Based at Clemson University, and within the South Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit led by Dr. Patrick Jodice, the aim of my doctoral research is to build a spatial analytic framework focused on the ecological responses of Eastern brown pelicans (Pelecanus occidentals carolinensis) to anthropogenic disturbance in the South Atlantic Bight.
Charleston, SC - Behavioral changes precipitated by disturbance events can act either directly or indirectly on an organism to alter individual fitness. Although ecological disturbance can take many forms, anthropogenic sources are among the most pervasive and rapidly expanding. As relatively long-lived apex predators, brown pelicans are an iconic coastal species capable of integrating sources of disturbance from both terrestrial and marine environments. My doctoral research will use spatially-based analyses to evaluate four anthropogenically-mediated ecological perturbations via the GPS tracking of adult pelicans. Areas of active research include the identification of behavioral changes as a response to tropical cyclones, assessing the risk of regional oil spill scenarios to individual pelicans, evaluating shrimp trawl bycatch as a potential food subsidy, and modeling changes in pelican migratory strategy as a result of global climate change. Published literature pertaining to my doctoral research can be found below.
Wilkinson BP, Jodice PGR (2022) Interannual colony exchange among breeding Eastern Brown Pelicans. J Field Ornithol 93(1): 5. https://doi.org/10.5751/JFO-00074-930105
Wilkinson BP, Robuck AR, Lohmann R, Pickard HM, Jodice PGR (2022) Urban proximity while breeding is not a predictor of perfluoroalkyl substance contamination in the eggs of brown pelicans. Sci Total Environ 803, 150110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150110
Wilkinson BP, Satgé YG, Lamb JS, Jodice PGR (2019) Tropical cyclones alter short-term activity patterns of a coastal seabird. Mov Ecol 7:30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-019-0178-0
Wilkinson BP, Jodice PGR (2022) Interannual colony exchange among breeding Eastern Brown Pelicans. J Field Ornithol 93(1): 5. https://doi.org/10.5751/JFO-00074-930105
Wilkinson BP, Robuck AR, Lohmann R, Pickard HM, Jodice PGR (2022) Urban proximity while breeding is not a predictor of perfluoroalkyl substance contamination in the eggs of brown pelicans. Sci Total Environ 803, 150110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150110
Wilkinson BP, Satgé YG, Lamb JS, Jodice PGR (2019) Tropical cyclones alter short-term activity patterns of a coastal seabird. Mov Ecol 7:30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-019-0178-0