graduates (recent)
| Department of Biology, Memorial University St. John's, Newfoundland A1B 3X9 CANADA phone: (709) 864-7666 fax: (709) 864-3018 e-mail: iljones 'at' mun.ca MUN's spam filter is marking many outside messages - suggestion: put 'seabird' in the subject line Undergraduate courses: Animal Behaviour, Ornithology On ratemyprofessor.com "this proff is very different than other proffs i had." |
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My research program is concerned with the ecology and evolutionary biology of seabirds, with an emphasis on demography, conservation issues, mate choice and sexual selection. My field studies have focused on the ecology of the Auks (Alcidae) of the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Bering Sea. Currently I am involved in a major long-term field research project concerning behavioural ecology, demography and conservation of Aethia auklets at Buldir and Kiska Islands, Alaska, with the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, as well as a number of other smaller related projects.
I am interested in the processes that determine seabird population dynamics, especially related to oil spills, predation by gulls and introduced mammals, mortality related to commercial fishing, habitat destruction by humans, and fluctuation in food availability related to climate change and oceanographic processes. To this end, I have been involved in long-term mark-recapture studies of the following species: Least, Crested and Whiskered Auklets at Buldir Island, Alaska (with the Aleutian Island Unit of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge AMNWR); and Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, and Thick-billed and Common Murres at the Gannet Islands, Labrador (ACWERN). We are measuring seabird survival rates, investigating the causes of variation in adult survival (especially climate change), and asking how these relate to measured changes in population size. Increasingly I am interested in science related to restoration of endangered islands.
I am interested in the function of elaborate ornamental traits of monogamous species (particularly seabirds), and the mechanisms by which these adornments may have evolved. My PhD thesis (with Bob Montgomerie, Queen's University concerned the ornamental traits and plumage variation of Least Auklets. This study and continuing work on Crested Auklets provided evidence for the role of mutual sexual selection involving mutual mating preferences in ornament evolution. Recent experiments have shown a heterospecific mating preference for crest ornaments by the crestless Least Auklet, evidence consistent with sexual selection for sensory exploitation. Continuing behavioural ecological research on Least, Crested and Whiskered Auklets at Buldir addresses topics including: function of Whiskered Auklet ornaments, a comparative study of sperm competition and extra-pair parentage, the relation of ornaments and parental care and the function of Least Auklets' plumage polymorphism.
Some recent publications from our research group:
Buxton, R. and I.L. Jones. IN PRESS. Measuring nocturnal seabird activity and status using acoustic recording devices: applications for island restoration. Journal of Field Ornithology.
Bond, A.L., Evans, W.C. and I.L. Jones. IN PRESS. Avian mortality associated with a volcanic gas seep at Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Wilson Journal of Ornithology.
Major, H.L. and I.L. Jones. 2011. An experimental study of the use of social information by nocturnal burrow-nesting seabird prospectors. Condor 113(2): 572-580. (Major&Jones_cue-use_CONDOR.pdf) 448k
Bond, A.L., Jones, I.L., Williams, J.C. and G.V. Byrd. 2011. Diet of auklet chicks in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska: similarity among islands, inter-species overlap, and relationships to ocean climate. Journal of Ornithology (Bondetal_aukletdiet_JOrnithol.pdf) 864k
Pirie-Hay, D. 2011. Birds identified in pre-historic surface remains collected at the Unangas village site at Imuqudaagis (Witchcraft Point), Kiska Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska. B.Sc Honours thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland (Pirie-Hay_Imuqudaagis_birds.pdf) 416k
Bond, A.L., Jones, I.L., Sydeman, W.J., Major H.L., Minobe, S., Williams, J.C. and G.V. Byrd. 2011. Reproductive success of planktivorous seabirds in the North Pacific is related to ocean climate on decadal scales. Marine Ecology Progress Series 424: 205-218. (Bondetal_productivity_MEPS.pdf) 876k
Lusignan, A.P, Mehl, K.R., Jones, I.L. and M.L. Gloutney. 2010. Conspecific brood parasitism in Common Eiders: Do brood parasites target safe nest sites? Auk 127(4):765−772. (05_Lusignan_09-207.pdf) 728k
Williams, J. C., B. A. Drummond, and R. T. Buxton. 2010. Initial effects of the August 2008 volcanic eruption on breeding birds and marine mammals at Kasatochi Island, Alaska. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 42:306–314. (Kasatochi_initial_AAAR2010.pdf) 2.6 MB
Bond, A.L., Jones, I.L., Williams, J.C. and G.V. Byrd. 2010. Auklet (Charadriiformes: Alcidae, Aethia spp.) chick meals from the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, have a very low incidence of plastic marine debris. Marine Pollution Bulletin 60: 1346-1349. (Bondetal_auklet_chick_plastic.pdf) 224 k
Roul, S. 2010. Distribution and status of the Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus on islands near the Burin Peninsula, Newfoundland in 2009, as inferred from automated acoustic monitoring devices. B.Sc Honours thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland (SheenaRoul_Manx_thesis.pdf) 4.6 MB
