GEMMA CLUCAS
Seabird Conservation Analytics Team Leader and Research Associate, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Cornell University - Ithaca, NY, 14850
gemma.clucas@cornell.edu
EDUCATION
2017 Ph.D., Gene flow and glacial history: investigating the processes shaping the population structure of penguins in the Southern Ocean. University of Southampton and University of Oxford. Advisor: Dr. Tom Hart.
2012 M.Res., Ocean Sciences, University of Southampton. Advisor: Dr. Tom Hart.
2010 M.A., Natural Sciences, Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2023 - Present Research Associate, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA.
2021 - 2023 Rose Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, USA.
2021 - 2023 Graduate Faculty Member, Oregon State University.
2019 - 2021 Cornell Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future Postdoctoral Fellow, Cornell University, USA.
2017 – 2019 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, USA.
2012 – 2016 Ph.D.
2012 Research Assistant, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, UK.
2011 – 2012 M.Res.
2011 Research Assistant, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, UK.
2010 Research Assistant, Zoology & Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
PUBLICATIONS
* Indicates joint-first authorship
2023. Flynn CM, Hart T, Clucas GV, Lynch HJ. Penguins in the anthropause: COVID-19 closures drive gentoo penguin movement among breeding colonies. Biological Conservation. 2023 Oct 1;286:110318.
2023. Ensanyar-Volle O, Appoo JC, Bunbury N, Clucas GV, Khan N, Rocamora GJ, Sanchez C, Fayet A. Differences in foraging range between white-tailed tropicbirds breeding on inner and outer Seychelles islands. Marine Ecology Progress Series. In press.
2023. Fayet AL, Sanchez C, Appoo J, Constance J, Clucas GV, Turnbull LA, Bunbury N. Marked differences in foraging area use and susceptibility to predation between two closely-related tropical seabirds. Oecologia. In press.
2022. Clucas GV, Warwick-Evans V, Hart T, Trathan PN. Using habitat models for chinstrap penguins, Pygoscelis antarctica, to inform marine spatial management around the South Sandwich Islands during the penguin breeding season. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. 199: 105093.
2022. Caldwell A, Brander S, Wiedenmann J, Clucas GV, Craig EC. Incidence of microplastic fiber ingestion by Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) and Roseate Terns (S. dougallii) breeding in the Northwestern Atlantic. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 177: 113560.
2022. Renfrew RB, Perlut N, Maxwell LM, Cadman M, Kim DH, Clucas GV, Kovach AI. Population structure of a grassland songbird (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) to inform conservation units. Biodiversity and Conservation. 31: 77-96.
2021. Frugone MJ, Cole TL, López ME, Clucas GV, Matos-Maravi P, Lois NA, Pistorius P, Bonadonna F, Trathan PN, Polanowski A, Wienecke B, Raya-Rey A, Pütz K, Steinfurth A, Bi K, Wang-Claypool CY, Waters JM, Bowie RK, Poulin E, Vianna JA. Taxonomy based on limited genomic markers may underestimate species diversity of rockhopper penguins and threaten their conservation. Diversity and Distributions, 27:2277–2296.
2021. Walsh J, Kovach AI, Benham PM, Clucas GV, Winder VL, Lovette IJ. Genomic data reveal the biogeographical and demographic history of Ammospiza sparrows in northeast tidal marshes. Journal of Biogeography, 48(9):2360-2374.
2021. Dickens J, Hollyman PR, Hart T, Clucas GV, Murphy EJ, Poncet S, Trathan PN, & Collins MA. Developing UAV Monitoring of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands’ Iconic Land-Based Marine Predators. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8:654215.
2021. Fayet AL, Clucas GV, Anker-Nilssen T, Syposz M, & Hansen ES. Local prey shortages drive foraging costs and breeding success in a declining seabird, the Atlantic puffin. Journal of Animal Ecology, 90(5):1152-1164.
