Institute for Geographic Information Science at San Francisco State University

Barry Nickel

Associate Director
office:	HSS 288
tel:	415.338.3566
fax:	415.338.6243
e-mail:	bnickel@sfsu.edu

Institute for Geographic Information Science
Department of Geography
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
USA

Education:

B.Sc. Biology (Minor Environmental Studies) - College of Charleston. Department of Biology (1996)

M.A. Biology (Ecology and Systematics) - San Francisco State University. Department of Biology (2003)

Professional Experience:

Associate Director	Institute for Geographic Information Science, SFSU	2004– present
Lecturer	Geography Department, SFSU	2005 – present
GIS Program Manager	Geography Department, SFSU	2002 – 2004
Biological Consultant	San Francisco Estuary Institute	2002 – 2003
Wildlife Ecologist / GIS Analyst	Richmond Bridge Harbor Seal Survey	2000 – 2003
Graduate Researcher	Geography Department, SFSU	2002
Graduate Assistant	Biology Department, SFSU	2000 – 2002
Research Associate	Animal Behavior Laboratory, College of Charleston	1996 – 1998

Professional Service:
Review Committee	San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project	2006
Senior Advisor	Endpoint Environmental, LLC	2005-present
Abstract Review Committee	16th Biennial Conf. on Biology of Marine Mammals	2005
Abstract Review Committee	15th Biennial Conf. on Biology of Marine Mammals	2003
Symposium Co-organizer (Habitat)	15th Biennial Conf. on Biology of Marine Mammals	2003
Exposure & Effects Seal Work Group	San Francisco Estuary Institute	2002 – 2005
Founding member	Northern California Student Chapter of SMM	2002 – 2004
Docent/Instructor	The Marine Mammal Center	1998 – 1999
Docent	Golden Gate Raptor Observatory	1998 – 1999

Professional Research Interests:

My research interests primarily concern the spatial and foraging ecology of large vertebrates, in particular reference to marine mammals. I am especially interested in marine mammal foraging ecology and the relationship between this and the surrounding oceanographic environment. The spatial distribution of prey for top predators at sea can be described as a complex hierarchical patch system, whereby patches at small scales are congregated within patches at larger scales, forming a nested hierarchy. Physical-biological interactions and trophic relationships between marine vertebrates and biological productivity occur across this continuum of patchiness so that marine mammal and seabird response is scale dependent. To address this, I am increasingly devoted to developing spatially explicit models of movement and foraging to understand how marine mammals perceive and react to prey/habitat and how this might change with scale.

To investigate the fine-scale behavior of large marine predators, e.g. marine mammals, in relation to oceanographic/trophic conditions, I employ a combination of telemetric techniques (VHF and satellite), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), in a spatially explicit analytical framework. The motivation for adopting this research paradigm is: the use of telemetry technology (VHF, satellite, etc.) provides a great deal of information on marine mammal behavior, physiology, and movements at varying scales and resolution; GIS provides an excellent framework with which to process, interpret, and analyze these data in relation to habitat or prey density and distribution; and the landscape ecological perspective focuses on interactions between spatial patterns and the ecological processes influencing and influenced by patterns at different scales.

Publications:

B. Nickel, D. Greig, M. Lander, F. Gulland. 2007. Post release monitoring of stranded Guadalupe fur seals: movements, dive behavior, and habitat use. To be submitted to Marine Mammal Science.

B. Nickel, S.G. Allen, H. Markowitz. 2007. Spatial analysis of Pacific harbor seal foraging movements as a correlated random walk and fractal dimension. To be submitted to Marine Ecology Progress Series.

B. Nickel, S.G. Allen, H. Markowitz. 2007. Pacific harbor seal habitat use: a spatially explicit model for the San Francisco Estuary. To be submitted to Journal of Applied Ecology.

B. Nickel and E. Grigg. 2002. Telemetry technology in biomarker studies of Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) in the San Francisco Estuary, CA. San Francisco Estuary Institute Contract Report No. 380, pp. 28.

Thesis:

B. Nickel. 2003. Movement and habitat use patterns of harbor seals in the San Francisco Estuary, California. M.A. thesis, San Francisco State University.

