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Sascha Hooker

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Sascha Hooker

Prof

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7518-3548

  • Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK

  • KY16 8LB

    United Kingdom

Personal profile

Research overview

I have broad interests in foraging and diving behaviour of marine mammals, and the physiological constraints underlying this.  I am keen to apply my work wherever possible toward conservation biology, and have worked on introduced pest species, the effect of anthropogenic sounds, contaminants, and the development of marine protected areas. 

Research interests

My research concerns specifically the foraging and diving behaviour of marine predators and more generally how this can inform conservation planning in the ocean.

Current Projects

Marine predator foraging ecology

Work on predator foraging often relies on inference from dive profiles. Using a miniature video camera attached to the animal we can view the foraging space of a diving animal and test previously used proxies for foraging behaviour. The identification of foraging areas and assessment of the stability of these over time and space enable us to investigate variability in foraging success and the criteria driving this (whether anthropogenically or environmentally induced).

 

Diving physiology

The mechanisms allowing marine mammals to avoid problems associated with diving to depth are still only partially understood. Recent deaths of beaked whales associated with sonar exposure appear to be due to decompression sickness. I am interested in how problems such as shallow-water blackout and decompression sickness are avoided, and use modelling approaches to determine risk based on dive profiles.

 

Conservation planning and marine protected areas

An ecosystem-approach is widely advocated in conservation planning but ecosystem modelling approaches, despite their sophistication, often suffer from a lack of source data or inherent uncertainties. An alternative is to use spatially explicit management. I am interested in the application of such marine reserve areas to higher predators.

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
  2. SDG 5 - Gender Equality
    SDG 5 Gender Equality
  3. SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
    SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
  4. SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth
    SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  5. SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
    SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
  6. SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
    SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  7. SDG 13 - Climate Action
    SDG 13 Climate Action
  8. SDG 14 - Life Below Water
    SDG 14 Life Below Water
  9. SDG 15 - Life on Land
    SDG 15 Life on Land

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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

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