My research interests are centred in life history evolution and conservation biology of vertebrates, with specific interests in how fluctuating environments can influence population dynamics. The approach has two components - (1) development of testable predictions based on life history models, and (2) testing of the predictions with field-collected data by application of modern mathematical and statistical methods. To fulfil these objectives, my interests include: conservation ecology, wildlife management, evolutionary ecology, foraging behaviour, resource partitioning, allometry of growth and reproduction, stage-structured population models, bio-chronology, quantitative methods in ecology, life history theory, stable isotope analysis, satellite telemetry, and adaptive management.
Active involvement in sea turtle research since 1979. Research or consulting projects on loggerhead turtles in Georgia, Florida, Australia, and Oman; leatherback turtles in Puerto Rico and French Guiana; hawksbill turtles in Puerto Rico, Haiti, and Australia; olive ridley turtles in Costa Rica, French Guiana, and India; Kemp’s ridleys in Florida; green turtles in Puerto Rico, Australia, and Malaysia; flatback turtles in Australia. Member: IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group, International Sea Turtle Society, former Florida Marine Turtle Permit Holder.
ACADEMIC
2013 Adjunct Scientist, Mote Marine Laboratory
2003 Courtesy Associate Professor, Univ. Florida, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Dept.
2001 Postdoctoral Fellow, Colorado State Univ., College of Natural Resources
2000 Adjunct Research Fellow, University of Canberra, Institute for Applied Ecology
1997 Ph.D. Zoology, Univ. Queensland
1989 M.S. Zoology, Univ. Georgia
1979 B.S. Biology, Georgia Southern College (Biological Oceanography)
Professional Positions
2013-18 Senior Research Scientist, Western Australia Department of Parks and Wildlife.
2012-13 Senior Scientist, Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida
2005-13 Program Manager, Sea Turtle Conservation and Research, Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida
2003-11 Staff Scientist, Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida
2002 Research Officer, Environmental Statistics, Distance Learning Courses, Univ. Canberra
2001 Biologist, US Geological Survey, Guam
1999 Consultant - Freshwater Ecology, Queensland Department of Natural Resources
1997-00 Senior Conservation Officer, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Western Australia Marine Science Institution- Marine Turtle Node
North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Plan
Ferreira LC, Thums M, Fossette S, Wilson P, Shimada T, Tucker AD et al. [Loewenthal G, Whiting SD] (2021). Multiple satellite tracking datasets inform green turtle conservation at a regional scale. Diversity and Distributions 27, pp. 249–266
Fossette S, Loewenthal G, Peel LR, Vitenbergs A, Hamel MA, Douglas C et al. [Tucker AD, Mayer F, Whiting SD] (2021). Using aerial photogrammetry to assess stock-wide marine turtle nesting distribution, abundance and cumulative exposure to industrial activity. Remote Sensing 13,
Hounslow JL, Jewell OJD, Fossette S, Whiting S, Tucker AD, Richardson A et al. (2021). Animal-borne video from a sea turtle reveals novel anti-predator behaviours. Ecology 102,
DBCA (2020). Global loggerhead satellite telemetry: [DBCA dataset supplied for southeast Indian Ocean]. SWOT Report 15, pp. 32–33, 49–50
FitzSimmons NN, Pittard SD, McIntyre N, Jensen MP, Guinea M, Hamann M et al. [Prince RT, Tucker AD, Whiting S] (2020). Phylogeography, genetic stocks, and conservation implications for an Australian endemic marine turtle. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 30, pp. 440–460
FitzSimmons NN, Stewart D. Pittard SD, McIntyre N, Jensen MP, Guinea M, et al. [Prince B, Tucker AD, Whiting S] (2020). Population genetics of flatback turtles: behavioural insights and conservation implications (ABSTRACT). In Proceedings of the 4th Australian Marine Turtle Symposium, 8-10 September 2018, Bundaberg, Queensland pp. 45–46
Mayne B, Tucker AD, Berry O, Jarman S (2020). Lifespan estimation in marine turtles using genomic promoter CpG density. PLoS One 15,
Nel R, Dalleau M, Le Gouvello D, Hart-Davis MG, Tucker T, Rees A et al. [Whiting S, Fossette S] (2020). Indian Ocean loggerheads. SWOT Report 15, pp. 28–31
Tucker AD, Hofmeister KM, Limpus CJ (comps) (2020). Proceedings of the 4th Australian Marine Turtle Symposium, 8-10 September 2018, Bundaberg, Queensland. Symposium Organising Committee, Buderim, Qld. 136 p.
