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Lee
Shannon |
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Research Interests: I graduated with a B.S. in Zoology in 1997 from Auburn University, attending school on a Navy ROTC scholarship and subsequently serving 11 years as a naval special operations officer. Among other things I am trained as a deep sea diver, bomb technician, parachutist, marine salvage officer, and explosives expert. I currently hold the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Naval Reserve affiliated with a SEAL Team here on O'ahu. I recently left active duty to continue my education as a zoologist. I have a deep respect and love for all living things, and the maintaining the balance between them. I am pursuing a doctorate in this department because only a handful of people in the world are in the position to affect change in the United States Government's environmental policies. My substantial knowledge in the fields of naval warfare and life sciences combined with an advanced degree in Zoology from the University of Hawai'i would uniquely position me to have a just such a voice in the vitally important issue of anthropogenic effects of maritime military operations on marine biological systems. Graduate education at the University of Hawai'i will complete my qualifications, enabling me to perform the important work of assessing the biological impacts of naval operations throughout the pacific region and recommending policy changes to mitigate potential negative impacts while promoting positive practices that are beneficial to the environment. I am a student in Dr. Whitlow Au's lab at the Hawai'I Institue of Marine Biology's Marine Mammal Research Program. My primary research interest is documenting the long-term ecological impact (both positive and negative) of naval operations and underwater construction in military controlled ocean environments. I am intent on investigating and developing use of remote hydrophone listening sites to record underwater bio-sound and apply the data collected to help determine the health of these marine ecosystems. Through analyzing trends in types and volumes of sounds produced, I hope to monitor stresses to populations of organisms within habitats regularly exposed to naval activities. I am also interested in applying remote tracking techniques of apex predators and other keystone species to assist in these impact assessments, and the use of closed-circuit mixed gas diving as a tool in the placement, evaluation, and maintenance of passive acoustic sensor systems. I am
very enthusiastic about the prospect of studying Marine Zoology
in Hawai'i and actually applying the results of my field research
to make immediate far-reaching contributions to the multi-disciplinary
field of marine conservation. I truly believe it is in the best
interest of the U.S. Government to safeguard our oceans and marine
resources, both as a national security issue and as the duty of
responsible citizens of the planet. Working closely with the Navy
I can help to ensure we are the best possible stewards of the oceans
we all love, depend on, and are charged with protecting.
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