2020. Tyler J, Bonfitto MT, Clucas GV, Reddy S, Younger JL. Morphometric and genetic evidence for four species of gentoo penguin. Ecology and Evolution, 10(24):13836-46.
2020. Kalvakaalva R, Clucas GV, Herman RW, Polito MJ. Late Holocene variation in the Hard prey remains and stable isotope values of penguin and seal tissues from the Danger Islands, Antarctica. Polar Biology, 24:1-2.
2020. Levy H, Fiddaman SR, Vianna JA, Noll D, Clucas GV, Sidhu JK, Polito MJ, Bost CA, Phillips RA, Crofts S, Miller GD. Evidence of pathogen-induced immunogenetic selection across the large geographic range of a wild seabird. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 37 (6): 1708-1726.
2019. Clucas GV, Lou RN, Overgaard-Therkildsen N, and Kovach AI. Novel signals of adaptive genetic variation in northwestern Atlantic cod revealed by whole genome sequencing. Evolutionary Applications, 12(10): 1971-1987.
2019. Clucas GV, Kerr LA, Cadrin SX, Zemeckis DR, Sherwood GD, Goethel D, Whitener Z, and Kovach AI. Adaptive genetic variation underlies biocomplexity of Atlantic Cod in the Gulf of Maine and on Georges Bank. PLoS ONE, 14(5): e0216992.
2019. Walsh J*, Clucas GV*, MacManes M, and Kovach A. Divergent selection and drift shape the genomes of two avian sister species spanning a saline-freshwater ecotone. Ecology & Evolution, ece3.5804.
2019. Cole TL, Dutoit L, Dussex N, Hart T, Alexander A, Younger JL, Clucas GV, Frugone MJ, Cherel Y, Cuthbert RJ, Ellenberg U, Fiddaman SR, Hiscock J, Houston D, Jouventin P, Mattern T, Miller G, Miskelly C, Nolan PM, Polito MJ, Quillfedlt P, Ryan PG, Smith AL, Tennyson AJD, Thompson DR, Wienecke B, Vianna, JA, and Waters JM. Receding ice drove parallel expansions in Southern Ocean penguins. PNAS, 116(52): 26690 – 26696.
2019. Trathan PN, Wienecke B, Barbraud C, Jenouvrier S, Kooyman G, Le Bohec C, Ainley D, Ancel A, Zitterbart D, Chown S, LaRue M, Cristofari R, Younger J, Clucas GV, Bost CA, Brown J, Gillett H, and Fretwell P. The emperor penguin - vulnerable to projected rates of warming and sea ice loss. Biological Conservation.
2018. Clucas GV*, Younger J*, Kao D, Emmerson L, Southwell C, Wienecke B, Rogers AD, Bost CA, Miller GD, Polito MJ, Lelliot P, Handley J, Crofts S, Phillips A, Dunn MJ, Miller KJ, and Hart T. Comparative population genomics reveals key barriers to dispersal in Southern Ocean penguins. Molecular Ecology. 27(23), 4680-4697.
2018. Borowicz A, McDowall P, Youngflesh C, Sayre-McCord T, Clucas GV, Herman R, Forrest S, Rider M, Schwaller M, Hart T, and Jenouvrier S. Multi-modal survey of Adélie penguin mega-colonies reveals the Danger Islands as a seabird hotspot. Scientific reports, 8(1):3926.
2017. Younger J*, Clucas GV*, Kao D, Rogers AD, Gharbi K, Hart T, and Miller K. The challenges of detecting subtle population structure and its importance for the conservation of emperor penguins. Molecular Ecology, 26(15): 3883 – 3897.
2016. Clucas GV*, Younger J*, Kao D, Rogers AD, Handley J, Miller G, Jouventin P, Nolan P, Gharbi K, Miller KJ, and Hart T. Dispersal in the sub-Antarctic: King penguins show a remarkable lack of population genetic differentiation across their range. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 16: 211.