Tucker T, Pendoley K, Whiting S (2020). Distribution and abundance of nesting marine turtles in northwestern Australia: pairing the landscape and local perspectives (ABSTRACT). In Proceedings of the 4th Australian Marine Turtle Symposium, 8-10 September 2018, Bundaberg, Queensland p. 87
Tucker T, Whiting S, Fossette S, Rob D, Barnes P (2020). Inter-nesting and migrations by marine turtles of the Muiron Islands and Ningaloo Coast. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA. 93 p.
Vanderklift M, Arthur K, Tucker T (2020). Stable Isotope Workshop. In Proceedings of the 4th Australian Marine Turtle Symposium, 8-10 September 2018, Bundaberg, Queensland pp. 118–120
Vanderklift MA, Babcock RC, Barnes PB, Cresswell AK, Feng M, Haywood MDE et al. [Holmes TH, Tucker AD, Waples K, Wilson SK] (2020). The oceanography and marine ecology of Ningaloo, a World Heritage Area. Oceanography and Marine Biology: an Annual Review 58, pp. 143–178
Vanderklift MA, Pillans RD, Robson NA, Skrzypek G, Stubbs JL, Tucker AD (2020). Comparisons of stable isotope composition among tissues of green turtles. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 34,
Ferreira LC, Fossette S, Whiting S, Tucker T, Loewenthal G, Guinea M et al. (2019). Compiling multiple datasets to quantify movement and distribution of green turtles on the North-West Shelf and overlap with potential threats (ABSTRACT). In AMSA 2019: Marine Science for a Blue Economy, 7-11 July 2019, Fremantle, Perth: Program Handbook
Fossette-Halot S, Loewenthal G, Tucker T, Mayer F, Whiting S (2019). A cumulative risk assessment framework to prioritize management actions for Western Australia flatback turtles (ABSTRACT). In AMSA 2019: Marine Science for a Blue Economy, 7-11 July 2019, Fremantle, Perth: Program Handbook p. 92
Hounslow J, Fossette-Halot S, Whiting S, Tucker A, Richardson A, Richardson J et al. (2019). A novel methodology to study vertical movements of marine turtles (ABSTRACT). In AMSA 2019: Marine Science for a Blue Economy, 7-11 July 2019, Fremantle, Perth: Program Handbook p. 118
Monsinjon J, Tucker T, Fernandez Y, Hamza A, Ouerghi A, Kaska Y et al. (2019). Past primary sex-ratio estimates of 4 populations of loggerhead sea turtle based on TSP durations (ABSTRACT). In Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 29 February to 4 March 2016, Lima, Peru p. 289
Rob D, Barnes P, Whiting S, Fossette S, Tucker T, Mongan T (2019). Turtle activity and nesting on the Muiron Islands and Ningaloo Coast: final report: Ningaloo Turtle Program: report to Woodside Energy Limited. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Exmouth. 51 p.
Waayers D, Tucker T, Whiting S, Groom R, Vanderklift M, Pilans R et al. (2019). Satellite tracking of marine turtles in south-eastern Indian Ocean: a review of deployments spanning 1990-2016. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 29, pp. 23–37
Wyneken J, Salmon M, Hamann M, Tucker A, Whiting S (2019). Successful and unsuccessful adhesives for use on neonate flatback turtles (Natator depressus): what works and doesn’t work on the teflon turtles (ABSTRACT). In Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 29 February to 4 March 2016, Lima, Peru pp. 266–267
Bevan E, Whiting S, Tucker T, Guinea M, Raith A, Douglas, R (2018). Measuring behavioral responses of sea turtles, saltwater crocodiles, and crested terns to drone disturbance to define ethical operating thresholds. PLoS One 13, pp. 1–17
FitzSimmons NN, Berry O, Feutry P, Tucker T, Whiting S (2018). New insights from genomics? Testing new approaches to population genetics in flatback and green turtle populations in Australia (POSTER ABSTRACT). In 38th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation: Presentation Abstracts, 18-23 February 2018, Kobe International Conference Center, Kobe, Japan p. 272
Fossette-Halot S, Loewenthal G, Tucker T, Mayer F, Whiting S (2018). Planning for the future: a broad-scale risk assessment of multiple anthropogenic threats to flatback turtles (ABSTRACT). In 5th International Marine Conservation Congress, 2018, 24th-29th June, Kuching, Sarawak: conference programme p. 1
Rostal D, Grumbles J, Fossette-Halot S, Tucker T, Whiting S (2018). Ultrasound study of reproductive structures in nesting Australian flatback sea turtles, Natator depressus. Poster presented at the Association of Southeastern Biologists 79th annual meeting, Myrtle Beach Sheraton and Convention Center, March 28-March 31, 2018.
