Rate My Professor Marta Guerra

Dr. Marta Guerra is an Assistant Research Fellow in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago. She completed her Master of Science in 2013 and her Doctor of Philosophy in 2019, both from the University of Otago. Her MSc thesis, "Effects of vessels on the surface and vocal behaviour of sperm whales," investigated the impacts of boat traffic on sperm whale behavior. Her PhD thesis, "Foraging ecology of sperm whales at Kaikōura," supervised by Dr. Will Rayment and Professor Steve Dawson, explored the foraging strategies, habitat preferences, and behavioral adaptations of sperm whales in the Kaikōura submarine canyon. Guerra's research centers on marine mammal ecology, with a focus on sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), examining their distribution, foraging ecology, fine-scale habitat use, social structure, and responses to environmental perturbations such as earthquakes and seasonal prey variations. Her studies also extend to other species including bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens), and Shepherd's beaked whales (Tasmacetus shepherdi).

Guerra has authored or co-authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications, accumulating more than 285 citations. Key works include "Characterizing the Distribution and Behavior of Sperm Whales, Physeter macrocephalus, Over the Otago Submarine Canyons, New Zealand" (Marine Mammal Science, 2026), "Seasonal variation in the use of food resources by sperm whales in a submarine canyon" (Deep Sea Research Part I, 2023), "Fine-scale habitat use of foraging sperm whales is driven by seafloor topography and water column structure" (Marine Mammal Science, 2022), "Evidence from sperm whale clans of symbolic marking in non-human cultures" (PNAS, 2022), "Multi-decadal observations of the size structure of sperm whales at Kaikōura, New Zealand" (Marine Mammal Science, 2021), and "Changes in habitat use by a deep-diving predator in response to a strong coastal earthquake" (Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2020). These contributions have advanced knowledge of deep-diving predator ecology and conservation implications in New Zealand waters. Her PhD research was supported by a University of Otago scholarship. She contributes to teaching, including the course MARI 302: Biology and Behaviour of Marine Vertebrates.