Biography:
Jess was an intern with the Stranding Investigations Program from November 2016 to May 2017, during which she created a new datasheet for use by Mote Marine Lab to record fibropapilloma tumors in sea turtles and did a retrospective analysis on the disease to complete her Master’s degree in August 2017. Prior to moving to Sarasota, she was a sea turtle nesting surveyor with Dry Tortugas National Park, stationed out of Key West. Jess has responded to 20 different species of marine mammals and sea turtles through hundreds of stranding responses, necropsies (animal autopsies), and rescues. She has participated in multiple dolphin disentanglements, as well as both inshore and offshore dolphin health assessments. In 2024, she became a large whale necropsy team lead apprentice for the Southeastern United States stranding network.
Education:
B.S. in Biology from Florida Atlantic University
MPS in Marine Mammal Science from the University of Miami, RSMAS
Completed National Incident Management System (NIMS) Incident Command System ICS-100, 200, 300, 400, 700, and 800
Department of the Interior - Motorboat Operator Certification Course (MOCC)
Additional Publications
Blackburn, J., Lovewell, G., Hazelkorn, R., & DeLynn, R. (2022). Preserving cetacean skeletons using wet maceration. 24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Palm Beach, FL.
Lovewell, G., Blackburn, J., Kincaid, A., & Wells, R. (2022). Covid-19 collateral damage: The pandemic’s effect on common bottlenose dolphins in and around Sarasota, FL. 24th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. Palm Beach, FL.
Kincaid, AL., Lovewell, G., Allen, J., Bassos-Hull, K., Blackburn, J., Hazelkorn, R. & Wells, R. (2022). Necrocoitus in Common Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) near Sarasota, Florida. Aquatic Mammals. 48. 693-702. 10.1578/AM.48.6.2022.693.
Moncada, F., Nodarse, G., Valido, L., Byrd, L., Lovewell, G., Blackburn, J., Kincaid, A. Juvenile Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Head-started in Cuba Recaptured in Florida. Marine Turtle Newsletter 163, 15-17, 2021.