Schmid JR, Tucker AD (2018). Comparing diets of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in mangrove estuaries of southwest Florida. Journal of Herpetology 52, pp. 252–258
Tucker A, Avens L, Shaw J, Limpus C, Pendoley K, Guinea M et al. [Whiting S] (2018). Skeletochronology with flatback turtles: can winter and summer hatchling cohorts be distinguished? (POSTER ABSTRACT). In 38th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation: Presentation Abstracts, 18-23 February 2018, Kobe International Conference Center, Kobe, Japan p. 149
Tucker A, Pendoley K, Whiting S (2018). Distribution and abundance of nesting marine turtles in northwestern Australia: pairing the landscape and local perspectives (POSTER ABSTRACT). In 38th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation: Presentation Abstracts, 18-23 February 2018, Kobe International Conference Center, Kobe, Japan p. 263
Tucker A, Whiting S, Pendoley K, FitzSimmons N, Berry O, Mitchell N et al. (2018). Questions of scale: collaborative turtle research along the Kimberley's remotest coasts. In The Natural World of the Kimberley Kimberley Society, Perth. pp. 164–181
Tucker AD, Baldwin R, Willson A, Al Kiyumi A, Al Harthi S Schroeder B et al. (2018). Revised clutch frequency estimates for Masirah Island loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Herpetological Conservation and Biology 13, pp. 158–166
Tucker T, Pendoley K, Whiting S (2018). Distribution and abundance of nesting marine turtles in the Kimberley: pairing the landscape and local perspectives. In Marine turtles in the Kimberley: key biological indices required to understand and manage nesting turtles along the Kimberley coast: WAMSI Kimberley Marine Research Program, final report, Project 1.2.2 Western Australian Marine Science Institution, Perth. pp. 11–34
Whiting S, Tucker T (2018). Indigenous engagement, collaboration and knowledge exchange for the Kimberley Node Turtle Project. In Marine turtles in the Kimberley: key biological indices required to understand and manage nesting turtles along the Kimberley coast: WAMSI Kimberley Marine Research Program, final report, Project 1.2.2 Western Australian Marine Science Institution, Perth. pp. 86–92
Whiting S, Tucker T, Fossette S (2018). Flatback turtle conservation priorities: the intersection of biology, pressures, economics, stakeholders and politics (ABSTRACT). In 38th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation: Presentation Abstracts, 18-23 February 2018, Kobe International Conference Center, Kobe, Japan p. 65
Whiting S, Tucker T, Pendoley K, Mitchell N, Bentley B, Berry O et al. (2018). Background and implementation of the WAMSI Kimberley Node Turtle Project. In Marine turtles in the Kimberley: key biological indices required to understand and manage nesting turtles along the Kimberley coast: WAMSI Kimberley Marine Research Program, final report, Project 1.2.2 Western Australian Marine Science Institution, Perth. pp. 1–10
Whiting S, Tucker T, Pendoley K, Mitchell N, Bentley B, Berry O et al. (2018). Marine turtles in the Kimberley: key biological indices required to understand and manage nesting turtles along the Kimberley coast: WAMSI Kimberley Marine Research Program, final report, Project 1.2.2. Western Australian Marine Science Institution, Perth. 146 p.
Pearson L, Williams C, Ferguson A, Kay N, Badal A, Hunter N et al. [Tucker T, Whiting S] (2017). Eighty Mile Beach Marine Park: partnerships in flatback turtle management and science. Poster presented at 4th Indigenous Desert Alliance Annual Forum, November 21-23rd 2017, WA Maritime Museum, Fremantle.
