Mote Marine Laboratory

Nick joined the Center for Shark Research in 2009 after completing graduate school at the University of Hawaii. There he focused on movements, reproductive behavior and population genetics of the whitetip reef shark, Triaenodon obesus, while also working on a number of other projects with various shark species. At Mote, Nick's work is focused on quantifying fine-scale aspects of shark behavioral ecology using accelerometers and other data-logging tags. Read more about Nick and his research.

Ph.D. Zoology (2009) University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (Major Professor: Kim N. Holland)
M.S. Zoology (2007) University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI (Major Professor: Kim N. Holland)
B.S. Biology (2000) Albion College, Albion, MI (Advisor: Jeffrey C. Carrier)

National Science Foundation EAGER Grant (Co-PIs Gleiss, Pratt, Wilson), 2010
National Geographic Society Waitt Grant (Co-PI W. Pratt), 2008
PADI Project A.W.A.R.E. grant, 2007
Lerner-Gray Marine Research Grant, American Museum of Natural History, 2004
University of Hawaii Seagrant Project Development Funds (Co-PI B. Bowen), 2004
PADI Project A.W.A.R.E. grant, 2004
University of Hawaii Arts and Science Advisory Council Award, 2004
Budweiser Conservation Scholarship, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, 2003
National Science Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, 2003
PADI Project A.W.A.R.E. grant, 2003
Sigma Xi Grant in Aid of Research, 2002
PADI Project A.W.A.R.E. grant, 2002
Ralph S. Wadley Memorial Scholarship in the Biological Sciences 1997 - 2000
Upjohn Stipend for Undergraduate Research. 1998
Albion College Presidential Scholarship, 1996

Whitney NM, Pratt HL Jr, Pratt TC, and JC Carrier. 2010. Identifying shark mating behaviour using three-dimensional acceleration loggers. Endangered Species Research. 10:71-82.

Meyer CG, Dale JJ, Papastamatiou YP, Whitney NM, and KN Holland. 2009. Seasonal cycles and long-term trends in abundance and species-composition of sharks associated with cage diving ecotourism activities in Hawaii. Environmental Conservation 36: 104-111.

Meyer CG, Clark TB, Papastamatiou YP, Whitney NM, and KN Holland. 2009. Long-term movement patterns of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) in Hawaii. Marine Ecology Progress Series 381: 223-235.

Whitney NM, Motta PJ. 2008. Cleaner host posing behavior of whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus) in a swarm of hyperiid amphipods. Coral Reefs 27: 363.

Whitney NM, Papastamatiou YP, Holland KN, Lowe CG. 2008. Use of an acceleration data logger to measure diel activity patterns in captive whitetip reef sharks, Triaenodon obesus. Aquatic Living Resources 20: 299-305.

Whitney NM, and GC Crow. 2007. Reproductive biology of the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) in Hawaii. Marine Biology 151: 63-70.

Whitney NM, Pratt HL, and JC Carrier. 2004. Group courtship, mating behaviour, and siphon sac function in the whitetip reef shark, Triaenodon obesus. Animal Behaviour 68: 1435-1442.

Department: Shark Research