Tinker & Estes Lab and Santa Cruz Field Station

Nicole Thometz, Postdoctoral Researcher
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
University of California, Santa Cruz

Research

I received my PhD from the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at UC Santa Cruz in May 2014. I was co-advised in the labs of Dr. Terrie Williams and Dr. Jim Estes. My interests span both physiology and ecology and include understanding how physiological capacities impact the behavior and ecology of top predators. My dissertation research focused on examining the ontogeny of metabolic demands and diving ability in southern sea otters as well as quantifying the energetic cost of pup rearing for adult females. My research combined life-stage specific physiological, behavioral, and ecological data to examine the ability of sea otters to forage within their nearshore environment and assess how closely sea otters in wild populations might be working to their physiological limits.

Email:
nthometz@ucsc.edu

Contact Us: USGS Santa Cruz Field Station - 100 Shaffer Road - Center for Ocean Health - Room 251 - Santa Cruz, CA 95060 - 831 459-2357