Tucker AD, Johnstone R, Loyn R, Vinnicombe T, Newman B, Newman H et al. (2017). Invasive Eurasian tree sparrows Passer montanus on Troughton Island in the north Kimberley of Western Australia: a cyclone-induced colonisation attempt?. Australian Field Ornithology 34, pp. 67–70
Whiting S, Raudino H, Tucker T, Field S, Simpson C, Kendrick A, Grant L, Hampson H (2017). North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program: strategic conservation plan 2014-2021. 65 p.
Wilson M, Tucker AD, Beedholm K, Mann DA (2017). Changes of loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) dive behavior associated with tropical storm passage during the inter-nesting period. Journal of Experimental Biology 220, pp. 3432–3441
Fitzsimmons NN, Featherstone P, Tucker AD (2016). Comparative dietary ecology of turtles (Chelodina burrungandjii and Emydura victoriae) across the Kimberley Plateau, Western Australia, prior to the arrival of cane toads. Marine and Freshwater Research 67, pp. 1611–1624
Fossette-Halot S, Samuelraj N, Hampson H, Tucker T, Whiting S (eds) (2016). Turtle Monitoring Field Guide: North West Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program. Edition 8. Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, WA. 71 p.
Gallaway BJ, Gazey WJ, Caillouet CW, Plotkin PT, Abreu Grobois FA, Amos AF et al. [Tucker AD] (2016). Development of a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle stock assessment model. Gulf of Mexico Science 33, pp. 138–157
Vander Zanden HB, Bolten AB, Tucker AD, Hart KM, Lamont MM, Fujisaki I et al. (2016). Biomarkers reveal sea turtles remained in oiled areas following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Ecological Applications 26, pp. 2145–2155
Vanderklift M, Pillans R, Tucker T, Whiting S, Revill A (2016). Using stable isotopes to investigate ecology of sharks and turtles: what can evidence from multiple tissues tell us? Abstract of presentation at 10th International Conference on the Applications of Stable Isotope Techniques to Ecological Studies (IsoEcol 2016), 3rd-8th April 2016, Ito Hall, University of Tokyo. p. 1
Wyneken J, Salmon M, Hamann M, Tucker A, Whiting S (2016). Successful and unsuccessful adhesives for use on neonate flatback turtles (Natator depressus): what works and doesn’t work on the teflon turtles. Poster presented at 36th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 29 February-4 March 2016, Lima, Peru.
Casale P, Riskas K, Tucker AD, Hamann, M (2015). Caretta caretta (south east Indian Ocean subpopulation), loggerhead turtle: the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. IUCN, Gland. 14 p.
Casale P, Tucker AD (2015). Caretta caretta, loggerhead turtle: the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. IUCN, Gland. 27 p.
Ceriani SA, Roth JD, Tucker AD, Evans DR, Addison DS, Sasso SR et al. (2015). Carry-over effects and foraging ground dynamics of a major loggerhead breeding aggregation. Marine Biology 162, pp. 1955–1968
Koeyers A, Koeyers J, Tucker AD (2015). Chelonia mydas (green sea turtle) predation. Herpetological Review 46, p. 240
Monsinjon J, Tucker T, Jribi I, Fernandez Y, Hamza A, Ouerghi A et al. (2015). Evolution and constraint of thermal reaction norms for embryonic growth rate in 3 populations of Caretta caretta from thermally contrasted environments (ABSTRACT). In 35th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation: Dalaman, Sarigerme, Dalyan (Ortaca), Mugla, Türkiye, 18-24 April 2015: Book of Abstracts p. 3
Perrault JR, Schmid JR, Walsh CJ, Yordy JE, Tucker AD (2015). Brevetoxin exposure, superoxide dismutase activity and plasma protein electrophoretic profiles in wild-caught Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in southwest Florida (ABSTRACT). In The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology with the Animal Behaviour Society, American Microscopical Society, the Crustacean Society: Abstract Book: Palm Beach County Convention Center, West Palm Beach, Florida, 3-7 January 2015 Conference Organising Committee, West Palm Beach. p. 250
