Alexandra McInturf

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, I graduated Cum Laude from Williams College (MA) with dual degrees (B.A.) in biology and English. I am now a PhD candidate in Animal Behavior at the University of California, Davis, where I began my work with Dr. Pete Klimley in the biotelemetry laboratory. I am currently a joint member of the marine ecophysiology laboratory (under Dr. Nann Fangue) and a movement ecology laboratory (under Dr. Damien Caillaud), as well as part of the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute. During my time in the field, I’ve had first-hand experience with many large carnivorous shark species, including white sharks, tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks, and sandtiger sharks, through internships with Oceans Research in South Africa and the Bimini Shark Lab in the Bahamas.

My current focus is on the elasmobranchs that inhabit Irish waters, specifically the planktivorous basking shark. As a visiting researcher at Queen's University Belfast (under Dr. Jonathan Houghton) and a collaborator with the Irish Basking Shark Project (with Emmett Johnston), I plan to examine the behaviors that drive fine-scale movements in basking shark aggregation areas, or "hotspots". The results will have a significant conservation impact that will inform the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs), and I want to use my interdisciplinary background to bridge the gap between scientists and policy-makers in this region and worldwide.