
- Comparing the disturbance effects of large vessel noise and whale watch boat noise on Southern Resident Killer whale for Port of Vancouver’s ECHO program
- Environmental Effects Monitoring Program for FORCE at a tidal turbine demonstration site in the Bay of Fundy
- Population Consequence of Disturbance Expert Elicitation for Cook Inlet Beluga for NOAA and Arctic Walrus for US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Steller sea lion DNA diet study collaborating with NOAA and DFO and funded by NPRB
- Gulf of Mexico industry noise impact assessment analytical framework for seismic airguns, funded by industry (v1) and NOAA and BOEM (v2)
- Southern resident killer whale underwater noise exposure and acoustic masking study
- Ambient noise and baseline killer whale detections in core critical habitat of southern resident killer whales in Haro Strait
- Southern resident killer whale habitat use in the Salish sea
- 3D seismic survey marine mammal Environmental Impact Review on behalf of California State Land Commission
- Noise effects study at the Admiralty Inlet tidal site in Washington state on behalf of the US Department of Energy, collaborating with NNMREC and PNNL
- Noise impact assessment study on Caspian seals for an AGIP Oil and Gas facility expansion in the Caspian Sea
- Passive acoustic monitoring baseline study at the Minas Passage tidal site in Nova Scotia on behalf of FORCE and OERA, collaborating with the University of Acadia
- Marine mammal monitoring and killer whale risk assessment for Admiralty Inlet tidal site in Washington state on behalf of Snohomish PUD and HDR-DTA
- Passive Acoustic Monitoring study at the Admiralty Inlet tidal site in Washington state on behalf of Snohomish PUD, collaborating with University of Washington