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Our Experts
Scott Kraus, PhD
Emeritus Scientist
Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean LifeEducation
PhD, Zoology, University of New Hampshire 2002
MS, Biology, University of Massachusetts Boston, 1991
BA, Human Ecology, College of the Atlantic, 1977
About
Scott Kraus, PhD, has more than 40 years of field research on whales and dolphins. He has been a research scientist in the Aquarium’s Research Laboratory since 1980, and has published more than 110 papers on marine mammals, bluefin tuna, harbor porpoise, fisheries, and bycatch. Scott has worked on the biology of North Atlantic right whales since 1980, publishing numerous papers on right whale biology and conservation. He is co-editor of “The Urban Whale,” a 2007 Harvard University Press book on right whales in the North Atlantic. He was a member of the original U.S. National Right Whale Recovery Team, currently serves on the U.S. Large Whale Take Reduction Team, and is a member of the research faculty at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
His early work included the use of photo-identification of individual animals as a basis for studying the population biology of whales, developing the use of pingers for reducing porpoise bycatch in gillnets, and assessing of marine mammals from aerial surveys. Recent research projects have included studies on marine mammals and sea turtles around proposed wind farm sites, developing methods for reducing incidental bycatch of cetaceans in fishing gear, exploring visual capacities of cetaceans, and investigating the oceanographic underpinnings of marine mammal concentrations in the new Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. His overarching research interests encompass identifying and testing methods for reducing the impacts of human activities on cetaceans and the marine environment.
Awards
- Certificate of Recognition, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 1997 (Harbor porpoise Take Reduction team)
- Coastal America Award, 1997 (Right Whale Monitoring Team)
- Team Award for Excellence, 2002, PEO TSC of the U.S. Navy Ship Shock Trial
- Canadian Whale Institute, 2004
Affiliations
- Research faculty, University of Massachusetts Boston
- Editorial board, Marine Technology Society Journal
- Reviewer, Marine Conservation Action Fund
- Member, technical advisor, U.S. National Right Whale Recovery Team
- Technical advisor, U.S Harbor Porpoise Recovery Team
- Board member, North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium
- Member, American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Charter member, Society for Marine Mammalogy
Featured Research
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Repatriation of a historical North Atlantic right whale habitat during an era of rapid climate change
Aquarium Affiliate Author(s): Orla O’Brien, Dan Pendleton, Ph.D., Laura Ganley, Ph.D., Katherine McKenna, Scott Kraus, PhD, Jessica V. Redfern, PhD
Published July 20, 2022 -
Identifying predictors of species diversity to guide designation of marine protected areas
Aquarium Affiliate Author(s): Dan Pendleton, Ph.D., Laura Ganley, Ph.D., Orla O’Brien, Scott Kraus, PhD, Jessica V. Redfern, PhD
Published March 03, 2022 -
Residency, demographics, and movement patterns of North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis in an offshore wind energy development area in southern New England, USA
Aquarium Affiliate Author(s): Amy Knowlton, Orla O’Brien, Scott Kraus, PhD
Published July 29, 2021
Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life
Through pioneering conservation research and strategic partnerships, our team of 40 scientists works to combat the unprecedented impacts on the ocean from climate change and other human activities.
