Marine Mammal Behavior
Ph.D., DalhousieUniversity, 1999

Galbraith Marine Science Laboratory
727-864-8388 (Office), 727-864-7964 (Fax)
gowanss@eckerd.edu

My primary research interest is the evolution of social organization in cetaceans in relation to foraging behavior, predation risk and ranging patterns. Additionally, I investigate the population structure and residency patterns of cetaceans as a correlate to social organization.

I am currently involved with two research projects, the Eckerd College Dolphin Project in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Blind Bay Cetacean Studies in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Courses offered:

Animal Behavior, Biodiversity (Zoology), Biological Oceanography, Introduction to Marine Science, Marine Mammalogy, Senior Seminar, and Field Studies of Marine Mammals – New Zealand

Selected Publications:

Coakes, A., S. Gowans, P. Simard, J. Girard, C. Vashro and R. Sears. 2005. Identities of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) off the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. Marine Mammal Science 21:323-326.

Simard, P., and S. Gowans 2004. Two calves in echelon: An example of alloparental association? Aquatic Mammals 30:330-334. PDF AVAILABLE

Hooker, S. K., H. Whitehead and S. Gowans. 2002. Ecosystem consideration in conservation planning: energy demand of foraging bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) in a marine protected area. Biological Conservation 104:51-58. PDF AVAILABLE

Hooker, S. K., H. Whitehead, S. Gowans and R. W. Baird. 2002. Fluctuations in distribution and patterns of individual range use of northern bottlenose whales. Marine Ecology Progress Series 225:287-297. PDF AVAILABLE

Gowans, S., and H. Whitehead. 2001. Photographic identification of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus): sources of heterogeneity. Marine Mammal Science 17:76-93.

Gowans, S., H. Whitehead and S. K. Hooker. 2001. Social organization in northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus): not driven by deep water foraging? Animal Behaviour 62:369-377. PDF AVAILABLE

Gowans, S., M. L. Dalebout, S. K. Hooker and H. Whitehead. 2000. Reliability of photographic and molecular techniques for sexing northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus). Canadian Journal of Zoology 78:1224-1229. PDF AVAILABLE

Gowans, S., H. Whitehead, J. K. Arch and S. K. Hooker. 2000. Population size and residency patterns of northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus) using the Gully, Nova Scotia. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 2:201-210. PDF AVAILABLE

Gowans, S., and L. Rendell. 1999. Head-butting in northern bottlenose whales (Hyperoodon ampullatus): A possible function for big heads. Marine Mammal Science 15:1342-1350.

Hooker, S. K., H. Whitehead and S. Gowans. 1999. Marine protected area design and the spatial and temporal distribution of cetaceans in a submarine canyon. Conservation Biology 13:592-602. PDF AVAILABLE