Leigh Torres

I specialize in the spatial and behavioral ecology of marine megafauna including marine mammals, seabirds and sharks. 

My research often focuses on the spatio-temporal habitat use, distribution and behavioral patterns of a species in relation to environmental variability, prey availability and anthropogenic threats such as fisheries, vessel traffic, climate change, and habitat alterations. 

I am particularly interested in the functional ecology of marine animals including how behavior patterns vary with habitat, how spatial scale impacts predator-prey interactions, how species spatially and behaviorally reduce inter- and intra-specific competition, and how foraging strategies change relative to prey availability and spatio-temporal variability.

• Documentation and description of a blue whale foraging ground in the South Taranaki Bight, New Zealand
• Use of albatross telemetry data to generate species distribution models and assess overlap with fisheries
• Distribution and habitat use patterns of Bryde’s whales in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, relative to vessel traffic
• Transferability of species distribution models in marine ecosystems across large scales
• Fine-scale habitat use analyses of the critically endangered Maui’s dolphin
• Citing and efficacy of humpback whale breeding grounds throughout the Pacific islands in the Oceania region based on habitat use patterns