Kristina Cammen

Faculty, Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program
Faculty, Initiative for One Health & the Environment

Website: cammenlab.org

Courses:

  • INT308 – Conservation and Ecology of Marine Mammals
  • SMS203 – Introduction to Integrative Marine Science
  • SMS598 – Ecological and Conservation Genomics

Research Interests

  • Marine mammal science
  • Ecological and evolutionary genomics
  • Ocean health
  • Conservation Biology

Degrees
Ph.D., Ecology, Duke University
M.Phil., Zoology, University of Cambridge
B.S., Biology & Psychology, University of Maryland

Profile:

Kristina is an associate professor of marine mammal science in the School of Marine Sciences. Her research program focuses on improving our understanding of marine mammal ecology and ocean health, and advancing the use of genomic techniques in conservation biology. She currently has active research projects investigating gray and harbor seals in the Gulf of Maine, particularly in relation to historical bottlenecks, recent recovery, and emerging diseases. In addition, she is exploring new areas of research to better understand the impacts of anthropogenic activities, such as ocean noise, tidal turbines, and tourism on marine mammals. These projects involve collaborations within and beyond the Mitchell Center and the University of Maine, including both governmental and nongovernmental agencies that contribute to developing stakeholder-engaged, solutions-driven research methods.

Kristina’s research program aims to address issues at the intersection of human-wildlife conflict, particularly in relation to perceived competition of protected species and marine resource users, including fishermen. She is working to facilitate new interdisciplinary research collaborations to tackle these types of questions related to marine mammal ecology and conservation that span the human-natural dimensions and address issues of sustainability and ecosystem health in our coastal systems.

Selected Publications

Homola, J.J., Loftin, C.S., Cammen, K.M., Helbing, C.C., Birol, I., Schultz, T.F., Kinnison, M.T. (2019). Replicated landscape genomics identifies evidence of local adaptation to urbanization in wood frogs. Journal of Heredity. 110(6), 707-719.

Cammen, K. M., Rasher, D. B., & Steneck, R. S. (2019). Predator recovery, shifting baselines, and the adaptive management challenges they create. Ecosphere, 10(2), e02579.

Cammen, K.M., Schultz, T.F., Bowen, W.D., Hammill, M.O., Puryear, W.B., Runstadler, J., Wenzel, F.W., Wood, S.A., Kinnison, M.T. (2018). Genomic signatures of population bottleneck and recovery in Northwest Atlantic pinnipeds. Ecology and Evolution, 8(13), 6599-6614.

Cammen KM, Vincze S, Heller S, McLeod BA, Wood SA, Bowen WD, Hammill MO, Puryear WB, Runstadler J, Wenzel FW, Kinnison M, Frasier TR (2018) Genetic diversity from bottleneck to recovery in two sympatric pinniped species in the Northwest Atlantic. Conservation Genetics 19: 555-569.

Jayasundara N, Fernando PW, Osterberg JS, Cammen KM, Schultz TF, Di Guilio RT (2017) Cost of tolerance: fitness consequences of contemporary evolution to an anthropogenic stressor in teleost fish. Environmental Science & Technology. 15:8673-8772.

Cammen KM, Andrews KR, Carroll EL, Foote AD, Humble E, Khudyakov JI, Louis M, McGowen MR, Olsen MT, Van Cise AM (2016) Genomic methods take the plunge: recent advances in high throughput sequencing of marine mammals. Journal of Heredity. 107:481-495.