I study the ecology, distribution and movement behaviour of marine megafauna (e.g. marine mammals, sea turtles, sharks). I am particularly interested in understanding the context and motivations surrounding movement from one place to another and linking animal movement with environmental factors (natural and anthropogenic). This is key to understanding how populations will respond to current and future environmental change. I typically work with data from animal-borne electronic devices, remotely-sensed environmental data and also survey data.
I started my working life as a zookeeper at Sydney's Taronga Zoo. I graduated with BSc Hons in 2000 and after working in a range of institutions (e.g. USyd, Australian Antarctic Division) for a few years I completed my PhD in 2009. My first postdoctoral research position was at the University of Western Australia Oceans Institute from 2010-2013 and I have been employed as a research scientist at AIMS since then.
The development & application of models describing and predicting the movement and distribution of marine megafauna in Northern Australian marine ecosystems, including
Part of the leadership team for the Marine Megafauna Movement Analytical Program - bringing animal movement data together for global synthesis
Developing distribution & abundance models for humpback whales in the Kimberley region of WA
Understanding the distribution and movement behaviour of marine turtles, including hatchlings and the effect of light pollution on their dispersal
Understanding the distribution and important areas of pygmy blue whales on the NW Shelf
Cerqueira Ferreira, Luciana & Jenner, Kenneth & Jenner, Micheline & Udyawer, Vinay & Radford, Ben & Davenport, Andrew & Moller, Luciana & Andrews-Goff, Virginia & Double, Mike & Thums, Michele. (2024). Predicting suitable habitats for foraging and migration in Eastern Indian Ocean pygmy blue whales from satellite tracking data. Movement Ecology. 12. 42. 10.1186/s40462-024-00481-x
Peel, Lauren & Whiting, Scott & Pendoley, Kellie & Whittock, Paul & Cerqueira Ferreira, Luciana & Thums, Michele & Whiting, Andrea & Tucker, Anton & Rossendell, Jason & McFarlane, Glenn & Fossette, Sabrina. (2024). I still call Australia home: Satellite telemetry informs the protection of flatback turtles in Western Australian waters. Ecosphere. 15. 10.1002/ecs2.4847
D'Antonio, Ben & Cerqueira Ferreira, Luciana & Meekan, Mark & Thomson, Paul & Lieber, Lilian & Virtue, Patti & Power, Chloe & Pattiaratchi, Charitha & Brierley, Andrew & Sequeira, Ana & Thums, Michele. (2024). Links between the three-dimensional movements of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and the bio-physical environment off a coral reef. Movement Ecology. 12. 10.1186/s40462-024-00452-2
Cerqueira Ferreira, Luciana & Thums, Michele & Whiting, Scott & Meekan, Mark & Andrews-Goff, Virginia & Attard, Catherine & Bilgmann, Kerstin & Davenport, Andrew & Double, Mike & Falchi, Fabio & Guinea, Michael & Hickey, Sharyn & Jenner, Kenneth & Jenner, Micheline & Loewenthal, Graham & McFarlane, Glenn & Möller, Luciana & Norman, Brad & Peel, Lauren & Fossette, Sabrina. (2023). Exposure of marine megafauna to cumulative anthropogenic threats in north-west Australia. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 11. 10.3389/fevo.2023.1229803
Wilson, Phillipa & Pattiaratchi, Charitha & Whiting, Scott & Cerqueira Ferreira, Luciana & Fossette, S & Pendoley, Kellie & Thums, Michele. (2023). Predicting core areas of flatback turtle hatchlings and potential exposure to threats. Endangered Species Research. 52. 10.3354/esr01269
Barry, Christine & Gleiss, Adrian & Cerqueira Ferreira, Luciana & Thums, Michele & Davis, Randall & Fuiman, Lee & Roche, Naomi & Meekan, Mark. (2023). Predation of baitfishes associated with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef. Marine Biology. 170. 10.1007/s00227-023-04291-4
Andrzejaczek, Samantha & Lucas, Tim & Goodman, Maurice & Hussey, Nigel & Armstrong, Amelia & Carlisle, Aaron & Coffey, Daniel & Gleiss, Adrian & Huveneers, Charlie & Jacoby, David & Meekan, Mark & Mourier, Johann & Peel, Lauren & Abrantes, Kátya & Afonso, André & Ajemian, Matthew & Anderson, Brooke & Anderson, Scot & Araujo, Gonzalo & Curnick, David. (2022). Diving into the vertical dimension of elasmobranch movement ecology. 8.
Mayer-Pinto, Mariana & Jones, Theresa & Swearer, Stephen & Robert, Kylie & Bolton, Damon & Aulsebrook, Anne & Dafforn, Katherine & Dickerson, Ashton & Dimovski, Alicia & Hubbard, Niki & McLay, Lucy & Pendoley, Kellie & Poore, Alistair & Thums, Michele & Willmott, Nikolas & Yokochi, Kaori & Fobert, Emily. (2022). Light pollution: a landscape-scale issue requiring cross-realm consideration. UCL Open Environment. 4. 10.14324/111.444/ucloe.000036
Womersley, Freya & Humphries, Nicolas & Queiroz, Nuno & Vedor, Marisa & da Costa, Ivo & Furtado, Miguel & Tyminski, John & Abrantes, Kátya & Araujo, Gonzalo & Bach, Steffen & Barnett, Adam & Berumen, Michael & Lion, Sandra & Braun, Camrin & Clingham, Elizabeth & Cochran, Jesse & de la Parra, Rafael & Diamant, Stella & Dove, Alistair & Sims, David. (2022). Global collision-risk hotspots of marine traffic and the world’s largest fish, the whale shark. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119. 10.1073/pnas.2117440119
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