Rochelle Constantine

Rochelle Constantine ONZM
Constantine in 2023
Other names	Rochelle Lee Constantine
Academic background
Alma mater	University of Auckland
Thesis	The behavioural ecology of the bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of northeastern New Zealand: a population exposed to tourism (2002)
Doctoral advisor	Scott Baker, Dianne Brunton, Nick Gales, Bernd Würsig
Academic work
Institutions	University of Auckland

Rochelle Lee Constantine ONZM is a New Zealand marine biologist, and is a full professor at the University of Auckland. Constantine specialises in marine mammal conservation.

Academic career

Constantine completed a PhD titled The behavioural ecology of the bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of northeastern New Zealand: a population exposed to tourism at the University of Auckland in 2002.[1] Constantine then joined the faculty, rising to full professor, and leader of the Marine Mammal Ecology Lab.[2]

Constantine's research focuses on marine mammal conservation. Her research into accidental deaths of Bryde's whales in the Hauraki Gulf led to lower speed limits in shipping lanes to protect the whales.[3] Constantine has also worked on Hector's and Māui dolphin threat management plans. In 2016 she co-led an expedition to the Kermadecs and her research has traced the migration patterns of humpback whales through Oceania, the Kermadec Islands and Antarctica.[3][4]

Constantine is a member of the Executive Committee of the South Pacific Whale Consortium and co-founded a charitable trust to research technologies for marine conservation. Since 2010 Constantine has been Chair of the International Whaling Commission – Southern Ocean Research Partnership humpback whale research since 2010.[3]

Honours and awards

Constantine's work on ship-strike of Bryde's whale won her one of three inaugural Holdaway Awards in 2013.[5][6]

In the 2023 King's Birthday and Coronation Honours, Constantine was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to wildlife conservation and marine biology.[3]

Selected works

• Rochelle Constantine; Dianne H Brunton; Todd Dennis (May 2004). "Dolphin-watching tour boats change bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) behaviour". Biological Conservation. 117 (3): 299–307. doi:10.1016/J.BIOCON.2003.12.009. ISSN 0006-3207. Wikidata Q55970324.
• Rochelle Constantine (October 2001). "Increased avoidance of swimmers by wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) due to long-term exposure to swim-with-dolphin tourism". Marine Mammal Science. 17 (4): 689–702. doi:10.1111/J.1748-7692.2001.TB01293.X. ISSN 0824-0469. Wikidata Q119080377.
• Ellen Garland; Anne W Goldizen; Melinda L Rekdahl; et al. (14 April 2011). "Dynamic horizontal cultural transmission of humpback whale song at the ocean basin scale". Current Biology. 21 (8): 687–691. doi:10.1016/J.CUB.2011.03.019. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 21497089. Wikidata Q51601731.
• Mark Hindell; Ryan R Reisinger; Yan Ropert-Coudert; et al. (18 March 2020). "Tracking of marine predators to protect Southern Ocean ecosystems". Nature. 580 (7801): 87–92. doi:10.1038/S41586-020-2126-Y. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 32238927. Wikidata Q90836193.

References

1. Constantine, Rochelle (2002). The behavioural ecology of the bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) of northeastern New Zealand: a population exposed to tourism (PhD thesis). ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland.
2. University of Auckland. "Profile: Rochelle Constantine". profiles.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
3. "The King's Birthday and Coronation Honours List 2023 – Citations for Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)". www.dpmc.govt.nz. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
4. "Rochelle Constantine". Blake NZ. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
5. Dickey, Delwyn (8 October 2013). "Protector of the gulf". Stuff. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
6. "Wildlife heroes honoured". The New Zealand Herald. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023.