TWS Presents: Dr. Dave Onorato - Long term research on the Florida Panther: from the precipice of extinction to range expansion
- Description
Brought to you by The Water School Seminar Speaker Committee Harry Maisch, Stefan Carpenter, Dhruv Bhatt, and Vanaja Kankarla.
Dr. Onorato is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received a B.S. from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, an M.S. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. Dr. Onorato was also a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Idaho through 2005, where he concentrated on large carnivore conservation genetics. Later in 2005, he began his research position on the Florida panther project for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Dave’s main research interests focus on using long term genetic, demographic, and spatial data garnered from field studies to conserve and recover endangered large carnivores. He is responsible for developing and implementing research projects on the Florida panther that will assist with providing data necessary to assess progress towards achieving recovery objectives outlined in the USFWS Florida Panther Recovery Plan. Dave is also a member of the FWC Florida Panther Capture Team and is responsible for setting capture objectives each season in order to obtain study animals necessary for research projects.