Bond, A.L. 2010. Relationships between stable isotopes and metal contaminants in feathers are spurious and biologically uninformative. Environmental Pollution 158: 1182–1184 (Bond_2010_Isotope-metal_relationships.pdf ) 120 k
Seneviratne, S.S., and I.L. Jones. 2010. Origin and maintenance of mechanosensory feather ornaments. Animal Behaviour. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.12.010 (Seneviratne_sensorns_AB.pdf) 280 k see also here (BBC news article)
Bond, A.L., McClelland, G.T.W., Jones, I.L., Lavers, J.L., and Kyser, T.K. 2010. Stable isotopes confirm community patterns in foraging among Hawaiian Procellariiformes. Waterbirds 33(1): 50-58. (Bondetal_SI_Hawaii_Waterbirds.pdf) 268 k
Paredes, R. and S.J. Insley. 2010. Sex-biased aggression and male-only care at sea in Thick-billed Murres Uria lomvia and Razorbills Alca torda. Ibis 152: 48-62. (Aggression_Paredes&Insley_Ibis.pdf) 280 k
for other papers (some downloadable) go to the more complete list of publications
go to Ian's Buldir birds page http://www.mun.ca/serg/Buldir/buldirbirds.html
Current graduate students at a glance
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Name and e-mail |
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Thesis project details |
| Carley Schacter |  |
Biology, Ph.D. | Conservation biology of Aleutian seabird populations |
| Jill Robinson | |
Biology, M.Sc. | Movement and behaviour of Aleutian Crested Auklets during the non-breeding season |
| Mark Maftei | |
Biology, M.Sc. | Movement, management and conservation of rare Canadian high arctic gulls (Ross's and Ivory) |
| Shanti Davis | |
Biology, M.Sc. | Behavioural ecology of migratory routes of Canadian high arctic breeding Sabine's Gulls |
Hannah Munro hannah.munro 'at' mun.ca |
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Biology, M.Sc. |
Evolutionary ecology of Aethia auklets and their ectoparasites, fieldwork at Buldir |
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Alain Lusignan aplusign 'at' mun.ca |
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Conservation biology of the Common Eider in Newfoundland and Labrador Co-supervised with Katherine Mehl, DU; k_mehl 'at' ducks.ca |
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Name and e-mail |
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present occupation |
Alex Bond abond 'at' mun.ca |
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Biology, Ph.D., Aug. 2011, Ecology of auklets at Kiska and beyond | PostDoc at University of Saskatchewan with Keith Hobson |
Cari Eggleston carie 'at' mun.ca |
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Biology, M.Sc., December 2010, Behaviour and ecology of rats at Kiska | managing birds of Guam, with the US Fish and Wildlife Service |
Rachel Buxton r.buxton 'at' mun.ca |
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Biology, M.Sc., August 2010, Aleutian seabird recovery after anthropogenic extirpations | pursuing a PhD on New Zealand seabird conservation issues |
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Sampath Seneviratne sampath 'at' mun.ca |
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PostDoc at UBC with Darren Irwin - Evolutionary and ecological differentiation of the sapsuckers |
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Michelle Wille mwille 'at' shaw.ca |
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MSc candidate at MUN, with Andrew Lang supervising, ILJ on committee, concerning avian influenza |
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Rosana Paredes (ACWERN) u92rp 'at' mun.ca |
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Biology, Ph.D. Jan 2008 - Foraging (especially diving) behaviour and parental care of female and male auks at the Gannet Islands, Labrador |
Post-doc running a major seabird research program in the Pribilof Islands - supervisors Dan Roby and David Irons |
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Sabir Bin Muzaffar (ACWERN) s_muzaffar 'at' uaeu.ac.ae |
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Biology Ph.D. Oct 2007 - Diseases and parasites of birds: ecology and epidemiology in a changing world |
Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates |
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Stephanie Royston (ACWERN) sroyston 'at' mun.ca |
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Biology, M.Sc. Oct 2007 - Conservation genetics of rare arctic gull species, Ivory and Ross' Gull |
Beginning a degree in veterinary medicine at St. George's University, Grenada |
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Greg McClelland mgreg 'at' sun.ac.za NEW |
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Biology M.Sc. May 2007 - Conservation of Tristram's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma tristrami) at Laysan and Tern Islands, NW Hawaiian Islands |
PhD candidate, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, supervisor Dr. Steven Chown (project: restoration of Marion Island) |
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Jennifer Lavers (ACWERN) Jennifer.Lavers 'at' csiro.au (web page) |
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Biology Ph.D. May 2007 - Demography of the Razorbill (Alca torda) in Atlantic Canada |
Research scientist andcurator, Tasmanian Museum, Hobart, Tasmania. |
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Grant Humphries a25grwh 'at' mun.ca |
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Biology, B.Sc., May 2007- Leach's Storm-Petrel vocalizations - Atlantic and Pacific compared |
MSc candidate at University of Alaska Fairbanks, with Falk Huettmann (project: seabird behaviour at sea) |
