Geno DeRango

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher studying the behavior of elephant seals through the University of California Santa Cruz. I recently completed my PhD through Bielefeld University, where our group, in collaboration with the Galapagos National Park, studied individual Galapagos sea lions. This work involved intensive long-term studies where we followed local populations of sea lions to quantify birth rates, behavior, and the success of individuals. On a personal level, I'm a transplant from the Midwest United States who left the big cities and cornfields to work with wild marine mammals as part of the stranding networks in both Alaska and California. My fortunate experiences have allowed me to work with a number of talented and dedicated marine biologists and veterinarians. I've become hooked on the ocean and vertebrates that live within it. My interests involve pinniped ecology and conservation, with focus on how stressors can impact their physiology and health. Sea lions are personal favorites as they typically live in remote areas that can be exciting to travel to. Although I enjoy working with individual animals, my goal is to provide physiological data that can help manage conservation efforts for whole species and marine ecosystems.

August 2014