Marine Vertebrate Ecology Lab
Nina Rothe
Nina is a PhD candidate at the MAVE Lab, University of Wollongong, and a member of the Biogeography, Ecology, & Modelling (BEAM) Lab and Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF).
She completed her Master of Science in Marine Biology at the University of Algarve in 2015, focusing on coral biogeochemistry. She has experience in various areas of research and conservation, including coral reefs, sea turtles, manta rays and cetaceans.
Nina is passionate about contributing to the protection and conservation of the natural balance of our environment, through high quality research, to ensure wild places can continue to thrive.
Research
Nina’s PhD research investigates whale health in Kaikōura, New Zealand, by studying two ecologically distinct species: sperm whales, deep-diving toothed whales that forage in the region year-round, and humpback whales, migratory baleen whales that pass through Kaikōura during their northern migration. Using health indicators including body condition, respiratory microbiome diversity and scarring, she examines how whale health varies with environmental conditions and between these species with very different life histories, feeding strategies and patterns of habitat use.
Supervisors: Dr Katharina J Peters, Prof Barbara Bollard, Dr Krista van der Linde and Dr Frédérik Saltré