2016. Levy H*, Clucas GV*, Rogers AD, Polito MJ, Lynch H, Emslie SD, and Hart T. Population structure and phylogeography of the Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) across the Scotia Arc. Ecology & Evolution, 6: 1834–1853.
2015. Younger J*, Clucas GV*, Kooyman G, Wienecke B, Rogers A, Trathan P, Hart T, and Miller K. Too much of a good thing: sea ice extent may have forced emperor penguins into refugia during the last glacial maximum. Global Change Biology, 21(6): 2215-2226.
2015. Brekke P, Ewen J, Clucas GV, and Santure A. Determinants of male floating behavior and floater reproduction in a threatened population of the hihi (Notiomystis cincta). Evolutionary Applications, 8(8), 796-806.
2015. Freer JJ, Mable BK, Clucas GV, Rogers AD, Polito MJ, Dunn M, Naveen R, Levy H, and Hart T. Limited genetic differentiation among chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) colonies in the Scotia Arc and Western Antarctic Peninsula. Polar Biology, 38(9), 1493-1502.
2014. Clucas GV, Dunn MJ, Dyke G, Emslie SD, Naveen R, Polito MJ, Pybus O, Rogers AD, and Hart T. A reversal of fortunes: climate change ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in Antarctic Peninsula penguins. Scientific Reports, 4: 5024.
2012. Polito MJ, Clucas GV, Hart T, and Trivelpiece WZ. A simplified method of determining the sex of Pygoscelis penguins using bill measurements. Marine Ornithology, 40: 89 – 94.
2012. Zieritz A, Clucas GV, Axtmann L, and Aldridge D. Shell ecophenotype in the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) determines the spatial pattern in foraging behaviour of an oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) population. Marine biology 159: 863 – 872.
AWARDS AND HONOURS
2023
NIFA Research Project - $90,000 for project: Avian Pest Control in New York Apple Orchards: An Assessment of Ecological and Economic Services. [Co-writer of the proposal].
Zymo Research Molecular Wildlife & Ecology grant - $2,500 for project: Monitoring seabird diets through fecal DNA metabarcoding: a new tool for the sustainable management of the Gulf of Maine.
2021
Waterbirds Society Nisbet Research Award - $5,000 for project: Range-wide diet monitoring of the northeastern US Roseate Tern population using faecal DNA metabarcoding.
2020
World Seabird Union Science Communication award.
2019
Cornell Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Rose Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship - declined to take up Cornell fellowships.
Antarctic Science Bursary - £5,992 for project: Evaluating the effectiveness of the South Sandwich Islands marine protected area for protecting penguin prey resources.
2018
Shoals Marine Laboratory Scientist in Residence Fellowship – $8,700 for project: Assessing the diets of endangered seabirds using metabarcoding.
American Ornithological Society Hesse Research Award - $2,142 for project: Multi-colony analysis of the diet of adult Atlantic puffins with DNA metabarcoding techniques.
American Ornithological Society travel awards - $295 and $558.
UNH School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering travel award - $582.
2017
UNH School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering Seed Grant - $5000 for project: Leveraging fecal DNA pilot data for the conservation management of seabirds, fisheries, and coastal ecosystems. [Co-writer of the proposal].
Nominated for ZSL Thomas Henry Huxley Award and Marsh Prize for the best doctoral thesis in the field of zoology.
2016
Best student presentation at the Seabird Group Conference, Edinburgh, UK.
Runner-up for best presentation in the World Seabird Twitter Conference.
American Ornithologist’s Union travel award - $610.
Challenger Society for Marine Science travel award - £500.
Seabird Group travel award - £100.
Conference on Conservation Genomics travel award - €350.
2015
British Ecological Society travel award - £500.
Association for Polar Early Career Scientists travel award - 4375 NOK.
NERC funding to attend public outreach course - £150.
NERC funding to attend RADseq data analysis course - £200.
Pre-2015
NERC funding to attend course in UAV operation - £500.