Servis JA, Lovewell G, Tucker AD (2015). Diet analysis of subadult Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles from west-central Florida. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 14, pp. 173–181
Tiwari M, Willson A, Baldwin R, al Kiyumi A, al Harthi S, al Balushi A et al. [Tucker T] (2015). Spatial analysis of satellite tracking data acquired from female loggerhead turtles nesting at Masirah Island, Sultanate of Oman (ABSTRACT). In 35th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation: Dalaman, Sarigerme, Dalyan (Ortaca), Mugla, Türkiye, 18-24 April 2015: Book of Abstracts p. 141
Tucker T, Whiting S, Mitchell N, Berry O, FitzSimmons N, Pendoley K (2015). The Kimberley Marine Turtle Project under the Western Australian Marine Sciences Institution (WAMSI). In Proceedings of the Second Australian and Second Western Australian Marine Turtle Symposia: Perth, 25-27 August 2014 Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, WA. pp. 79–81
Vander Zanden HB, Tucker AD, Hart KM, Lamont MM, Fujisaki I, Addison DS et al. (2015). Determining origin in a migratory marine vertebrate: a novel method to integrate stable isotopes and satellite tracking. Ecological Applications 25, pp. 320–335
Whiting S, Tucker T (2015). Planning for the future: constraints and opportunities for long-term monitoring of marine turtles in Western Australia. In Proceedings of the Second Australian and Second Western Australian Marine Turtle Symposia: Perth, 25-27 August 2014 Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, WA. pp. 88–90
Whiting S, Tucker T, Mitchell N, Berry O, FitzSimmons N, Pendoley K (2015). Marine turtles of the Kimberley: WAMSI Project 1.2.2 (ABSTRACT). In 2015 WAMSI Research Conference: Proceedings, Perth, Western Australia, 30 March-1 April 2015 p. 64
Whiting SD, Tucker A (comps) (2015). Proceedings of the Second Australian and Second Western Australian Marine Turtle Symposia: Perth, 25-27 August 2014. Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, WA. 102 p.
Young E, Whiting S, Tucker T, Bobojcov A, Williams C, Badal A et al. (2015). Eighty Mile Beach turtle monitoring program: past, present and future. In Proceedings of the Second Australian and Second Western Australian Marine Turtle Symposia: Perth, 25-27 August 2014 Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, WA. pp. 94–95
Hardy RF, Tucker AD, Foley AM, Schroeder BA, Giove RJ, Meylan AB (2014). Spatiotemporal occurrence of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) on the west Florida Shelf and apparent overlap with a commercial fishery. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 71, pp. 1924–1933
Perrault JR, Schmid JR, Walsh CJ, Yordy JE, Tucker AD (2014). Brevetoxin exposure, superoxide dismutase activity and plasma protein electrophoretic profiles in wild-caught Kemp’s ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys kempii) in southwest Florida. Harmful Algae 37, pp. 194–202
Tucker AD, MacDonald BD, Seminoff JA (2014). Foraging site fidelity and stable isotope values of loggerhead turtles tracked in the Gulf of Mexico and northwest Caribbean. Marine Ecology Progress Series 502, pp. 267–279
Vander Zanden HB, Tucker AD, Bolten AB, Reich KJ, Bjorndal KA (2014). Stable isotopic comparison between loggerhead sea turtle tissues. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry 28, pp. 2059–2064
Tucker T, Whiting S, Corey B (2013). FAQ: Cape Domett flatback turtle rookery: monitoring in 2013 (POSTER).
Waayers D, Tucker T, Whiting S, Groom R, Vanderklift M, Pilans R, Rossendell J, Pendoley K, Hoenner X, Thums M, Dethmers K, Limpus CJ, Wirsig A, McMahon C, Strydom A, Whittock P, Howlett K, Oades D, McFarlane G, Duke T, Guinea M, Whiting A, Speirs M, King J, Hattingh K, Heithaus M, Mau R, Holley D (2019) Satellite tracking of marine turtles in south eastern Indian Ocean: a gap analysis of deployments spanning 1990-2016. Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter 29, 23-37
Whiting S, Tucker T, Pendoley K, Mitchell N, Bentley B, Berry O, FitzSimmons N (2018) Marine Turtles in the Kimberley: key biological indices required to understand and manage nesting turtles along the Kimberley coast. Western Australia Marine Science Institution Project 1.2.2 report. 146 pp.
