Douglas Nowacek

Marine Science and Conservation

Randolph K. Repass and Sally-Christine Rodgers University Distinguished Professor of Conservation Technology in Environment and Engineering

Douglas  Nowacek Profile Photo
Douglas Nowacek Profile Photo

Research Interests

Marine mammal behavioral and acoustic ecology
Ocean noise
Offshore renewable energy

Bio

Sound propagates very efficiently through sea water, and marine mammals take advantage of this medium to communicate and explore their environment. My research is focused on the link between acoustic and motor behavior in marine mammals, primarily cetaceans and manatees, specifically, how they use sound in ecological processes. The cetaceans, or whales and dolphins, are divided into two main groups, the toothed whales (odontocetes) and the baleen whales (mysticetes). One of my specific areas of research is the use of echolocation and foraging behavior in one of the odontocetes, the bottlenose dolphin. Another focus of my current research is the effect(s) of anthropogenic noise on marine mammals.

Education

  • B.A. Ohio Wesleyan University, 1991
  • Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999

Positions

  • Randolph K. Repass and Sally-Christine Rodgers University Distinguished Professor of Conservation Technology in Environment and Engineering
  • Professor
  • Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • Sally Connally Hardie Visiting Researcher. University of St. Andrews, Scotland. 2018
  • Visiting Scholar. University of Tasmania. 2013

Courses Taught

  • BIOLOGY 279LA: Sound in the Sea: Introduction to Marine Bioacoustics
  • BIOLOGY 784LA: Sound in the Sea: Introduction to Marine Bioacoustics
  • ECE 384LA: Sound in the Sea: Introduction to Marine Bioacoustics
  • ECE 461: Ocean Engineering
  • ECE 590: Advanced Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • ECE 784LA: Sound in the Sea: Introduction to Marine Bioacoustics
  • ECS 280LA: Sound in the Sea: Introduction to Marine Bioacoustics
  • ENVIRON 280LA: Sound in the Sea: Introduction to Marine Bioacoustics
  • ENVIRON 394A: Research Independent Study
  • ENVIRON 461: Ocean Engineering
  • ENVIRON 723A: Offshore Renewable Energy & Wildlife Conservation
  • ENVIRON 784LA: Sound in the Sea: Introduction to Marine Bioacoustics
  • MARSCI 280LA: Sound in the Sea: Introduction to Marine Bioacoustics
  • MARSCI 323A: Offshore Renewable Energy & Wildlife Conservation
  • MARSCI 393: Research Independent Study
  • MARSCI 393A: Research Independent Study
  • MARSCI 394: Research Independent Study
  • ME 426: Ocean Engineering