Cox

Tara Melinda Cox, Ph.D.

Savannah State University

Savannah, GA

Ph: 912-356-2310

Research interests

Conservation biology of long-lived marine vertebrates, marine policy and management, fisheries ecology and management, human interactions (fisheries and sound) with marine mammals, marine spatial analysis

Education

Doctor of Philosophy, May 2003, University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC

Specialization in Marine Conservation Biology

Advisor: Dr. Andy Read

Dissertation: Evaluation of strategies to reduce bycatch of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena)

Master of Environmental Management, May 1996
Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC
Master’s Project: An index of potential development related threats to coastal ecosystems: An application to North Carolina
Concentration: Coastal Environmental Management

Bachelor of Science, Biology, 1993, Davidson College, Davidson, NC

Research and Professional Experience

Post-Doctoral Research Scientist, Project GloBAL (Global Bycatch Assessment of Long-lived species), Center for Marine Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC. 2005-2007

Assistant Scientific Program Director, U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, Bethesda, MD. 2002-2005.

Senior Research Biologist, Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station, North Head, NB, Canada. 1997-2001.

Graduate Research Assistant, Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC. 1998-2002.

Research Technician, Duke University Marine Lab, Beaufort, NC. 1996-1998.

Independent Researcher, World Resources Institute, Washington, DC. 1995.

Volunteer, Marine Mammal Stranding Network, National Marine Fisheries Service, Beaufort, NC. 1995-2002.

Teaching Experience

Assistant Professor of Marine Sciences, Savannah State University, Savannah, GA. Present. Courses taught: Marine Mammalogy, Senior Seminar, Senior Research Internship.

Instructor, Marine Mammal Biology, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC. Summer 2006.

Visiting Assistant Professor, Pfeiffer University, Misenheimer, NC. 2004-2005.

Instructor, Conservation Biology of Marine Mammals, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC. 2002.

Lecturer, Marine Mammal Biology, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC. 1999-2001.

Publications

Cox, T.M., R.L. Lewison, R. Zydelis, L.B. Crowder, C. Safina, A.J. Read. 2007. Comparing effectiveness of experimental and implemented bycatch reduction measures: the ideal and the real. Conservation Biology 21(5): 1155-1164.

Cox, T.M., T.J. Ragen, A.J. Read, E.E. Vos, and 32 others. 2006. Understanding the impacts of anthropogenic sound on beaked whales. Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 7(3): 177-187.

Smith, R.J., T.M. Cox, and A.J. Westgate. 2006. Movements of Lacs des Loups Marins harbor seals (Phoca vitulina mellonae) monitored by satellite telemetry. Marine Mammal Science 22(2): 480-485.

Cox, T.M. and A.J. Read. 2004. Echolocation behavior of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) around chemically enhanced gillnets. Marine Ecology Progress Series 279:275-282.

Cox, T.M., A.J. Read, D. Swanner, K. Urian, and D. Waples. 2003. Behavioral responses of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to gillnets and acoustic alarms. Biological Conservation 115:203-212.

Cox, T.M., A.J. Read, A. Solow, and N. Tregenza. 2001. Will harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) habituate to pingers? Journal of Cetacean Research and Management 3(1):81-86.

Cox, T.M., A.J. Read, S. Barco, J. Evans, D. Gannon, H.N. Koopman, W.A. McLellan, K. Murray, J. Nicolas, D.A. Pabst, C. Potter, M. Swingle, V.G. Thayer, K.M. Touhey, and A.J. Westgate. 1998. Documenting the bycatch of harbor porpoises in coastal gill net fisheries from strandings. Fishery Bulletin 96:727-734.

Westgate, A.J., A.J. Read, T.M. Cox, B.D. Schofield, B. Whitaker, and K. Andersen. 1998. Monitoring a rehabilitated harbor porpoise using satellite telemetry. Marine Mammal Science 14(3):599-604.

Bryant, D., E. Rodenburg, T. Cox, and D. Nielsen. 1996. Coastlines at risk: An index of potential development-related threats to coastal ecosystems. World Resources Institute Indicator Brief.

Presentations and Abstracts

Cox, T., C. Muir, J. Moore, A. Read, R. Lewison, E. Aruna, I. Ayissi, J. Kiszka, B. Ngatunga, N. Pilcher, C. Poonian, B. Solarin. 2007. Evaluation of a protocol to conduct a rapid assessment of marine mammal bycatch in global fisheries. Seventeenth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Cape Town, South Africa.

Cox, T., L. Crowder, R. Lewison, C. Safina, A. Read, R. Zydelis, B. Wallace. 2006. Mitigating the bycatch of sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals: From experimental evaluation to implementation in commercial fisheries. Society for Conservation Biology, 20th Annual Meeting, San Jose, California.

Cox, T.M. 2004. Integrating ecology and conservation: Harbor porpoises in the Gulf of Maine. Invited talk at American Cetacean Society, Ninth International Conference, Long Beach, California.

Cox, T.M., A.J. Read, A.J. Westgate, and P.N. Halpin. 2003. Distribution of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the Gulf of Maine: Ecological and management implications. Fifteenth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Cox, T.M. and A.J. Read. 2001. Echolocation behavior of porpoises around acoustically enhanced gillnets. Fourteenth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Cox, T.M. Gross evidence of fisheries interaction in small cetaceans. 2001. Invited talk at Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Team information meeting, Raleigh, NC.

Cox, T.M., A.J. Read, A. Solow, and N. Tregenza. 1999. Porpoises habituate to pingers: Will acoustic alarms solve entanglement problems? Thirteenth Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Maui, Hawaii.

Cox, T.M. 1998. Gross evidence of fisheries interaction in small cetaceans. Stranding response and investigations: Sampling and Forensics Workshop, Sausalito, CA.

Cox, T.M., W.A. McLellan, S.G. Barco, D.P. Gannon, H.N. Koopman, D.A. Pabst, C.W. Potter, A.J. Read, A.J. Westgate. 1998. Incidence of a fatal harbor porpoise – bottlenose dolphin interaction in the western North Atlantic. Sixth Annual Atlantic Coastal Dolphin Conference, St. Petersburg, FL. (poster)

Cox, T.M., A.J. Westgate, A.J. Read, K. Anderson, D. Schofield, and B. Whitaker. 1997. Monitoring a rehabilitated harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) using satellite telemetry. Fifth Annual Atlantic Coastal Dolphin Conference, Wilmington, NC.

Cox, T.M. and A.J. Read. 1997. Implementation of gear modifications: Pingers. Marine Mammals and Virginia’s Fisheries Workshop, Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Professional Service

Designated Alternate, Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Take Reduction Team

Rapporteur, Global Cetacean Bycatch Reduction Initiative, World Wildlife Fund

Member, Atlantic Large Whale Disentanglement Team

Reviewer, Fishery Bulletin, Marine Mammal Science, Aquatic Mammals, Animal Conservation, Fisheries Research,Biological Conservation,Endangered Species Research, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution Protect Wild Dolphin Program

Member, Society for Marine Mammalogy

Graduate Student Representative to Faculty, Duke Marine Laboratory