WOMEN IN SEABIRD SCIENCE
Carina Gjerdrum
she/her
Seabird Issues Biologist
Environment and Climate Change Canada
Discipline
Behaviour, Community Ecology, Conservation, Population Dynamics, Project Management, Reproductive Biology & Life History, Migration & Movement Ecology
Regional Focus
Atlantic Canada; eastern Canadian Arctic
Years Active
More than 20 years
Species Focus
Auks (Alcidae), Gulls and Terns (Laridae), Petrels and Shearwaters (Procellariidae), Skuas and Jaegers (Stercorariidae), Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae), Storm-Petrels (Hydrobatidae & Oceanitidae)
Tell us about your work with seabirds.
Carina coordinates the monitoring and conservation program for birds at sea in eastern Canada. Her work includes standardized seabird surveys from ships travelling offshore to quantify marine distribution and abundance, and bird tracking to define habitat use. The data are used to identify important marine areas for protection, mitigate emerging threats, and understand the consequences of climate change on marine bird populations.
What advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to pursue a career as seabird scientists?
Keep an open mind and try new things. What you think is too difficult today might turn out to be exactly what fills your bucket tomorrow. And find wisdom in the words of a mentor, someone that will remind you of your strengths and listen to your ideas.
