Kristin Laidre
- Assistant Professor, SAFS
- Principal Researcher, Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory
Research areas
I am working on problems of applied animal ecology. My research is field-based, largely empirical, and focuses on using quantitative data on individual movements, foraging behavior, and life history of Arctic top predators to understand population dynamics, and the uniting aspects of behavioral, population, and evolutionary ecology. I am particularly interested in linking individual performance to an animal’s selection for habitat resources and predicting how these relationships will be impacted by climate change. My questions have been primarily directed at the ecology and management of Arctic marine mammals, specifically cetaceans and polar bears around Greenland, though my students work on a wide range of species. My interests also include conservation and wildlife management, scaling questions in ecology, and the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to spatial data.
Prospective students: Visit my website to view my availability and policies.
Courses
Areas of Expertise
- Marine mammals
- Marine conservation
- Climate change
- Polar ecology
Community Engagement and Awards
Advisory Boards
- Scientific Working Group of the Canada-Greenland Joint Commission on Polar Bears (Baffin Bay and Kane Basin Subpopulations)
- IUCN Species Survival Commission Polar Bear Specialist Group (PBSG)
- IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Cetacean Specialist Group (CSG)
Selected publications
2015. Laidre K.L.; H. Stern; K. M. Kovacs; L. Lowry; S. E. Moore; E. V. Regehr; S. H. Ferguson; Ø. Wiig; P. Boveng; R. P. Angliss; E. W. Born; D. Litovka; L. Quakenbush; C. Lydersen; D. Vongraven; F. Ugarte. Arctic marine mammal population status, sea ice habitat loss, and conservation recommendations for the 21st century. Conservation Biology.
2012. Laidre K.L.; E. W. Born; E. Gurarie; Ø. Wiig; H. Stern; R. Dietz. Females roam while males patrol: Comparing movements of adult male and adult female polar bears during the springtime breeding season. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 280, no 1752. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2371.
2011. Laidre K.L.; M.P. Heide-Jørgensen. Life in the lead: Extreme densities of narwhals in the offshore pack ice. Marine Ecology Progress Series 423:269-278.
2010. Laidre, K. L.; M. P. Heide-Jørgensen; W. Ermold; M. Steele. Narwhals document continued warming of southern Baffin Bay. Journal of Geophysical Research 115: C10049, doi:10.1029/2009JC005820.
2007. Laidre, K.L.; I. Stirling; L. Lowry; Ø. Wiig; M. P. Heide-Jørgensen; S. Ferguson. Quantifying the sensitivity of arctic marine mammals to climate-induced habitat change. Ecological Applications 18(2): S97-S125.
2015. Laidre K.L.; H. Stern; K. M. Kovacs; L. Lowry; S. E. Moore; E. V. Regehr; S. H. Ferguson; Ø. Wiig; P. Boveng; R. P. Angliss; E. W. Born; D. Litovka; L. Quakenbush; C. Lydersen; D. Vongraven; F. Ugarte. Arctic marine mammal population status, sea ice habitat loss, and conservation recommendations for the 21st century. Conservation Biology.
2012. Laidre K.L.; E. W. Born; E. Gurarie; Ø. Wiig; H. Stern; R. Dietz. Females roam while males patrol: Comparing movements of adult male and adult female polar bears during the springtime breeding season. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 280, no 1752. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2012.2371.
2011. Laidre K.L.; M.P. Heide-Jørgensen. Life in the lead: Extreme densities of narwhals in the offshore pack ice. Marine Ecology Progress Series 423:269-278.
2010. Laidre, K. L.; M. P. Heide-Jørgensen; W. Ermold; M. Steele. Narwhals document continued warming of southern Baffin Bay. Journal of Geophysical Research 115: C10049, doi:10.1029/2009JC005820.
2007. Laidre, K.L.; I. Stirling; L. Lowry; Ø. Wiig; M. P. Heide-Jørgensen; S. Ferguson. Quantifying the sensitivity of arctic marine mammals to climate-induced habitat change. Ecological Applications 18(2): S97-S125.