Dr Nick Gales
Dr Nick Gales: BSc, BVMS, PhD
Australian Antarctic Chief Scientist
Phone: +61 3 6232 3437
email: nick.gales@aad.gov.au
Research interests
I have had a privileged and diverse background in applied marine mammal conservation science. Originally graduating as a veterinarian and then moving to applied science through a PhD program on Australian sea lions, I have enjoyed working on the science that underpins the policy and management of marine mammal and human interactions in many arenas. In pursuing this career I have conducted detailed physiological, reproductive and movement studies of seals, dugongs, whales and dolphins in a diverse range of environments including Antarctica, Australia, New Zealand and many of the subantarctic islands.
I was previously the Leader of the Australian Marine Mammal Centre, based at the Australian Antarctic Division in Hobart. This job provided a tremendous opportunity to positively influence the direction, shape and quantity of science that supports improved conservation outcomes for marine mammals and to ensure that Government policy and management decisions are fully informed with science.
Current projects
International representations/collaborations
- Head of Australian delegation – International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee
- Oceania coordinator - IUCN cetacean specialist group
Key outcome areas
- Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
- International Whaling Commission (IWC)
Selected publications
Costa, D.P., and Gales, N.J. 2000. Foraging energetics and diving behaviour of lactating New Zealand sea lions Phocarctos hookeri. Journal of Experimental Biology 203:3655-3665.
Gales, N.J., Dalebout, M. and J. Bannister. 2002. Genetic identification and biological observations of two free-swimming beaked whales: Mesoplodon hectori, Hectors beaked whale (Gray, 1871), and Mesoplodon grayi, Grays beaked whale (von Haast, 1876). Marine Mammal Science 18(2):437-448.
Jarman, S.N., Gales, N.J., Tierney, M., Gill, P.C. & Elliott, N.G. 2002. A DNA-based method for identification of krill species and its application to analysing the diet of marine vertebrate predators. Molecular Ecology 11:2679-2690.
Gales, N.J., Hindell, M and Kirkwood, R. (Editors) 2003. Marine Mammals and Humans: Fisheries, Tourism and Management. CSIRO Press, Melbourne, Australia. 446pp.
Costa, D.P, and Gales, N. J.2003. Energetics of a benthic diver: seasonal foraging ecology of the Australian sea lion, Neophoca cinera. Ecolological Monographs 73(1):27-43.
Gales, N.J., Brennan, A. and Baker, R. 2003. Ethics and marine mammal science. Marine mammals and humans (Eds: Gales, N.J., Hindell, M., Kirkwood, R.). CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Victoria. 321-330.
Gales, N.J., McCauley, R., Lanyon, J. and Holley, D. 2004. Changes in abundance of dugongs in the Shark Bay, Ningaloo and Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia: Evidence of large scale movements? Wildlife Research 31:283-290.
Chilvers, B.L., Delean, S., Gales, N.J., Holley, D.K, Ivan R. Lawler, I.R, Marsh, H., and Preen, A. 2004. Diving behaviour of dugongs Dugong dugon. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology 304:203-224.
Gales, N.J., Barnes, J., Chittick, B., Gray, M., Robinson, S., Burns, J. and Costa, D. 2005. Effective, field-based inhalational anaesthesia for ice seals. Marine Mammal Science 21:717-727.
Gales, N.J., Kasuya, T., Clapham, P. and Brownell, R.L. 2005. Japans whaling plan under scruitiny: useful science or unregulated commercial whaling? Nature 435: 883-884.
Bejder, L., Samuels, A., Whitehead, H., Gales, N.J., Mann, J., Connor, R., Heithaus, M., Watson-Capps, J., Flaherty, C. and Krutzen, M. 2006. Decline in relative abundance of bottlenose dolphins exposed to long-term disturbance. Conservation Biology 20:1791-1798
Reeves, R.R. and Gales, N.J. 2006. Realities in Baiji Conservation. Conservation Biology 20:626-628.
Clapham, P.J., Childerhouse, S., Gales, N.J., Rojas-Bracho, L., Tillman, M.F. and Brownell, R.L. 2007. 'The whaling issue: Conservation, confusion and casuistry'. Marine Policy.
Gales, N.J., Clapham, P., and Baker, C.S. 2007. A case for killing humpback whales? Nature Precedings.
Nicol, S., Croxall, J., Trathan, P., Gales, N. and Murphy, E. 2007. Paradigm misplaced? Antarctic marine ecosystems are affected by climate change as well as biological processes and harvesting. Antarctic Science.
Gales, N.J., Leaper, R. and Papastavrou, V. 2008. Is Japans whaling humane? Marine Policy 32:408-412.
Gales, N.J., Woods, R., and Vogelnes, L. In Press. Marine mammal strandings and the role of the veterinarian. In Medicine of Australian Mammals (Ed; Vogelnest, L., and Woods, R). CSIRO Publishing.
Campbell, R.A., Gales, N.J., Lento, G.M., and Baker C.S. 2008. Islands in the Sea: extreme female natal site fidelity in the Australian sea lion, Neophoca cinerea. Biology Letters, 4:139-142.
Campbell, R.A., Holley, D., Chrisianopolous, D, Caputi, N and Gales, N.J. 2008. Mitigation of incidental mortality of Australian sea lions in the est coast rock lobster fishery. Endangered Species Research 5:345-358.