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Martin Renner rennerm 'at' u.washington.edu |
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Biology, Ph.D., September 2005 - Evolution of Variation in Plumage and Ornamentation in Least Auklets Aethia pusilla |
postdoctoral researcher, University of Washington in collaboration with the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge - analysis of SMMOCI datasets |
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Paul Regular b23pmr 'at' mun.ca |
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Biology, B.Sc., May 2006 - Factors affecting auklet colony attendance behaviour at Buldir Island |
MSc project at MUN with Bill Montevecchi on seabird behaviour at sea |
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Christina Bourne christina.bourne 'at' gmail.com |
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Biology, B.Sc., May 2005 - Factors affecting auklet colony attendance behaviour at Buldir Island |
MSc project at MUN with Yolanda Wiersma on landscape ecology |
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Ian Goudie (ACWERN) e-mail: Ian Goudie |
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Biology, Ph.D., October 2004 - Behaviour and demography of Eastern Harlequin Ducks (Histronicus histronicus) in relation to aircraft noise |
Environmental consultant (LGL limited) and researcher based in St. John's |
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Heather Major e-mail: hmajor 'at' sfu.ca |
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Biology, M.Sc. October 2004 - Impact of introduced Norway Rats on auklets at Kiska Island, Alaska |
PhD project at Simon Fraser University with Ron Ydenberg, looking at the impact of introduced predators on seabirds in British Columbia and Alaska |
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Travis Clarke p9f45 'at' unb.ca |
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Biology, B.Sc., April 2004 - Glaucous-winged Gull diet at Buldir Island Alaska 1973-2003 reflects regime shifts, climate change and faunal collapse |
MSc student at UNB with Tony Diamond, Razorbill movement and behaviour at sea |
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Joshua Pennell (ACWERN) |
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Biology, B.Sc. May 2003 - philopatry of Razorbills banded as chicks at the Gannet Islands |
Wildlife intern, CWS Dartmouth, Nova Scotia |
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Allison Veit acveit 'at' ucscalumni.com |
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Biology, M.Sc., May 2003 - Sexual selection and the tail ornament of the Red-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon rubricauda) at French Frigate Shoals |
Private practise in in veterinary medicine |
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Sabir Bin Muzaffar (ACWERN) e-mail: v35sbm 'at' mun.ca |
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Biology, M.Sc., June 2000 - Auk ectoparasites ecology and diversity |
completing a Ph.D. project supervised by ILJ at MUN |
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Shauna Baillie (ACWERN) s.m.baillie 'at' gmail.com |
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Biology, M.Sc.,Oct 2001 -Feeding ecology of Atlantic Puffins - Gannet Islands/Gull Island, Newfoundland |
PhD project, Australia |
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Melanie Massaro (ACWERN) melanie.massaro 'at' canterbury.ac.nz |
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Biology, M.Sc. June 2000, co-supervised with John Chardine - Impacts of predation by Great Black-backed Gulls on Black-legged Kittiwakes |
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Canterbury, New Zealand; Evolutionary changes in life history traits of New Zealand birds since the introduction of predatory mammals |
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Gail Fraser drgsfraser 'at' yahoo.com |
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Biopsychology, Ph.D. October 1999 - Behavioural ecology of Crested Auklet parental care at Buldir Island, Alaska |
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University |
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Rachel Bryant (ACWERN) rachel.bryant 'at' utoronto.ca |
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Biopsychology, M.Sc. October 1998 - Foraging beaviour and breeding success of Common and Thick-billed Murres at the Gannet Islands, Labrador |
Researcher, broadcaster, and co-founder of Alder Institute, a non-profit environmental collective based in St. John's Newfoundland, currently doing a PhD in Philosophy at UofT on the subject of environmental ethics |
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Ed Hearne (ACWERN) hearne 'at' c2i2.com |
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Biology, M.Sc. May 1999 - tour boat disturbance impacts on seabirds at Gull Island, Newfoundland |
High School Teacher, Buena High School, Sierra Vista, Arizona |
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Sherrylynn Rowe (ACWERN) Sherrylynn.Rowe 'at' Dal.Ca |
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Biology, B.Sc. May 1998 - Razorbill nest site selection at the Gannet Islands, Labrador |
Research Scientist, Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans, Bedford Institute of Oceanography |
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Peter Adams (ACWERN) |
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Biology, B.Sc. May 1999 - Moulting Harlequin Duck behaviour at the Gannet Islands, Labrador |
gone into medicine |
