I am a PhD Candidate in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington studying under the direction of Dr. Kristin Laidre and Dr. Kate Stafford of the Applied Physics Lab.
The desire to better understand how climate change is affecting animals, specifically marine mammals, drives my research. I am fascinated by animal behavior and communication, so my research questions center around how marine mammals are changing their behavior in adaptation to changes in their environment. The Arctic presents an optimal study area for these questions since it is rapidly changing, presenting new challenges to the organisms that inhabit it. Arctic marine mammals now face a complex future. There is still much we do not understand about their fundamental behaviors, much less how they will respond to changes in their habitat brought on by increased human presence and climate change
For my master's research, I studied shifts in the phenology and habitat characteristics of polar bear maternity dens under the direction of Dr. Kristin Laidre. By examining satellite data collected from adult female polar bears, we sought out to determine if climate change related shifts in polar bear habitat are affecting the characteristics and phenology of their maternity dens over time. The results were published in Polar Biology (see my 'Research' page).
Now as a PhD student I use acoustic recordings and environmental data to examine how environmental fluctuations in the Bering Strait may influence the presence of subarctic baleen whales from year to year.
CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION:
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON March 2016 – Present
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Doctoral Student
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON September 2013 – March 2016
School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Master of Science
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY August 2006 – May 2010
Bachelor of the Arts: Integrative Biology
RESEARCH:
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Polar Science Center, Applied Physics Laboratory Seattle, WA April 2013 – September 2013
Data Technician
Supervisor: Dr. Kristin Laidre, Principal Scientist at the Polar Science Center
Managed the satellite telemetry database for the Baffin Bay population of polar bears. Responsible for error-checking, summarizing, and mapping data on Baffin Bay narwhals and polar bears.
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SOCIETY Prudhoe Bay, AK May – July 2012
Crew Leader
Field crew leader for Joe Liebezeit, Arctic Alaska Field Coordinator.
• Led one other field technician on a study consisting of two protocols: the first tested nest survivorship in relation to distance from oil infrastructure, and the second involved monitoring bird usage of rehabilitated oil pads in British Petroleum’s (BP) oilfields in Prudhoe Bay.
• Responsible for testing and revising protocols and refining the research methodologies.
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Nome, AK May – July 2011
Field Technician
Assistant for Eunbi Kwon, PhD Candidate in the Department of Biology.
• Field technician for an ongoing study on the breeding demographics of Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers in Nome, Alaska. Data collection involved capturing and banding adult birds using mist nets and nest traps, collecting blood and feather samples, and monitoring breeding success.
PUBLICATIONS:
Escajeda, E., K. M. Stafford, R. A. Woodgate, and K. L. Laidre. 2020. Variability in fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) occurrence in the Bering Strait and southern Chukchi Sea in relation to environmental factors. Deep Sea Research II.
Escajeda, E., K. L. Laidre, E. W. Born, Ø. Wiig, S. Atkinson, M. Dyck, S. H. Ferguson, and N. J. Lunn. 2018. Identifying shifts in maternity den phenology and habitat characteristics of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in Baffin Bay and Kane Basin. Polar Biology 41:87–100.
SELECT PRESENATIONS:
Escajeda, E. Interannual variability in the acoustic presence of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in relation to environmental conditions in the Bering Strait region. Oral presentation at: 2019 Meeting of the Washington Chapter of the Wildlife Society; 28 February 2019; Olympia, WA.
Escajeda, E. Interannual variability in the acoustic presence of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in relation to environmental conditions in the Bering Strait. Poster presentation at: 2019 Alaska Marine Science Symposium; 29 January 2019; Anchorage, AK.
Escajeda, E., Interannual variability in the acoustic presence of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in relation to environmental conditions in the Bering Strait. Presentation at: Annual Meeting of the Northwest Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy; 12 May 2018; Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR.
Escajeda, E. Timing is everything: Shifts in maternity den phenology of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in Baffin Bay. Oral presentation at: 21st Biennial Conference of the Society for Marine Mammalogy; 15 December 2015; San Francisco, CA.
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS:
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program: Fellowship Award, 2015
- Stu Innes Student Travel Award, 2015
- Tie for 'People's Choice' Best Presentation, Northwest Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy Annual Meeting, 2018
- Best PhD Student Poster, Northwest Student Chapter of the Society for Marine Mammalogy Annual Meeting, 2017
- Best Master’s Student Presentation, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Graduate Student Symposium, 2015
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program: Honorable Mention, 2014
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Fellowship, 2013
OUTREACH:
Society for the Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), University of Washington Student Chapter
Seattle, WA November 2015 – November 2018
Secretary/National Liaison
- Set up meetings, distribute minutes, and plan events and activities geared towards supporting undergraduate and graduate student members from underrepresented groups who are studying STEM fields, as well as community outreach events.
- Volunteer for the Marine Biology Saturday Academy. Lead activities that expose high school students to different facets of marine biology, including labs, field trips, and experiments.
Chapter Representative
- As a chapter representative, I help to organize annual chapter meetings as well as representing the NW Student Chapter at the National Conference of the Society for Marine Mammalogy.
- Volunteer for the “Narwhal Mysteries” activity at the Polar Science Weekend. Lead an activity developed by Dr. Kristin Laidre that teaches science museum visitors facts on narwhal biology, specifically their feeding behavior and seasonal migrations in Baffin Bay.