Room: 5-314
Speaker Name:
Michael Thompson
Affiliation:
Researcher for the Federal
Government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Program
Abstract:
The mission of the NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is to
conserve, protect, and enhance the biological diversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy of the sanctuary while facilitating compatible use. Cutting-edge research is critical to advance this mission and therefore the sanctuary supports an active research program that brings together multi-organizational and multi-disciplinary teams to better understand the status of sanctuary resources and to help guide the best possible conservation strategies. As a geographer by trade, one of three researchers, and a contributor to many of the collaborative projects at the NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary it is an integral part of the job to wear many hats, which you will see reflected in this
presentation. The talk is focused on field research out on the ocean to acquire actionable insights about the sanctuary’s charismatic wildlife and human users, highlighting innovative marine technologies, acoustic sensing and monitoring efforts, creative vessel speed management, as well as world-renowned bird- and whale-tagging initiatives. Part of the presentation will address how field data is used to influence policies and help manage the sanctuary.
Biography:
Michael Thompson is a Researcher for the Federal Government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Program.After graduating from Bridgewater State College with an Environmental Geography Degree in 2001, he worked as an Environmental Consultant conducting GIS mapping work forNOAA, USGS, EPA and the NAVY. Over the past nine years,Mike has been conducting innovative research to conserve and protect humpback whales and critically endangered right whales in the North Atlantic. Mike has over a dozen papers in high-impact journals, including the cover of Conservation Biology and Environmental Management. He is one of the recipients of the“NOAA Team of the Year” Award in 2007 for his work that shifted the shipping lanes into Boston for whale conservation. In 2009, his maps were added to the Smithsonian SantOcean Hall in Washington, DC. In 2013, he received the Nextgov Bold Award for driving innovation and technology in the Federal Government for WhaleAlert, a free App to help protect ship strike of Critically Endangered Right Whales.