Conference Proceedings:

J. Davis, B. Nickel, and J. Cohen. 2006. Institute for Geographic Information Science: providing geospatial solutions to the Bay Area. Cal GIS 2006, Santa Barbara, CA.

B. Nickel, D. Greig. 2005. Post-release monitoring of three stranded Guadalupe fur seals: movements, dive behavior, and habitat use. 16th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, CA.

B. Nickel, S.G. Allen, H. Markowitz. 2003. Spatial scaling in Pacific harbor seal habitat use: correlated random walks and fractal analysis of movements. 15th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Greensboro, NC.

M. Galloway, L. Scianamblo, E. Grigg, B. Nickel, D. Green, H. Markowitz, D. Greig, C. Morton. 2003. Movement and dive patterns of two rehabilitated harbor seal pups (Phoca vitulina richardii) released back into an urbanized estuary. 15th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Greensboro, NC.

B. Nickel, E. Grigg, D. Green, H. Markowitz, S. Allen. 2002. Should I stay or should I go?: Monitoring Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) movement and site use in and around the San Francisco Estuary. 2nd California and World Oceans Conference, Santa Barbara, CA.

B. Nickel, E. Grigg, D. Green, S. Allen, H. Markowitz. 2002. Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) distribution, movement, and foraging activities within San Francisco Bay, California. 4th Annual Bay Area Conservation Biology Symposium, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA.

B. Nickel, E. Grigg, D. Green, S. Allen, H. Markowitz. 2001. Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) distribution, movement, and foraging activities within an urban estuary: implications for the effects of seismic retrofitting in San Francisco Bay, California. 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Vancouver, BC.

E. Grigg, B. Nickel, D. Green, S. Allen, H. Markowitz. 2001. Spatial habitat modelling to examine harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) habitat use patterns in San Francisco Bay, California. Workshop on the Use of Geomatic Technologies for Marine Mammal Scientists 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Vancouver, BC.

H. Petersen, B. Nickel, G. Oliver, S. Allen. H. Markowitz. 2001. Habitat use and behavior of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in a subtropical reef lagoon. 14th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Vancouver, BC.

E. Grigg, D. Green, S. Allen, B. Nickel, H. Markowitz, F. Gulland. 2001. Overview of current monitoring of harbor seals (Phoc vitulina richardsi) in San Francisco Bay, CA. 6th Biennial Conference on Research in the Gulf of Farallones. San Francisco, CA.

A. Bohorquez, B. Nickel, E. Grigg, D. Green, B. Jaffe, R. Bouse, S. Allen, H. Markowitz. 2001. The high price of gold: possible effects of hydraulic mining on harbor seals in San Francisco. 15th Annual Conservation Biology Conference, Hilo, HI.

B Nickel and D.A. McCallum. 2000. Deducing the migratory status of a secretive, nocturnal owl, the flammulated owl: hypotheses and data needs. 37th Annual Meeting of the Animal Behavior Society. Atlanta, GA.

B. Nickel and D.A. McCallum. 1996. Distribution of the flammulated owl in the non-breeding season. 8th Annual Scientific Research Poster Session. College of Charleston, Charleston, SC.

Teaching (San Francisco State University):

Geog 603: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

Geog 9010: Using GPS for GIS

Geog 9025: Fundamentals of Web Mapping Applications

Invited Lectures (San Francisco State University, College of Marin):

'Pinnipeds of California'	Biol 300: Nature Study
'Field methods for the study of marine mammal ecology'	Biol 606: Behavior & Physiology of Marine Mammals
'Using GIS in the analysis of animal spatial patterns'	Geog 9023: GIS/RS for Coastal/Marine Scientists
‘Landscape ecology and GIS'	Geog 621: GIS for Environmental Analysis
'Landscape pattern analysis'	Geog 810: Seminar in Biogeography
'GIS and Ecology'	Biol 115: General Ecology
'Marine Mammal Foraging Ecology'	Biol 171: Biology of Marine Mammals
'Spatial Data Modeling'	Geog 620: GIS
'ArcIMS'	Geog 620: GIS
'GIS and Ornithology'	Biol 478: Ornithology