ula | Cetacean Ecology Lab

Hsin-Yi Yu (Ula)

E-mail: ula0601(AT)gmail.com

Ph.D. Candidate

Supervisors

Dr. Lien-Shiang Chou, National Taiwan University

Dr. Leszek Karczmarski, The University of Hong Kong

Academic Record

Ph.D. Candidate, National Taiwan University
M.Sc. (Marine Biology), National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan (2002)

Project Synopsis

Population ecology of Risso's dolphins off Taiwan

The Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) is one of the medium-size cetacean species commonly encountered off the east coast of Taiwan. I am interested in population ecology of Risso’s dolphins, especially their spatiotemporal pattern of distribution and spatio-behavioural pattern of habitat use. I want to document whether there are any specific sites and habitats off the Taiwanese coast that this species uses more frequently for specific behaviours such as foraging, resting or social interactions. Using data on individually identifiable animals and mark-recapture techniques, I will estimate population parameters such as temporary migration patterns, affinities to any specific geographic locations, reproductive parameters and population size. My project is conducted in collaboration with several dolphin and whale watching operators and includes considerable amount of public outreach and education.

Thesis

Yu, Hsin-yi (2002). Songs of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) off Taiwan and the evolution of communication in cetaceans. Institute of Marine Biology, National Sun Yat-sen University. Taiwan.

Publications

Mok, Hin-Kiu., Hsin-yi Yu, Jinn-Pyng Ueng, and Ruey-Chang Wei (2009). Characterization of sounds of the blackspotted croaker Protonibea diacanthus (Sciaenidae) and localization of Its spawning sites in estuarine coastal waters of Taiwan. Zoological Studies 48(3): 325-333.

Conference / Workshop Contributions

Lin, Tzu-Hao, Yu, Hsin-yi, Chen, Chi-Fang, Chou, Lien-Siang (2013). Automatic detection and classification of cetacean tonal sounds from a long-term marine observatory. Proceedings of the Symposium on Underwater Technology 2013. IEEE OES Japan Chapter.

Yu Hsin-yi, Lin, T. H and Chang, W.L, and Chou,L.S (2010). Using the mark-recapture method to estimate the population size of Sousa chinensis in Taiwan. Workshop on population connectivity and conservation of Sousa chinensis off Chinese Coast, Nanjng, China.

Chou, Lien-Siang, Yu Hsin-yi. and Brownell, R.L. (2007). Killer whales in Taiwanese waters: population identity, biology and conservation status. International Whaling Commission meeting Working Document SC/59/SM 7pp.

Yu, Hsin-yi, Wu-Jung Lee, Ruey-chang Wei, and Lien-Siang Chou (2007). Distress call, feeding call, cohesion call or signature whistles? The whistles of stranding Rough-Toothed Dolphins (Steno bredanensis) in North Taiwan. Conference on Bioacoustics-related Research, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.