Social Strategies of Carnivorous Mammalian Predators: Hunting and Surviving as Families

Mridula Srinivasan has a doctoral degree (Ph.D., 2009) in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A & M University, investigating predation risk effects from killer whales on the behavioral ecology of dusky dolphins off Kaikoura, New Zealand, using an individual-based model. Previously, she earned degrees in environmental management from Florida Tech (MS, 2001) and zoology & molecular biology (B.Sc. (Honors), 1997 and M.Sc., 1999), from the University of Delhi, India. Mridula has expertise and experience in ecological modeling, behavioral ecology, marine policy, assessing human and environmental change impacts on marine species, and community ecology -- with a special interest in predator-prey interactions, predation risk, and risk effects. She is also actively involved in supporting international marine mammal science education, research, science capacity development, and providing technical advice to universities, government, and non-governmentalorganizations, especially in India. She is passionate about ocean literacy and mentoring the next generation of marine scientists. She has been with NOAA for nearly ​​12 years and is currently the Director, Marine Mammal and Turtle Division at NOAA Fisheries' Southeast Fisheries Science Center, where she oversees the marine mammal and turtle research enterprise engaged in producing applied science with significant conservation and societal impact. She was a 2009 NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Fellow at NOAA Research International Activities Office, 2017 US Department of State Embassy Science Fellow, and 2019 Scientific Committee for Ocean Research (SCOR) Visiting Scholar. Besides science, her other passions in life are to become fluent in Italian and to visit at least 100 countries.

Bernd Würsig has degrees from Ohio State University (BS, 1971) and Stony Brook University (PhD, 1978); spent 3 years as an NIH/NSF postdoctoral fellow at University ofCalifornia at Santa Cruz (1978-1981), and 9 years going through the professor ranks at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (1981-1989). He came to Texas A&M University as professor of marine biology in summer 1989. He is now Regents and University Distinguished Professor (Emeritus since Nov. 2016). He has taught courses in Marine Bird and Mammal Biology, Marine Vertebrates, Bio-Statistics, Behavioral Ecology of Cetaceans, and Study Abroad courses in Mexico, Greece, and New Zealand. Würsig has published over 200 peer review papers, chapters, and ten books; and been senior advisor to 70 graduate students and 14 movies on nature interpretation. As senior advisor, he was nominated for an Academy Award for an IMAX movie on dolphins. He, his students, and postdocs have studied marine mammal and sea bird foraging, sexual, and social ecology on all continents, with present work on social strategies of dusky dolphins in New Zealand and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphinsin Hong Kong. Recent books are "The Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Ed. 3" (Senior Editor, 2018), "Dusky Dolphins; Master Acrobats off Different Shores" (with Melany Würsig, 2010), "Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Odontocetes" (Editor, 2019), and "Marine Mammals: The Evolving Human Factor" (with editor Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara, 2022). He and Melany enjoy their gardens in New Zealand and the Arizona desert, marvelously-different biomes.

Mridula Srinivasan 擁有德州農工大學的野生動物與漁業科學博士學位（Ph.D.，2009），研究主題為殺人鯨對紐西蘭凱庫拉附近昏暗海豚行為生態的捕食風險影響，使用個體基礎模型進行分析。她之前在佛羅里達科技大學獲得環境管理碩士學位（MS，2001），以及在印度德里大學獲得動物學與分子生物學的學士（榮譽）學位（B.Sc. (Honors)，1997）和碩士學位（M.Sc.，1999）。Mridula 在生態建模、行為生態學、海洋政策、人類與環境變化對海洋物種影響的評估以及社區生態學方面擁有專業知識和經驗，特別關注捕食者與獵物之間的互動、捕食風險及其影響。她也積極參與支持國際海洋哺乳動物科學教育、研究、科學能力發展，並向大學、政府及非政府組織提供技術建議，尤其是在印度。她對海洋素養充滿熱情，並致力於指導下一代海洋科學家。她在 NOAA 工作近 12 年，目前擔任 NOAA 漁業東南漁業科學中心的海洋哺乳動物與海龜部門主任，負責監督海洋哺乳動物與海龜研究業務，致力於產出具有重要保育與社會影響的應用科學。她曾於 2009 年擔任 NOAA Sea Grant Knauss Fellow，2017 年成為美國國務院大使館科學研究學者，並於 2019 年成為海洋研究科學委員會（SCOR）訪問學者。除了科學，她的其他熱情是流利掌握意大利語以及造訪至少 100 個國家。

Bernd Würsig 擁有俄亥俄州立大學的學位（BS，1971）和石溪大學的博士學位（PhD，1978）；曾在加州聖克魯斯大學擔任 NIH/NSF 博士後研究員 3 年（1978-1981），並在莫斯登海洋實驗室擔任教授 9 年（1981-1989）。他於 1989 年夏季來到德州農工大學擔任海洋生物學教授，現在是名譽教授（自 2016 年 11 月起）。他教授的課程包括海洋鳥類與哺乳動物生物學、海洋脊椎動物、生物統計學、鯨類行為生態學，以及在墨西哥、希臘和紐西蘭的海外學習課程。Würsig 已發表超過 200 篇同行評審論文、章節及十本書籍；並擔任 70 名研究生和 14 部自然解說電影的高級顧問。作為高級顧問，他曾因一部關於海豚的 IMAX 電影而獲得奧斯卡提名。他和他的學生及博士後研究人員在所有大陸研究海洋哺乳動物和海鳥的覓食、性別及社會生態，目前的研究集中在紐西蘭昏暗海豚的社會策略和香港的印度-太平洋座頭鯨。最近的書籍包括《海洋哺乳動物百科全書，第 3 版》（主編，2018）、《昏暗海豚：不同海岸的高超雜技》（與 Melany Würsig 合著，2010）、《齒鯨的行為生態學》（編輯，2019）以及《海洋哺乳動物：不斷演變的人類因素》（與編輯 Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara 合著，2022）。他和 Melany 享受在紐西蘭和亞利桑那沙漠的花園，這兩個生態系統截然不同。