Cecilia Thompson (she/her)

Biography:

Cecilia Thompson is a Staff Researcher with the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program. Cecilia is employed by Brookfield Zoo Chicago and based at Mote Marine Laboratory as part of a partnership to engage in dolphin research, education, and conservation action. Cecilia began studying marine mammals while completing her BSc degree in Marine Science at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL. She gained further research experience while working with the Eckerd College Dolphin Project, the Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program, and as a NOAA Hollings Scholar with the Marine Mammal Ecology team at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Cecilia joined the SDRP as an intern in 2021. She completed a MSc degree in Marine Mammal Science at the University of St Andrews in Scotland in 2024 where she continued her work with the SDRP as a graduate student. Her MSc thesis explored the use of bottlenose dolphin signature whistles captured at passive acoustic listening stations to track individuals in the Sarasota Bay dolphin community. As a Staff Researcher with the SDRP, Cecilia mainly focuses on acoustics, assisting with the operations of the Sarasota Bay Listening Network. She also leads photo-ID surveys and assists with additional field projects.