Telephone: (907) 796-6027
Fax: (907) 796-6447
Email: beth.mathews@uas.alaska.edu
Faculty: Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences - Biology Campus: JuneauOffice Location: 11390 Glacier Hwy
Education: B.S., 1979, Purdue University, West Lafayette M.S., 1986, University of California, Santa Cruz
Research: I am interested in research on the population biology and behavioral ecology of marine mammals. Much of my recent work has been on harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and harbor porpoise. My graduate research was on humpback and grey whales and I have done field work with colleagues on several other cetacean species, including sperm whales, killer whales, pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, and spinner dolphins. From 1991 to 2003 I led a longterm study on harbor seals in Glacier Bay National Park; this work was accomplished with the help of more than 30 undergraduate biology students and volunteers and NPS biotechnicians. Our work in Glacier Bay revealed that this population of seals declined by more than 65% between 1992 and 2003. In contrast with harbor seals, our surveys of Steller sea lion in Glacier Bay indicated large increases in this pinniped during the same time that harbor seals declined. My current research focus is on testing hypothesized causes of the declines in harbor seals in Glacier Bay, including predation by Steller sea lions and Pacific sleeper sharks. I am also the coordinator and co-PI (with Dr. Brendan Kelly) on a 3-year (2006-2008) National Science Foundation, Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant. This program supports undergraduate students to be directly involved in research during a 10 week summer program. Publications
Courses Taught: Biol 384 Marine Mammalogy Biol 395 Behavioral Ecology Biol 396 Field Studies in Behavior & Ecology