Morgan Gilmour

I have broad interests in marine science, especially pollution and marine ornithology. My doctoral research studied anthropogenic contaminants (e.g. mercury; organochlorines) in seabirds in the tropical Pacific and Australia in relation to seabirds' diet, foraging strategies, hormone concentrations, and local oceanographic processes. My postdoctoral research at the University of Tasmania studied marine plastic pollution, specifically by quantifying the degradation of latex balloons under different environmental conditions (freshwater, saltwater, industrial compost). In addition to pollution, I have also studied avian physiology: my Masters research investigated seasonal carry-over effects of seabirds' foraging ecology, energy balance, and breeding success. My interest in marine science and seabird ecology originated with a string of field technician jobs in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, main Hawaiian Islands, the US Virgin Islands, California, North Carolina, and Mauritius between 2005-2012. In many of these places, I witnessed the devastating effects of anthropogenic pollution on marine ecosystems and wildlife, which have driven my current research interests.