Courtney Ogilvy

Senior Scientist

Email: co@smruconsulting.com

Courtney Ogilvy joined SMRU Consulting as a Senior Scientist in June 2024, following the completion of her PhD at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Prior to this, she worked as a project management professional in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Courtney is interested in marine mammal foraging ecology and understanding the impact of anthropogenic activities on marine megafauna.

During her PhD, Courtney studied the foraging ecology of the world’s rarest marine dolphin, the Māui dolphin, and the closely related Hector’s dolphin. She is experienced in stable isotope analysis and quantitative ecological modelling. She used these techniques to investigate how spatiotemporal patterns in prey and dolphin distribution were affected by fisheries closures and climate change. Her work on Māui dolphins focused on temporal scales to reveal diet plasticity and changes in niche space in response to the implementation of a Marine Mammal Sanctuary, and anomalous oceanographic events such as extreme El Niño years. For Hector’s dolphins, she used stable isotope analysis to identify fine-scale spatial differences in diet between regions with contrasting oceanographic influences. She has presented her research to New Zealand government agencies, to assist with conservation management for these endangered species.

  • Education

    • PhD, University of Auckland, School of Biological Sciences (2024)

    • BSc (Hons) University of Auckland, School of Chemical Sciences (2015)

    Skills and expertise

    • Statistical data analysis

    • Generalized Additive

    • Modelling

    • Data visualisation

    • Stable isotope analysis

    • Technical writing

    • Proficient in R

    • GIS Spatial Analysis

    • Field experience

    • DNA extraction

    • PCR

    • Project management

    • Stakeholder engagement

    • Risk management

    • Experienced line manager

    • and team lead

    • Technical report writing

    • Agile systems

  • Ogilvy, C.R., Roberts, J., Constantine, R., Della Penna, A. Climatic influences on the prey of a critically endangered coastal marine predator. 2024 Manuscript submitted for publication.

    Ogilvy, C.R., Constantine, R. & Carroll, E.L. 2023. Spatial variation in isotope values of Hector's dolphins from the north coast of the South Island, New Zealand. Mar Ecol Prog Ser. 711:61-75
    https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14301

    Ogilvy, C.R., Constantine, R., Bury, S.J. & Carroll, E.L. 2022. Diet variation in a critically-endangered marine predator revealed with stable isotope analysis. Royal Soc. open sci. 9:220470.
    http://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220470

    Ogilvy, C.R., Constantine, R. & Carroll, E. L. 2022. Investigating the diet of Māui dolphins with stable isotope analysis. Department of Conservation, NZ.

    Carroll, E.L., Steel, D., Baker, Tham, F., Ogilvy, C.R, & Constantine, R. 2022. Hector's dolphin genetic analysis. Department of Conservation, NZ.

    Ogilvy, C.R., Constantine, R., & Carroll, E.L. 2022. Investigating the diet of Hector's dolphins from the top of the South Island (TOTS) with stable isotope analysis. Department of Conservation, NZ.

  • Key Projects

    • Managed external and internal stakeholder relationships

    • Managing project initiation

    • Resource forecasts, project milestones

  • Phone: +1 (604) 737-7678

    Email: co@smruconsulting.com

    Mail:

    SMRU
    604 – 55 Water Street
    Vancouver, BC
    V6B 1A1

    Canada