Whitney R. Friedman, PhD
I am an interdisciplinary marine scientist and quantitative ecologist working to inform effective and equitable conservation.
My research has spanned across multiple systems, from coral reef fisheries and social-ecological systems, to the dynamics of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem, to the social and cognitive complexity of wild bottlenose dolphins.
As we confront a future of increased environmental variability, climate change, and increasing global populations, successful conservation and management of our marine coastal systems will be one of our most important mechanisms for ensuring resilient ecosystems and healthy coastal communities. I am committed to building out the science, practices, and community resources necessary to create a sustainable and just future.
Skills & Assets
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Collaborate, Learn & Think Big
I am persistently curious and seek diverse perspectives and solutions. I work creatively, collaboratively, and with future contexts in mind. I love working as part of a team, and enjoy showing up as a student, leader, mentor, and do-er!
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Design & Implement
I have designed, collaborated on, and implemented several field-based ecological studies. Through this I’ve engaged in and led remote fieldwork, data collection, permit acquisition, equipment maintenance, community engagement, and more.
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Understand
I produce quantitative analyses and models of ecological and social-ecological systems. I use open source programs and produce reproducible science through shared GitHub repositories and code written in R and Python.
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Communicate
I strive to produce relevant and action-oriented conservation science. I deeply value the opportunity to learn from and communicate with others, from fishers and local community members to scientists and policy makers. I also enjoy creating digestible visualizations of scientific information.
Publications
Diverse pathways for climate resilience in marine fishery systems. Jacob G. Eurich, Whitney R. Friedman, Kristin M. Kleisner, Lily Z. Zhao, Christopher M. Free, Meghan Fletcher, Julia G. Mason, Kanae Tokunaga, Alba Aguion, Andrea Dell'Apa, Mark Dickey-Collas, Rod Fujita, Christopher D. Golden, Anne B. Hollowed, Gakushi Ishimura, Kendra A. Karr, Stephen Kasperski, Yuga Kisara, Jacqueline D. Lau, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Layla Osman, Gretta T. Pecl, Jörn O. Schmidt, Edward H. Allison, Patrick J. Sullivan, Joshua E. Cinner, Roger B. Griffis, Timothy R. McClanahan, Richard C. Stedman, Katherine E. Mills. 2023. Fish and Fisheries, faf.12790.
Effects of management objectives and rules on marine conservation outcomes. Natalie C. Ban, Emily S. Darling, Georgina G. Gurney, Whitney R. Friedman, Stacy D. Jupiter, W. Peni Lestari, Irfan Yulianto, Sinta Pardede, Sukma A. R. Tarigan, Puji Prihatiningsih, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Waisea Naisilisili, Sirilo Dulunaqio, Josheena Naggea, Ravaka Ranaivoson, Vera N. Agostini, Gabby Ahmadia, Jessica Blythe, Stuart J. Campbell, Joachim Claudet, Courtney Cox, Graham Epstein, Estradivari Estradivari, Margaret Fox, David Gill, Amber Himes-Cornell, Harry Jonas, Elizabeth Mcleod, Nyawira A. Muthiga, Tim McClanahan. 2023. Conservation Biology, cobi.14156.
Attributes of climate resilience in fisheries: from theory to practice. Julia G. Mason, Jacob G. Eurich, Jacqueline D. Lau, Willow Battista, Christopher M. Free, Katherine E. Mills, Kanae Tokunaga, Lily Z. Zhao, Mark Dickey-Collas, Mireia Valle, Gretta Pecl, Joshua Cinner, Tim McClanahan, Edward H. Allison, Whitney R. Friedman, Claudio Silva, Eleuterio Yáñez, María Á. Barbieri, Kristin M. Kleisner. 2021. Fish and Fisheries, 23(3), 522-544.
Biodiversity needs every tool in the box: use OECMs. Georgina G Gurney, Emily S Darling, Gabby N Ahmadia, Vera N Agostini, Natalie C Ban, Jessica Blythe, Joachim Claudet, Graham Epstein, Amber Himes-Cornell, Harry D Jonas, Derek Armitage, Stuart J Campbell, Courtney Cox, Whitney R. Friedman, David Gill, Peni Lestari, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Elizabeth McLeod, Nyawira A Muthiga, Josheena Naggea, Ravaka Ranaivoson, Amelia Wenger, Irfan Yulianto, Stacy D Jupiter. 2021. Nature, 595(7869), 646-649.
Research priorities for achieving healthy marine ecosystems and human communities in a changing climate. W. R. Friedman, B. S. Halpern, E. McLeod, M. W. Beck, C. M. Duarte, C. V. Kappel, A. Levine, R. D. Sluka, S. Adler, C. C. O'Hara, E. J. Sterling, S. Tapia-Lewis, I. J. Losada, T. R. McClanahan, L. Pendleton, M. Spring, J. P. Toomey, K. R. Weiss, H. P. Possingham, and J. R. Montambault. 2020. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7.
Composite effects of marine and freshwater processes on salmon population dynamics. Friedman, W.R., Martin, B.T., Wells, B.K, Michel, C., Warzybok, P., Danner, E.M., and S.T. Lindley. 2019. Ecosphere, 10(7), e02743.
Environmental and geographic relationships among salmon forage assemblages along the continental shelf of the California Current. Friedman, W.R., Wells, B.K., Santora, J.A., Schroeder, I.D., Huff, D.D., Brodeur, R., and J.C. Field. 2018. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 596, 181–198.
Inter‐group alliance dynamics in Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). Whitney R. Friedman, Michael Krützen, Stephanie King, Simon Allen, Livia Gerber, Samuel Wittwer, Richard C. Connor. 2023. Animal Cognition, 26(5), 1601–1612.
Allied male dolphins use vocal exchanges to “bond at a distance”. Emma Chereskin, Frants H. Jensen, Whitney R. Friedman, Richard C. Connor, Simon J. Allen, Michael Krützen, Pernille M. Sørensen and Stephanie L. King. 2022. Current Biology, 32, 1-7.
Affiliation history and age similarity predict alliance formation in adult male bottlenose dolphins. Gerber, L., Connor, R.C., King, S.L., Allen, S.J., Wittwer, S., Bizzozzero, M.R., Friedman, W.R., Kalberer, S., Sherwin, W.B., Wild, S. and Willems, E.P., 2020. Behavioral Ecology, 31(2), pp.361-370.
Tool use and social homophily among male bottlenose dolphins. Bizzozzero, M.R., Allen, S.J., Gerber, L., Wild, S., King, S.L., Connor, R.C., Friedman, W.R., Wittwer, S. and Krützen, M. 2019. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 286(1904), p.20190898.
Bottlenose dolphins retain individual vocal labels in multi-level alliances. King, S.L, Friedman, W.R., Allen, S.J., Gerber, L., Jensen, F., Wittwer, S., Connor, R.C., and M. Krützen. 2018. Current Biology, 28(12), p1993-1999.E3.
Learn More
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Reach out
whitney.friedman@thrivingoceanscollective.org