MRes commendation (equivalent to a distinction), University of Southampton.
Kareen Thorne prize for Biological Sciences, Trinity Hall, Cambridge.
INVITED TALKS
2023 “The Seabird Conservation Analytics Team at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.” Cornell Biological Field Station seminar series.
2023 “From presence/absence to reliable prey proportions: A field test of dietary metabarcoding for characterizing seabird diets.” Clucas G, Stillman A, & Craig E. Atlantic Marine Bird Cooperative Symposium, Waterbirds Society annual conference.
2022 “Seabird conservation and monitoring.” Cornell Lab of Ornithology Young Birders Event.
2022 “Sailing in search of penguin poos.” Pacific Seabird Group annual conference.
2021 “Monitoring Common Tern diets with faecal DNA vs visual observations.” Atlantic Marine Bird Cooperative, Forage Fish Working Group.
2021 “Seabird Conservation Analytics.” Cornell University Ornithology Seminar Series.
2020 “Faecal metabarcoding for monitoring tern diets.” Roseate Tern Recovery Meeting.
2020 “Penguins breeding on erupting volcanoes: A sailing-ship expedition to some of the world's most remote southern islands.” Cornell University Ornithology Seminar Series.
2019 “Marine Conservation Genomics: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of Marine Ecosystems.” Queen’s University, Canada. Ecology, Evolution, and Behaviour Seminar Series.
2019 “Monitoring tern diets using faecal DNA.” Gulf of Maine Seabird Working Group Meeting.
2019 “Bird poop brings good luck (and tells us about bird diets).” Cornell University Ornithology Seminar Series
2018 “Making use of new technologies and genomic techniques to study Antarctic penguins.” Shoals Marine Laboratory Rock Talk.
2017 “Life history and glacial history: the changing factors determining connectivity among Antarctic penguins.” Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Biology Department Seminar Series.
TEACHING
2021. Guest Lecturer – Integrated Ecosystem Research & Management, Cornell University/Shoals Marine Lab.
2020. Guest Speaker - Current Topics in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University.
2019. Guest Lecturer – Integrated Ecosystem Research & Management, Cornell University/Shoals Marine Lab.
2018. R instructor and undergraduate student mentor– Shoals Marine Lab.
2016. Teaching Assistant – Tree of life practical course, University of Oxford.
2016. Teaching Assistant – Rocky shore ecology field course, University of Oxford.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
2020. Sustainability Leadership program – Cornell Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future.
2020. Postdoctoral Leadership program – Cornell University.
2020. Collaborative and Reproducible Data Science in R – Cornell University.
2018. Eukaryotic metabarcoding Workshop – Physalia Courses, Université Laval.
2017. Science Communication Workshop – Alan Alda Centre for Communicating Science.
2017. Conservation Genomics Workshop – UCLA and La Kretz Centre for California Conservation Science.
2016. Introduction to GIS using QGIS – University of Oxford.
2015. RADseq Workshop – NERC Biomolecular Analysis Facility.
2014. Introduction to Next Generation Sequencing – EMBL-EBI.
2013. Computational Molecular Evolution - Wellcome Trust & EMBL-EBI.
SERVICE
Grant reviewer: Icelandic Research Fund, Cornell Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future.
IUCN Penguin Specialist Group member.
Symposium co-organiser: “Applications of genomics to seabird conservation,” World Seabird Conference, 2021.
Symposium co-organiser: “Lessons from avian hybrid zones and the maintenance of species boundaries,” American Ornithological Society annual meeting, 2019.
Reviewer for: Evolutionary Applications, Communications Biology, Journal of Heredity, Scientific Reports, Ornithological Applications, Avian Conservation & Ecology, Ecology & Evolution, Marine Ecology Progress Series, PLoS ONE, Polar Biology, and Mitochondrial DNA Part A.
Student presentation judge: Waterbirds Society annual meetings, American Ornithological Society annual meetings.