Emily Connelly, M.S.
Associate Wildlife Research Biologist
Phone: (207) 887-7160 x203
emily.connelly@briloon.org
Emily spent her formative years in Vermont, a state she deems perfect but for its lack of ocean coastline. The sea called her to Maine, where she attended Colby College. After her first ornithology class, she knew she wanted to study avian biology. The summer after graduation, Emily lived on Petit Manan Island, off the coast of Maine, working among the colonies of terns, puffins, guillemots, and storm-petrels that breed there. She discovered that not only did she love the sea, but seabirds as well.
The autumn following that fateful summer found her in the desert of Punta Tumbo, Argentina, where for three months she worked with Magellanic penguins as part of the University of Washington Penguin Project. After spending time in bird colonies, Emily wanted to learn where and how seabirds spend their time at sea. She then began a master’s program at Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland studying seabird distribution in the Gulf of Maine. This work involved surveying from ships in the Gulf of Maine during summer months, and two trips across the Atlantic between Newfoundland and Ireland–in the middle of winter, no less. She enjoys both the work at sea, and studying seabirds up close in colonies.
Emily joined BRI in 2012 to work on the Mid-Atlantic Baseline Studies Project studying seabirds from high definition aerial video surveys and traditional boat-based surveys in offshore wind energy areas.
Education
- M.S., Cognitive and Behavioural Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Matriculated
- B.A., Biology, Colby College, 2008
Areas of Expertise and Years of Experience
- Vessel surveys for marine birds and mammals in the Atlantic
- Statistical and mapping programs ArcGIS, R, PRIMER
- Spatial analysis, species distribution models and community-environment relationships
- Field work studying seabird life history in colonies – banding, monitoring, satellite tagging, adaptive management
Publications
- Stone, J.L., E.E. Wilson, and A.S. Kwak (2010) Embryonic inbreeding depression varies among populations and by mating system in Witheringia solanacea (Solanaceae). American Journal of Botany 97: 1328-1333
Presentations and Posters
- E.E. Connelly and W.A. Montevecchi. Oral presentation. Vessel surveys reveal distributions of marine birds in the Gulf of Maine. Nov 2011. Waterbird Society International Conference, Annapolis MD.
- W.A. Montevecchi, D.A. Fifield, C.M. Burke, S. Garthe, A. Hedd, J-F Rail, G.J. Robertson, E.E. Connelly. Oral presentation, Tracking long distance migration to assess risk in the Gulf of Mexico. Nov 2011. Waterbird Society International Conference, Annapolis MD.
- Wilson, E.E., W.A. Montevecchi. Seabird diversity and habitat associations in the Gulf of Maine. Poster presentation. May 2011. International Marine Conservation Congress, Victoria B.
- Wilson, E.E., W.A. Montevecchi. Seabird diversity and habitat associations in the Gulf of Maine. Poster presentation. April 2011. Canadian Healthy Oceans Network Meeting, Montreal.
- Wilson, E.E., W.A. Montevecchi. Marine bird linkages to habitat: Combining vessel and telemetry research in the Gulf of Maine. Oral presentation. April 2011. Psychology Department Conference, Memorial University of Newfoundland.
- Wilson, E.E., W.A. Montevecchi. Marine bird linkages to habitat: Combining vessel and telemetry research in the Gulf of Maine. Oral presentation. Feb2011. Aldrich Interdisciplinary Conference, Memorial University of Newfoundland.
- Wilson, E.E. W.A. Montevecchi. Combining vessel surveys and satellite telemetry to assess Great shearwater habitat associations in the Gulf of Maine. Poster Presentation. Sep2010. 1st World Seabird Conference, Victoria B.C.
- Wilson, E.E. Seabird biodiversity linkages to the marine habitat. Oral presentation. March 2010. Aldrich Interdisciplinary Conference, Memorial University of Newfoundland.
- Wilson, E.E., W.A. Montevecchi and K.A. Allard. Habitat associations of marine birds in the Gulf of Maine. Poster presentation. November 2009. Waterbirds Society International Conference, Cape May, NJ.
- Wilson, E.E., W.A. Montevecchi and K.A. Allard. Habitat associations of marine birds in the Gulf of Maine. Poster presentation. October 2009. Canadian Healthy Oceans Network Annual Meeting, Montreal.
- Wilson, E.E. and J. Stone, Breakdown of Genetically Enforced Self Incompatibility in the Costa Rican plant, Witheringia solanacea. Poster presentation. Maine Biological and Medical Sciences Symposium 2008 (Mount Desert Island, Maine) and Colby College Undergraduate Research Symposium 2008.